How the West Coast Lumber Industry Served the Nation in 1943

Bv R. T. Titus Director of Trode Extension West Coost Lumbermen's Association

"Your industry is the prime war 'industry in the Arsenal of Democra.y. Upon you and each of you o{ the lumber industry depends the magnitude of our military operations and thus upon you depends ihe duration of the war Keep the lumber coming in a never-ending avalanche until the weight of the weapons packed in it creates a burden too great for our.enemies to bear."

only 6O per cent of the September-October 1943 level. Unfillled orders mounted to over one billion feet while gross stocks fell below the one-half billion mark.

In February and March production rose steadily but could not overcome the loss suffered in January so that for the first quarter year production was 18 per cent below that of 1942. Releases of Douglas fir by the Administrator of L-218 to other buyers than the Central Procuring Agency were averaging only about 50 per cent of the O.P.A. purchases. Because of the growing need for certain specialized war items such as airplane lirmber,'ponton stock and the like the Western Log and Lumber Administrator of W.P.B. inaugurated the policy of selective allocation of fir logs. The purpose of this allocation was to insure maximum production of these much needed items by plants best equipped to turn them out.

R. T. Titus

Thus spoke Col. Fred G. Sherrill, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, as he presented the coveted Army-Navy "E" award to the first operation oI the West Coast lumber industry to be thus honored. Since this date, September 18, 1943, the ceremony has been repeated several times and the loggers and sawmlll workers of the Douglas fir region may now settle down to their jobs rvith the assurance that they are playing as vital part in the war effort as though they were carrying guns. While officials awards have been made to scattered groups only the industry as a whole realizes that the medal pinned upon the chest of a hero belongs as much to the eyes, hands and feet as to that particular part of the body upon which it is carried. In a year crowded with directives, orders and regulations intended to hasten the defeat of our enemies; and burdened with manpower shortages, spells of bad weather, and the war time duty of turning away empty handed customers of long standing because there was not enough lumber for both war and normal use, the awarding of the "E" is probably the high light of the past 12 rnonths to the lumber manufacturers of the Pacific Northwest.

At the end of the year it is customary for business to take stock for the purpose of reviewing what has taken place and for the laying of future plans. What happened to lumber manufactured during 1943 ?

Given .a- quota of nearly 9 billion feet production iu 1943 by the War Production Board the Douglas fir industry got off to a bad start in January when more than 22 per cent oI the mill capacity was down due to snow, frost, water and log shortage. Production during January was at

In April production advanced to an average of 164.5 urillion feet weekly but still the industry was unable to whittle its unfilled order file because C.P.A. allocations jumped to 480 million feet, the highest amount yet asked of the West Coast industry. Because of the tremendous need for boxing and crating and overseas shipment the Douglas fir mills were instructed by W.P.B. to increase their production of boards to 25-30 per cent of the total cut-a distressing thought to an industry which has specialized in timbers. planking and dimension. To encourage the changes in operation necessitated by this order the O.P.A. increased ceiling prices for dressed boards and the industry responded to the best of its ability.

May production topped April by 4 million feet per week and the industry was up to the 1942 rate of production but was still short of the assigned quota. C.P.A. requirementi dropped slightly to approximately one half total sales there being a noticeable decrease in the volume of heavv construction items but increased demands for boards and dimension. Releases under L-218 increased to 44 per cent of sales and sawmills were able to take somewhat better care of their old-time dealer and industrial customers although only a fraction of the proffered orders could be accepted.

A survey of rqanpower in the industry at the en<l of the first quarter revealed a shortage of about 30 per cent in logging camps and 10 per cent in sawmills. In an effort to improve the situation various Government agencies, the sawmills, local governing bodies and firms and indi:viduals not connected with the industry cooperated in a drive through publicity, radio and newspaper'advertising to draw former loggers back to the woods. The U. S. Em- ' ployment Service reported placing 2000 new employees in logging camps in three months as a result but the turnover of old employees continued and the problem was far - from solution. Although the number of sarvmill workers was then only about 7 per cent below a full-crew standard the average production per hour was down IZf per cent due to lessened efficiency. In July the manpower situation ..-took a turn for the worse due to the Selective Service and drives for mlen for special war industries many of which ' offered higher wages than the lumber industry was per. mitted to pay.

