Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1926-09-03
Carpenters Menaced i
Cheap Material Market


''The lumbermen are awakening to
this situation and commencing "a
meet fire With fire. You gentlemen,
having the same problem, should en-
list yourselves II the same cause to
the same misrepresentation of a
healthy demand for the product you
use and healthy demand for geur
time and labor. And n this you are
very fortunately situated
9As salesman Of lumber material,
my Arguments are more readily
eolored with interest by the prospect
: approach. You as craftsmen, are
recognized more IS q consulants while
IS have shown. our cases are an
alogous, the public sees as through
different colored lenses.
"EIaa your craft anything to fear
in sponsoring the material you work
with7 Has it been fostered and
built on false Standard You know
and / know It Is not and has not, and
It is up to Us, the whole industry, to
let the upblic know. Il should be
easy, It has never failed them. It has
been tried and found 70 stand the
test.
'For example. Cedar sidewalks and
roofs, sills, trim and any exposed
part Of q structure. properly applied
to the structure last indefinitely. I
say properly applied because It de-
mandsSa craftsman's labor. ] say in
definitely, when applied By crafts
men because properly constructed
buildings Of this material have stood
usage and time in this country ever
$50 years and are stiII habita5le and
the charm Of the wood has been en-
HANGED by time. This is true in
Europe where wood still stands in
their oldest structures, in many cases
in far better state Of preservation
than the stone with which It was in
corporated. Wood substitutes have
still to be tested by time and usage.
AL Of them are still speculative pro-
ducts.
"A short analysis Of woods and
wood substitutes might fittingly
close this sketch. BY using the prop
en- woods in the proper place let Us
suggest a residence that viii combine
length Of life or durability, beauty
in design and tene, inexpensive up
keep and maintenance, at lower
initial cost than any like structure
built of substitutes. Further, let US
suggest that any part Of the structure
win combine these features at
lower initial cost than substitutes
can.
First, as to initial cost, any
journeyman knows that he can build.
with lumber cheaper than any other
article, the difference being from
% per cent to 30 per cent in favor
of wood, so much for initial cost. For
its durability have suggest houses
$50 years old in this country. No
lumber substitutes as yet stood half
the test. Stucco, no matter under
what trade name or under what
chemical process changed from
conglomerate mess to so-called
building material can measure up to
this standard. It readily water
stains and as readily cracks, peels,
and falls off. "Note from Associated
General Contractors Of California"
It is true you would not ask pitchy
or sappy wood to stand this test, but
Cedar with its freedom from sap and
pitch together with its natural preser-
vative chemicals inherent in the wood
itself would be selected for the roof
and walls as well as those other
danger points such as trim, and If
not for door and wood framing it.
self at least to seal them against the
attacks Of heat, cold and moisture,
guarding against ravages Of weather
at the danger points.
Economy Of upkeep. Stucco and
paper under any trade name loses