Evening star., 1933-11-16
BY RALPH W. PAGE.


PORTLAND, Greg, November 16.-
The Presidents order to purchase gold
at q rising price caused the greatest be-
v1lderment in Oregon financial circles.
(In other circles It caused no comment
at all, except the usual delight in a
novelty, Hes smart, that fellow.'O
Bankers failed utterly to satisfy the
newspaper queries. The richest man
in town was on the telephone to New
York, endeavoring to learn where to
put his money. The combined wisdom
Of all authorities could arrive at no
better answer than "Short-term Gov
ernments."
The industries of Portland, Boston
Of the Pacific, are Just settling down
to the study and operation Of the lum-
Der code, which covers the loggers and
sawmills. Lumber and allied industries
aggregate SIS per cent Of all oregon
business This code was worked out by
the largest operators and the best
minds, in drastic attempt to help a
very sick business. Anticipating jubi-
lee, dealers all over the country stocked
UP on lumber last Spring and started a
hectic activity on the Columbia River
that is fast fizzling out. Not only does
the code raise wages and cut hours, but
the committee In charge cut produc-
ton. and each territory is allotted a
limited amount.
Unbalanced Activities.
Necessary and advantageous as this
may be for the whole trade, 1t affected
violently the operating habits and well
fare Of individual concerns. Some mills
had the lions share of the orders, and
were running day and night. Others
had been shut down for months. Some
had contracts that required their full
time capacity. Others, on the edge of
receivership, could not survive the wage
increase
All agree that on the whole the
surgery Is probably beneficial, but, at
the same time, there is a great deal of
--well-diScussion
One lumber company appealed to the
West Coast Lunbermen's Association
to increase its quota so it could I'LL
orders on hand. This being denied. 1t
shut down. Such appeals occupy most
OF the time Of the Allotment Commit
tee. The mills that were running two
shifts had to turn the second shift of.
The little marginal mills grabbed their
A1OnoSs hA4l 0AtCcC CAJ1d daQ
sent up paean of praise.
Quota Causes Shutdown.
Louis H. Mills, owner of the Tide
water Lumber Co, logging Douglas fir,
who gives his spare time to the over
worked Labor Committee, states:
Our market, the farming country
West Of the Mississippi, is shot. When
the code came in our concern was still
handling 5000, 900 feet a month. we
were allotted 100000. Well, the re-
suit Is that we get through before the
month Is up. and have to shut down
until the next month. Then they say
the men can work only 40 hours a
week. But Ioggers are a long way from
town, and men in the woods can't reg
uiate their jobs to stop on the minute
and the work can't be done in Win
ter, when the boilers freeze. So
though they mean well, in practice this
time schedule isn't so good for cutting
logs in canyons
Almost all parties concerned are
taking these trials and changes cheer
fully. But there's an interminable lob
settling what is overtime and what is
emergency-half the occurrences in a
logging camp are emergencies sand ex-
planning this new mode of life to both
operators and men. Still, something
had to be done. The consumption of
flr has shrunk from $4,000, 100000 feet
to 1000, 100000 feet year. = The men
who framed this tried with honesty
and with ability to create something
TO save the situation. We're all yell
ing. but We'll stay with the plan.
Pay Roll Benefit Small.
This code hasn't helped employment
yet. The wage per day Is higher, but
there are fewer days. It can't help it
until the use of lumber increases. And
this won't increase until building in
creases."
However, the appearance of some con-
struction is beginning to break the
gloom. The Fir-Tex Insulating Board
Co, running in four shifts, tubilantly
tells the world 1t has a contract from
Uncle Sam for 1000, 900 feet of lumber
for Winter camps for the conservation
boys. The loggers may find their quotas
low at that. At all events the prices
to another adjustment. What Of con-
tracts at old prices? The loggers say,
IN. r. A, up they 60" A Salem paper
mill says that this is welching, and that
It will have its old contract price or
shut down and send 500 men to the
soup house.
But the story of the furniture fac
tories is otherwise. Great is their re-
joicing The recovery Is complete. The
large Doernbecker Manufacturing Co.,
maker Of household suites, employs
more men than any one in Portland.
1t is running In three shifts and cannot
I'LL its ordersk The N. r. A. flies at the
topmoet peak.