Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-05-21
Spend Large
Sum In Trade
Promotion
Lumber Industry to Expend
81, 500, 900 in Drive for
More Business.
WALTER NEILS AT
TENDS CONVENTION


J. Neils Lumber company, returned to
Libby last week after having spent
four weeks calling on representatives
OF the. company's sales organization
throughout the Middle West and East
ern seaboard country. Asked regarding
the outlook for the lumber industry,
MIR. Neils said, mo one who is engaged
in manufacturing and selling lumber
expects to see any appreciable I'M
provement in the market before neat
fall. There may be slight improve
ment at that time but we do not expect
to see the demand for lumber improve
to large extent much before a year.
Mr.. Neils stopped first at Great Falls,
and then proceeded to Minneapolis.
Chicago, Kansas City, stopped in In
diana and then visited New York CITY
and Philadelphia.
:. At Chicago he attended the con-
Vention of the National Lumber Man.
utacturers' association. Mr.. Neils Is
president Of the Western Pine Man.
ufacturers association and that office
places him as director of the national
organization. AT the Chicago con-
vention he came in contact with lum-
bermen from all parts of the nation
and found that conditions were about
the same in all parts of the country.
The biggest piece of work taken UP
by the national organization at Chi
cago is a trade promotion cam
paign,' said Mr.. Neils. "The associa-
ton spent over 100000 in promotion
work last year and is planning to spend
over twice that this year. The associa-
ton will expend $1,5OO,OO0 in advertis-
ing and other publicity work this year.
The association has a well thought out
plan to promote home building, farm
building, industrial construction and
to further the use of lumber in many
other lines Newspaper and magazine
advertising, the radio and other forms
of publicity will be used The industry
iszsPending q large sum Of money in
trade promotion and expects to see
beneficial results eventually Mr.. NeiIs
was named member of the trade pro-
motion committee of the national or
ganization.
From Chicago Mr. Neils went to
Kansas City. In the Kansas and Ne
brsska territory, the local sawrnill is
meeting stiff competition from south
en sawmills, but at Chicago Mr.. Neils
says he found conditions the worst Of
any place on the trip The volume Of
building in Chicago has dropped until
it is now one-seventh of what ii was
in 1929 At that time it exceeded ~
million dollars annually. it now
amounts TO little over six million
dollars.
AS far as business for the local mill
is concerned, Mr. Neils found condi-
tons at New York and along the East
ern coast more encouraging. There has
not been so large drop in business
there. The Philadelphia district has al
ways been good market for Idaho
white pine, he said, and it is still TAX
ing a goodly volume of white pine
lumber.
Asked regarding Russian competition
along the Eastern seaboard, Mr., Neils
said it was still something of an un-
certainty although it is to be feared.
"One cargo of lumber was shipped in
a short time ago as test shipment"
he said THAT was admitted by fed
eral authorities and beyond question
other shipments will now follow. This
/ shipment consisted of spruce lumber.
It. was good quality lumber OF the
common grade. 1t appears the Russians
have no finishing grade lumber. How
ever, when it is considered that our
first grade lumber only runs about Is
percent of the total cut, one can see
! that this common grade lumber shipped
/ in by Russia will come into stiff COM
petition with IS per cent of our cut.
Representatives Of the lumber industry
are now comforting with the IT, S. tariff
commission in regard to increasing the
tariff on foreign lumber We do not yet
know whether it will be granted. We
do know that the government does not
intend to allow lumber that has been
manufactured by convict or enforced
labor to be shipped into the United
| States. Just to what extent Russian
competition will effect us is yet to be
determined"
The lumber industry is now going
through one of the worst depressions
it has had to face in many years. On
an average production is down to about
40 per cent of normal, said MIR. Neils,
| and shipments are about the same