The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-23
MANY DIFFICULTIES MET IN EFFORT ID EFFECT REV|S|ONS
 IN LUMBER PRICES
Representatives of Lumber Industry and Industrial Board Hold Six-Hour Session Without
 Result
By Associated Press

aSllngtOn, MarcH ~.
 Representatives of the lumber industry and the industrial
 board of the department of
 commerce encountered many
 difficulties peculiar to the
 trade in beginning conferences today with a view to effecting price revisions similar to those
 in steel products.
 l At the close of more than six hours of discussion it was announced that in the absence of any organization competent to speak for a majority of the lumber producers in this country. no agreement had been reached, and in view of the cempexity of the situation, sufficient data was not available on which the board could base any action.
 l Hope of an agreement was held out. however, in the decision to have a com mlttee of the umbermen remain in Wash higton for consultation with the board l and to supply available figures on the | production costs of each section of the l lumber industry. Further meetings will l be subject to the call of the board which will occupy much of next week in con
 ference with brick ana cement interests. 1 The committee consists of John II. Kir- ] by of Houston, Texas. president of the
 Ma tionai Lumber Manufacturers associa- tien; pr. Wilson Compton, Chicago sec rotary manager of the same organiza- tion: R. M Rickey, New Orleans, econ
 omist of the Southern Pine association;
 c. L. Hume. Norfolk, Va, North Caro- 1 lima Pine association: George w. Ward, Jacksonville, Fla, Georgia-Flo Saw mill association, and NJ. w. Stark, Gin cinnati, American Hardwood association | It was evident from comments after
 tho meeting that the lumbermen did not 1 hold out any prospect of material reduc- ticns in the prices of their products. Mir l Kirby declared production costs had gone up out of proportion to the rise in price
 and that the increase had continued even since the armistice was signed.
 WITHOUT AUTHORITY
 l In response 10 the request of the board | that the lumbermen take the initiative ir submitting 8 schedule of revised prices, 1t was pointed out nobody present \ had authority to take such action other | ttaE for his own plants and that even Tiff an agreement were reached at the conference it's effect would be local to
 these plants and have no general effect. l Members of the board said frankly they | rt cognized the difficulties involved as pe- culiar to the trade. $. F. Bush presd- 1 ing as chairman in the absence of George | N Peek, pointed out that the western 1 fir producers were not represented and l that there was no basis available at the meeting on which to effect adJustmerts | be tween southern pine, northern pine, l hardwood, and all tho other varieties of | lumber. each of which had it's own pro- ] duction problems and no general spokes- | man.
 Some of the lumbermen were dubious as to the legality of any price agree ments Mir. Kirby bluntly said the as- | sooiations of which he was member would throw out any man guilty or 1 tur spring to fix prices What the ooara | members told the lrmbermen on this SUD 1 ject was not disclosed, but 1t generally 1 has been accepted that the announce ment of the agreed steel prices and the holding of today's conferences, following l co l. sultation between MT. Peek and the 1 Attorney General, meant that no obstacles would be placed by the department or justice in the way of agreed price re. ductons designed to improve the general economic situation.
 1 A. C. Johnson of Dubuque, Iowa, rep rescnting some retail lumber dealers, de c,sred many buyers would begin con st,tction as soon as there was announce r1ent that tn gre would be no reductlon H. | lumber prices. The trade at present was said to be good MT. Johnson had the srpport of the lumber producers in de- clarin that price reductions would have
 s., small an effect on dwellings and other l woo den construction, that it was assur- ance of stability rather than lower cost yhich was desirable. He said reduc- I tor of s2 a 1000 feet would mean saw ing of only s30 in house consuming l15.OOo feet of lumber, The material was said to be a smaller factor in wooden construction than in any other class or building.
 | STATEMENT ISSUED
 At the close of the conference the in- dustrial board issued the following
 statement:
 l "At the conference held today be- tween the industrial board of the de- pa rtment of commerce with certain rep resentatives of the lumber industry, S- i P. Bush, who acted as chairman Tn l the absence of George N Peek. stated that in view of the fact that there was not at the conference representation that was authorized to speak for fragments of the lumber Industry and in view of the complexity of the prob Hem presented otherwise. sufficient data l was not available which could be used as a basis for any action by the board. Representatives of the industry present | submitted certain data concerning thelr present costs and selling prices to which the board will give consideration. To T eE hat vnf Q q