A count of sawmills in the Douglas fir region in June showed 1,064 establishments which operated that month at 85 per cent of their normal full-time capacity-in spite of manpower shortages, "green" help, fire shutdowns, lack of equipment and tires and many other obstacles. By July releases under L-ZI8 were averaging nearly 85 million feet per week and the Administrator asked the cooperatioo of the industry in giving preferen,ce for the next 60-90 days to agricultural requirernents. C.P.A. unplaced requirements at the end of the month totaled 110 million feet of which 68 per cent was in one and two-inch items.

In August, for the first month since the "fir freeze," releases under L-218 were double C.P.A. requirements. This reflected substantial completion of the constru,ction phase .. .of the war, in the United States, and the new poli,cy of the Government to channel small lumber purchases through customary distribution outlets. C.P.A. requirements were running 6O-65 per cent to boards and dimension and there was such a shortage of dunnage that in some instances low grade clears were purchased for this purpose in order to permit sailing of sl.rips on schedule.

September showed the industry within 11 per cent of the footage for the same 9 rnonths ol I94Z and tidewater log inventories showed a net gain of about 300 million "feet since March. However, the manpower situation became mpre critical. Several mills had to lay off shifts or otherwise reduce their cut. The advance in production came to an end in October with many operations throughout the_industry losing hours, usually from shortage of logs. ' C.P.A. allocations again swung upward totaling ZZS million feet per week, only a little less than releases under

L-2L8. To make certain that all West Coast mills take a fair proportion of C.P.A. reqiurements the Administrator of L-218 announced that in the future releases would be refused in absence of information as to what portion of the applicant's production is being applied against C.P.A. allocations. He stated that mills would be asked generallv to apply at least 50 per cent of their current production to C.P.A. requiremens. Because of a growing shortage of flooring, siding, ceiling, etc. the mills were requested not to ask for the release of two-inch and thicker clears except small amounts developed through surfacing and recovered from Common.

As of November 1 total tidewater log stocks of all species in the Douglas fir region amounted to 631,2@ M feet. This is below the 679,712 M feet on hand November I last year and is not a particularly safe reserve with which to {ace a winter season during which log production irr some sections may be far below the quantitids needed to keep sawmills operating regularly.

1943 saw the establishing of ceiling prices on several West Coast species and lumber items. Maximum Price Regulation 109, issued December 7, 1942, covers aircraft lumber and lumber products. On January 5, MPR-290 was issued i:overing Sitka spruce lumber. This was followed in May by MPR-284 on Wood Preservation and Primary Forest Products; in June by Revised MPR.26 on Douglas Fir and other West Coast lumber and MPR-,CI2 on Western Red Cedar lumber. In August the O.P.A. issued MPR460 on 'Western Timber (stumpage).

Other events of importance to the lumber industry of the Pacific Northwest during 1943 included arrival of the first rafts of Alaskan spruce logs for the production of aircraft lumber by American mills; decision of the Canadian Government to perm,it exportation of a small quantity of Douglas fir logs to the United States; increased employment of women in sawmills; renegotiation of many Government contracts; and im,position of a host of new rules and regulations, many of them distasteful to operators but a,ccepted as necessary in hastening the day of victory. For the Douglas fir region, 1943 was a hard year-a War year. For the manner in which it performed under trying conditions the industry surely deserves the "E" award "for meritorious and distinguished service to the United States of America."

Lumber Auction at New Orleans

New Orleans, December 2, 1943-More than 125 manufacturers of Southern Pine, wholesalers and others, were present in New Orleans at a two-day lumber letting, December ! and. 2, conducted by the Central Procuring Agency.

Colonel Fred G. Sherrill, Chief of the Operations Branch of the Office of Engineers, who also directs the activities of the Central Procuring Agency, was present and at the close of the two-day letting expressed himself as being "well-pleased with the quantity of lumber being offered by the industry. While final tabulations have not been completed, it is expected that allocations of nearly 75,000,' 000 feet of lumber will have been made at the New Orleans letting."

