National Lumber Manufacturers Association Directors Authorize Work Under MillionDollar Budget for Trade Extension

Chicago, Nov. 8.-The Executive- Committee of the directors of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, meeting here yesterday and today, dealt with general policies of the Association and reviewed the progress of trade extension work, planned for its perpetuation and set up a budget for its activities during 1931. The budget is on a scale of a million dollars, but the policy laid down for its application requires that expenditures be at all times maintained in proportion to actual receipts, so that if receipts, owing to effects of the business depression. should fall under a million dollars, adjustment accordingly will be made. The directors authorized an active campaign to secure renewals and additional subscribers to the trade extension fund.

The main headings of the various activities to which funds were allocated are:

Research, Field Promotion Work, Educational Promotion, Architectural, Lumber Purchase and Use Specifications, Co-operative Promotion Work with Other Agencies. Merchandising, Building Code Service, Publicity and Advertising.

The directors had before them detailed explanations and discussions of all the items making up the total, which were submitted by Walter F. Shaw, trade extension manager.

The contemplated research includes laboratory work in wood properties, processing treatments and coatings, structural assemblies, and emergency investigations.

Field Promotion

Field promotion work covers such constructional promotion as light frame and wood joisted construction. farm lumber market, millwork products. heavv timber buildings. highway structures and uses, oil industrv structures and uses. railway structures and equipment, federal government lumber requirements, and such fabrication projects as automobile manufacture and kitchen and cabinet manufacture. also special technical advisory service supplied to manufacturers on request. All of these rvere presented in profuse detail.

The educational activities include assistance to engineering and architectural schools and colleges through lectures, advice regarding curricula; similar help to various schools ; assistance in carpentry instruction to the Federal Board of Vocational Training; industry speakers' bureau; educational service to carpenters, lathers and plasterers; exhibits ; distribution of wood samples to schools and colleges; educational publicity regarding forestry and the lumber industry; preparation and distribution of publications and corrective publications regarding educational and general publications and literature of competitors.

The architectural activities are aimed at educating and informing architects. who control approximately 70 per cent of the money spent annually for building materials. regarding the properties and merits of wood and wood construction. These activities also relate to carpenters. contractors, real estate boards, financing agencies, farm building groups, home modernization, etc.

Lumber purchase and use specification service covers a wide field in which marked lumber and the use of certificates of grade and tally for carload shipments are consplcuous.

CoOperative Activities

The co-operative work covers home financing, home modernizing, Wooden Box Bureau,'Wood Office Furniture and Equipment, promotion of treated wood progress, red cedar shingle co-operation, various wood-using industries, National Sprinkler Manufacturers Association, Fire Insurance, Hoo-Hoo, National Committee on Wood Utilization, and some minor joint work.

Much attention was given in the budget presentation, and in its discussions by the directors, to the subject of merchandising. It was evident that there is a growing feeling that a considerable part of the troubles of the lumber industry are due to faults of distribution, especially with regard to lack of energetic solicitation of patronage. President Dixon, who has had a most encouraging experience through the adoption of intelligent solicitation of trade by the retail yards of the Booth-Kelly Lumber Company, is enthusiastic over the possibilities of intelligent house-tehouse selling, especially in the country. The success of this work is largely dependent upon the education and research work of the trade extension department, rvhich has accumulated a large number of publications that are invaluable to the retail yard salesman calling on prospective customers. Since Mr. Dixon originated the experiment in this line in the territory tributary to Eugene, Oregon, hundreds of retailers have received copies of his various talks explaining the procedure, and several have reported increased sales corresponding to those in Mr. Dixon's own experiencHn€ of the salesmen of his retail yards having originated $25,m of new retail business within a few months. This form of co-operation with the retailers-that is, assisting and stimulating them to go after business energeticatly-will be emphasized in trade extension work throughout l93l; in fact, it may be said that it will be the distinguishing feature of Mr. Dixon's administration.

In connection with the building code work, it was remarked that about one-third of the annual lumber production is absorbed in the urban markets, and subject to building laws and ordinances. Hence there is necessity for continuous protection of the market against unfair and prejudiced legislation. Such protection involves a vast amount of 6eld and office work.

In the field of national advertising, it was directed that expenditures be limited to publications reaching the industrial and home building markets; the farm field; the "specifying consumers"; the home finance, lumber distributions fields, etc.

Wide Field of Publications

The trade extension recommendations gave much attention to the important part played by publications in supporting all the various activities. Attention rvas called to the fact that in the first nine months of 1930, nearly a quarter million directly,and through the co.operating agencies over a million, copies of publications had been distributed on the part-cost plan and that a consi{erable revenue was derived from theirsale. The total distribution covers 56,m0 copies of heavy timber publications, 359,(XX) on light frame construction, 25,00O on building and construction generally, 23,000 on building codes, 445,m architectural, 13,000 on fabricated and industrial uses of lumber, 805,000 copies of educational, general informational and wood property and treatment publications. The total distribution of all publications up to October was nearly three million. The proposed new publications and further tions of old ones now proposed totals 685,000.

The meeting of the Executive Committee of the directors was preceded on Thursday by a meeting of the Budget Committee, which canvassed the estimatei and recomm;ndations submitted by the trade extension department and revised them for submission to the directors. - The Budget Committee is composed of R. B. White, Chairman, Tride Extension Committee; A. Trieschmann, Vice-Chairman, and the chairmen of the four Advisory Committees, namely, Carl Hamilton, Advertising; M. W. Stark, Publi,city; W. f. Murray, Promotion; C. Arthur Bruce, Resear,ch.

Representatives of the regional lumber manufacturers association which make up the National Association met in Chicago during the week of O,ctober 26 and studied the tentative budget as a preliminary to its consideration by the Budget Committee and the Board of Directors.

Miscellaneous Transactions

Other than trade extension matters. the Exe"cutive Committee unanimously approved the Code of Trade Practices as somewhat amended in paragraphs 18 and 19, and unanimously approved in principle Mr. Kendall's distribution statement.

It was voted to continue activities in opposition to the importation of Russian convict-made lumber, as directed at the meeting of the directors held last August.

The subject of horne financing came up again and the secretary and manager was directed to consider the advisa- bility of employing a staff man whose entire attention would be devoted to this work.

After some discussion of the subject of orderly produc- tion and distribution, which has been under consideration for some months, President Dixon announ,ced that the N.L.M.A. would proceed rvith a development of its present st-atistical program, but that the plan for regional meetings of producers would be deferred.

The proposed Timber Conservation Board, which it rvas stated the President rvas about to appoint, was considered in a general way and rvith pra,ctically unanimous favor.

Consideration was given to the afiairs of the Credit Corporation.

Mr. Dixon announced that all directors tvould be expected to spend two or three weeks of their time in 1931 in pushing for new support of the trade extension work by lumber manufacturers.

The directors, or proxies, attending the meeting were as follows: A. C. Dixon, E. L. Carpenter, R. B. White, H. B. Hewes, J. W. Blodgett, J. H. Kirby, C. D. Johnson, F. G. Wisner, W. S. Bennet, E. G. Griggs, J. H. Eddy, C. C. Sheppard, A. J. Peavy, E. 4. Frost, W. Leuthold, J. P. Hennessy, M. B. Nelson, J. W. Watzek, W. M. Ritter, Paul Eames, C. S. Keith, H. C. Bar,ckes, M. W. Stark. S. V. Fullaway, Harry Kendall, F. R. Titcomb, F. K. Weverhaeuser, Wilson Compton, W. F. Shaw, A. T. Upson. H. G. Uhl and A. L. Ford.