L. A. Housing Drive Shows Many San Francisco

New Building Prospects

Prospective construction figures disclosed at the end of the second week of the Los Angeles New and Better Housing Program showed new construction as $6,325,000 and modernization and repairs as $1,234,800. These figures were based on 56,234 contacts and 30,467 questionnaires turned in by property owners and tenants.

Analysis of the survey showed that 5,179 owners contemplated repairs, and repairs suggested by 6,882 tenants. New construction prospects totaled 1,268.

Henry S. MacKay, Chairman of the Los Angeles housing campaign, has announced that Samuel Lunden, architect; Fred Ortman, Gladding-McBean & Co., and Hugh Wilbur, Pioneer-Flintkote Company, would comprise a committee to complete the arrangements for the housing show and exposition to be held in Los Angeles in January.

San Jose Housing Campaign

Officials of San Jose's Better Housing Program announced December 4 that more than $625.000 had been pledged for home modernization and ,"piir. in the canvass now being condu'cted there.

A goal of $1,250,000 has been set for the campaign, which is under the direction of A. G. Du Brutz.

Nears Goal

San Francisco's Chamber of Commerce Better Housing program was within less than $4OO,000 of its goal on December 10, with a total of $1O,6O3,46O of pledges for modernization and repair.

The San Francisco program was described by James A. Moffett, federal housing administrator, before the board of the United States Chamber of Commerce, recently, as "the most outstanding in the whole country."

Palo Alto Housing Drive

Up to December 8, $78,540 had been pledged in the Palo Alto Housing Drive by 197 property owners, according to the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, which is directing the campaign.

lnjured In Auto Crash

Charles R. Wilson, sales engineer, Chas. R. McCormick Lumber Co., San Francisco, was back in his office December 3 affer being confined to his home for two weeks as a result of injuries sustained when his car struck a concrete pole on the evening of November 18. The accident was due to the position of the pole in the center of the road, without proper lighting or protection, and the fact that there was a heavy rainstorm'.at the time. His three passengers were seriously injured.

Pole add Pihns Subdivision Ask For Cost Protection Priceg

Washington, D. C., Nov. 28.-Following action by its Resident Committee the Lumber Code Authority has transmitted to NRA, without recommendation, a petition of the 'Western Red and Northern White Cedar Subdivision of the Pole and Piling Division for the establishment of minimum prices based on reasonable costs for the products of that subdivision, submitting at the same time a schedule of f.o.b. mill prices as proposed by the subdivision and reviewed by the Costs and Prices Department of the Authority. Included in the file sent to NRA was a staternent showing Western red cedar pole stocks on hand December 31, 1933, estimates of poles produced for the years 19281933 inclusive, together with data for the firsi six months oI 1934 taken from cumulative reports for periods indicated.

The Lumber Code Authority has asked that if NRA approved the petition it be made effective four days after date of approval, with opportunity for filing protests within 15 days.

The petition declares the subdivision is confronted with an emergency demanding cost protection for checking destructive competitioir on its products, and recites the following in support of that contention:

(") Annual sales of poles in 1932-282,06; 1933-345, 000.

(b) fnventory of poles as of January l,1934 was approximately 353,000.

(") The inventory necessary to maintain an assortment for current trade is approximately 600,000.

(d) The Subdivision as of January I was burdened with a surplus of over 350,000 poles and the inventory to date has been only slightly reduced.

(.) The market price quoted on poles currently shows a range of from 20 to 80 per cent between the low and the high, and there are instances where poles have actually been given away.

(f) A cost analysis prepared by Ernst & Ernst shows current'costs above today's maximum selling price.

The subdivision asks no coordiriation of prices with those in competing species, pointing out that it is agreeable to the establishment of reasonable costs and minimum prices on its produ'cts without requiring the same for competing species, in view of the fact that the principal cus- tomer of its producers has a policy of allocating different sections of the country to different species, and because there are many other uSers of poles who specify cedar only.

The petition had been previously disapproved by the Coordinating Committee of the Pole and Piling Division with the explanation that regardless of the subdivision's present position pressure might be brought to bear in the future on the other subdivisions forcing them to establish cost and price regulations based on established costs and prices of the Western Red and Northern White Cedar Subdivisions. Objections to the petition also had been made by the Weyerhaeuser Sales Company on the following grounds:

(a) Full length treated Yellow Pine poles do CO per cent or more of the pole business in competitive markets and cannot be price controlled because wood-preservers are not subject to Lumber Code.

(b) Chestnut pole competition is not cost protected.

(.) Cypress poles, lodge pole and Douglas fir poles are not cost protected.

(d) Sixty per cent or more of the present Cedar pole domestic inventory has been imported from Canada.

(.) Price control without control of production and imports would cr'eate an impossible situation.

\(/, T. Wallace

William True Wallace, salesman for the Hammond Lumber Company, diel at his home in Stockton of a heart attack, December 5.

Mr. Wallace was born in Mendocino City, Calif., 57 years ago, and was connected with the lumber industry all of his business life. Before becoming associated with the Hammond Lumber Company in 1928 he was with the Albion Lumber Company.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Nellie Wallace of Stockton; two sisters, Mrs. R. E. Caldwell, Richmond, and Mrs. Jerome Rafter, Eureka, and a brother, Thomas S. Wallace, Eureka.

Funeral services were held at Fort Bragg on Saturday, December 8. Interment was at Mendocino City.

FRANCIS TANN VISITS S. F.

Francis Tann, secretary of the California Redwood Split Products Association, was recently a visitor to San Francisco on business of the Association. Mr. Tann is also manager of M. F. Mitchell & Co., Carlotta, manufacturers of Redwood shingles and split products.