In an effort to decentralize its activities (plans for which are expected to be announced shortly), the letting in New Orleans was broken down into four divisions and conducted as follows: Robert \r. English of the CPA office in Memphis handled the purchases for North Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee; Lt' Earl M. McGowin. USNR, New Orleans, for Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi; Lt. Wally Walker, USN, Jacksonville, Fla., for Alabama, Georgia and Florida; and J. Earl Williamson of the CPA stafi in Washington handled the transactions for Kentucky, Virginia, North and South Carolina.

The Central Procuring Agency has been confronted with a considerable shortage in its lumber requirements' At the close of the letting Colonel Sherrill stated that "if the industry responds to our call for material as it has donb during the past two days, we can make up the existing deficiency and soon reach a current basis of procurement."

Arizoncr Concctenction

Hawk lluey, vicegerent snark for 'Arizona, reports that eleven Kittens were initated into Hoo-Hoo at the concatenation held at Clay Springs on November 2O. Hawk was confined to the hospital but directed the concatenation by using the short ritual on three members who did a fine job of twisting the tails of the new members' Following the initiation, dinner was served.

He states they are now working on the Governor Osborn concatenation to be held in Phoenix. He thinks it advisable to establish a Hoo-Hoo Club in the White Mountain district, and also advises that plans are under way to revive the Phoenix Hoo-Hoo Club.

Sing a song of wallboard, pgcket full of tacks, Make a wealth of closets, partitions, boxes, racks; Doesn't need an architect, plans or mathematics, Easy way for anyone to renovate the attic' Put it on the ceiling, put it on the wall, Nail it, paint it, easy ain't it?'Tisn't work at all.

\fPB Places Port Oilord Cedar

Under Allocation Control

Port Orford cedar logs, lumber and veneer were placed under complete allocation control November 30 by the War Production Board through issuance of Conservation Order M-359. Port Orford cedar is the most satisfactory species of wood for battery separators. It grows only in a narrow strip'along the coast of northern California and southern Oregon (Coos and Curry courities, Oregon; and Humboldt and Del Norte counties, California). The depletion of accessible stands and the use of Port Orford cedar for less essential products where other species may well be substituted, has resulted in serious shortages of logs and of separators for war uses.

The WPB Western Log and Lumber Administrator in Portland, Ore.. which will administer M-359, is empowered by its'provisions to allocate logs or parts of logs to specific persons; to control delivery of logs, lumber and veneer without regard for preference ratings assigned to purchase orders; and to direct or prohibit production.

The WPB directives issued to individual producers of Port Orford cedar lumber and manufacturers of separator blanks and separators in October remain in force until revoked. These directives restricted deliveries to those for military and lend-lease use. Revocation will be made as soon as the Log and Lumber Adrninistrator can assume full control.

Appinted Member of Advisory Commiftec

E. B. Baldinger, Southern lumber company executive, has been appointed a nxember of OPA's Southern Pine Industry Advisory Committee, the Office of Price Administration announced.

Mr. Baldinger is owner of the Baldinger Lumber Service, at Baldinger, La.

As a member of the Southern Pine Committee ,Mr. Batdinger will represent longleaf Southern pine producers operating on the west side of the Mississippi river. He is a lumberntbn of long experience and his appointment to the committee was requested by the Southern pine industry

Los Angeles Building Permits

Although the total of. 1,964 building permits issued'in Los Angeles during November is less than the 2,159 issued during October, the estimated valuation is greater due largely to an airport hangar at Mines Field which is expected to cost over $1 million.

Total valuation of the November permits is $6,374,050 compared to $4,379,849 for October. Compared to November, t942, the past month's building permit activity is faf in excess as only 96O permits with an estimated value ' of $1,186821 were issued during the month a year ago.

Included in the permits issued the past month are hous' ing plans to accomodate a total of 167 families, 70 in single dwellings and, 97 in multiple dwellings. Average cost of the single units is $2,561 as compared to $2,928 a"'" year ago.