Bisbee daily review., 1919-03-23
LUMBER MEN WILL ADJUST
 LISTS
Encounter Many Peculiar Diff faculties in First Confer ence With Department
Hope for Adjustment Prompts Committee of Representa- tives to Remain at Hand
CBv Reriew Leased wirel

(By Review Leased WireJ
 WASHINGTON, March 22-Repre- sentatives of the lumber industry and the industrial board of the department of commerce encountered many diff faculties peculiar to the trade in be- ginning conference today with a view to effecting price revisions similar to those in steel products.
 At the close of more than six. hours of discussion. it was announced that in the absence of any organization competent to speak for majority of the lumber producers in this country, no agreement had been reached and in view of the complexity of the situa- tion, sufficient data was not available on which it could base any action.
 Hope for Adjustments
 Hope of an agreement was held out, however, in the decision to have a committee of the lumbermen remain in Washington for consultation with the board and to supply available fig ures of the production of costs of each section of the lumber industry. Furth- CT meetings will be subject to the call of the board, which will occupy much of next week in conference with brick and cement interests.
 The committee includes John H. Kirby of Houston, Texas, president of the National Lumber Manufactur- CTS association
 It was evident from comments aft CT the meeting that the lumbermen did not hold out any prospect of ma terial reductions in the prices of their products Mr. Kirby declared produc- tiOns costs had gone up out of propor- tion to the rise in price and that the increase had continued even since the armistice was signed.
 Public Awaits Decision In response to the request of the board that the lumbermen take the initiative in submitting schedule of revised prices, it was pointed out that nobody present had authority to take | such action other than for his own plants and that even if an agreement were reached at the conference, its | effect would be local to those plants i and have no general effect
 ! A C. Johnson of Dubuque, Iowa, rep lresenting some retail lumber dealers, ! declared many buyers would begin construction as soon as there was an nouncement that there would be no re duction in lumber prices.
 At the close of the conference, the industrial board issued the following statement:
 Boards Statement
 At a conference held today between the industrial board of the depart ment of commerce with certain repre- sentatives of the lumber industry, s. P. Bush. who acted as chairman in the absence of George N. Peck, stated that in view of the fact that there was not at the conference a representation that was authorized to speak for more than fragments of the lumber industry and in view of the compleXity of the problem presented, otherwise sufficf ] ent dat was not available which could be used as a basis for any action by the board. Representatives of the in dustTy present submitted certain data concerning their present costs and selling prices to which, the board will give consideration, but it is desired that some satisfactory basis fair to all may be found upon which to consider prices as a whole.
 Announcement of steel price re visions brought favorable comment to day from officials of the department of labor and the American Federation of Labor on the clause providing thai present wage rates or agreements will not be interfered with" by the re auctions to the public.