Letter from W. A. Anderson to President Harry S. Truman with Attached Newspaper Clipping

Celetring ANDERSON atta W.A. SEC'Y E17 Staff Rep. DISTRICT MANAGER LA.CAMP LT151 Southern Lumberman, MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA S.F.Horn Editor, Nashville, Tenn. Shreveport, La. E. ev.7, 1946. Hon. Harry Truman, President, U.S.A., Washington, D.a. RECORDS P Esteemed "Neighbor" Truman: Cor By way of introduction will say that I became a member of M.W.of A., Feb.9th, 1898 whidh in a couple of days will be my 48th milestones as a Woodman. In those days I was Sales Mgr. for Long-Bell Lumber Co. West Coast Dept. I came to Shreveport in 1914 and was in the wholesale lumber business most of the time since. However, I started writing for the lumber papers; first as a column writer for the St.Louis Lumberman., and later on it became the Southern Lumberman, now the greatest lumber Journal of the country, in my estimation. In all these years I have been a regular contributor to the lumber journals, and even after returing from the active lumber in business, I continue to express my opinions through the channel of twice-a-month contributions to the Southern Lumberman. I have enclosed a "tear-out from the latest issue, and call your special attention to the Report on page 37, issue of Feb. lst, which is just out. This brief article sums up the reasons for the chaotic condition of the lumber industry, and would kindly commend it to your reading. I say positively, there is not a lumberman in the South who is not convinced that recovery will be a long time off, if the pros ent "Ceiling Price" system is continued. All lumber dealings are on a false basis. There is as stated in the article, no recogniz- able "lumber market pasis". There cannot be, as all lumber invoic- es must be rendered on "ceiling prices" to conform to the law. But there can be no honest trading, and will not be, until the ceiling prices are entirely laid aside. Then, with theorétical list pricas done away with, lumbermen can buy and sell on the basis of Associa tion grades and prices, and prices will settle to some known basis in less than 48 hours. Please accord this a little OI your very valuable time. It may lead to a quick and satisfactory return to natural economin price levels, based on the inevitable law of supply and demand. With many thousands of mills, making lumber that varies, good, bad, and indifferent. theuniform ceiling price is absolute- ly obsolete, With kindest regards, and hopes that you will gi ve the lumbr industry a square deal as suggested above, Cordially, and fraternally W, A Amderson