"Be Yourself"

That new idiorn of the rlangiet, ir frrrt clar burineu edvice.

"Be Younelf!"

Be younelf all the time. Don't have what ir conmonly cElled a "professional face.tt

Dontt have one exprersion and manner for your friendr, another for yogr e-mploy-et, an' oth"t for your customen, and gtill another for thocc rceking eomething from You.

"Be Younelf!" All the time.

The cheapeet and choddiegt costume on earth ia a ttprof,esrional manrner.tt

Th" b"ttke/r e:<prersion to the man who comeE seeking a loan, and to him who eomes to open a big iccount, should be the tame' i^""t o.tifot the man whose face hardens lihe tihat of a duelirt, when friendly conversa' tior, "."""", and business talk beginr' You ree a iot of th#.

All wrong is the man whose--face ir -q map of lriendly lxprersion while talking golf to a

Grays Harbor ShiPs Billion Feet

Aberdeen, Jan.2.-Gtays Harbor made a new record for offshore lumber shipments in 1925 by shipping 600,m0,000 feet. With coastwise cargoes included the port shipped well over a billion feet during the year'

A FLY DAME

"Will you step into my Ford ?"

Said a goofer to a chick.

"I'll promise not to harm You, Or do a stalling trick."

The flapper winked her eye, and said' "I've worn out too manY shoes friend, and which hardenr inrtantly ac a rub' otdinate enterc thc roon to a'rk a quetion

To believe in that old stuff."

God'r mort graciour gift b a friendly,face. Friendly to everyone you neet. And HE giver one to each of ur. If we change the e:rprecrionn the fault ir our own

To have a friendly nafurt, and thcn to act natural chould be the endeavor of every bur. inecsman.

The trouble with too many businerc men b that they tahe their buciness too rerioudy. Th"y place their business above everything elee, and during buginess hours they put on their business faces. What they think they gai. by it, the lprd only knowa.

- "Be Yourrelf" would be a fine elogan to be printed large before the virion of every burineEE marl, ar he eits at hig desk.

It would help him to meet with kindlinesg every human who entered hic doon

And it would put a lot into hir life.

Short, Necked Bottles

li'"tTf€i'€"idn't'5iiy' business so good that it cannot be; made iibetter. Something can be done which will increase" both ibales and profits. Keen analysis will develop "that some- 'ithing."

f; A few years ago a manufacturer of hair tonic placed upon iihe market a new brand. The article was nationally adver;tised and sales were enormous through the sales force. IThe toqic was rvell backed by an aggressive campaign to iwin pu{i.tie fivoi r,vhich made iales st-ifi easier.

i,f Finally sales began to fall off. Repeat orders were diffiicult torobtainr, More national advertising and more publicity direct to the consumer failed to bring repeat business. iBarbers, when questioned, claimed the tonic was satisfaci.tory ahd those rvho used it rvere satisfied but still repeat i$usiness seemed impossible.

i One of the live ialesmen became desperate. It seemed iridiculous that the tonic could not be sold when it was giv- :rlhg satisfaction. He began to investigate and in ten days ihe leatned the trouble. Barbers prefer a long necked bottle ;,rvhich fits the hand and the tonic had been shipped in short inecked bottles that were awkward to handle.

;l As a consequence the shape of the bottle was changed, 'la new campaign was started and sales continually increased i'until they'; reached a highly satisfactory point. Intelligent 'i'investigation had solved the difficulty.

1.. Every business need5 analyzing. Every lumber dealer i.has one or more "short necked bottles." Systematic analy,.j'Sis will eliminrite them and place the busineis upon a highLr ',fplane. Business may be. good but it could be better. You 'ilost one or rngre jobs last year that you could have sold if lyoo had used better methods, given more service, been more ,: ;-diplomatic, or something that would have landed the orders. , ;. Every business has a leak in at least one place or needs iJmpioving.in another. THERE'S A REASON why you clo not obtain more business and more profit. There's .a reason why so many prospective builders place orders with your competitors. It isn't always price that secures th-b business.

This is an excellent time to look around and be absoluteiv honest with yourself. Start a regular business house clear.t- ing. Haul out all the "dead timber" and replace it with substantial stock. "Fix up" the office, make it attractiv6, ptant a flowpr or two outside, clean the walls and mop up the dirt. .:

Then, after you have "renovatqd" the office, look to your methods. .Are you doing more than the average dealer or are you simply waiting for folks to ask you to figure bills ? If so, you are one in a thousand for the great majority have learnedthatwaitingdoesn,thelpthebankbalance.

Plan some kind of a campaign. Ary kind of a campaign is better than nothing. Make folks think of ybu-know you and realize that you have something worth while to offer. IJse road signs, newspaper advertising, special letters, special circulars-use something to tell the people that you can serve them better than anyone else. Then, give them a service that will make them remember vou forever.

Perhaps the things you have been ofiering aie like short necked bottles. Perhaps you have been advertising lumber, lath, shingles, lime and cement. DON'T DO IT ! Those things don't "fit" the average customer's mind. He doesn't think in such terms. He wants a home, a barn, or a silo. Talk to him about these things, show him the advantage df these buildings and the importance of correct design and architecture. Tell him how you can be of assistance. These things "strike home" and win his confidence.

Take a few days off and smash all your short neckid bottles. Fill your shelves with those that are designed 1o please and attract your prospects. THEN ADVERTISE.

The Responsible Contractor

Defined by the Advisory Board Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D. C., Whether an individual, firm or corporation must possess as a minimum of requirement three essential qualifications, as follows:

Integrity skill

I{e must consistently and persistently comply with the spirit as well as the letter of his contracts. He must have business experience and handle every. transaction with fairness and honor.

He must possess the necessary technical knowledge and practical experience, as applied to his particular form or group of undertakings, to enable him to carry them to completion in a workmanlike and economical manner.

Responsibility

He must possess cash or credit to meet all his commitments, also the equipment and organization for the satisfactory performance and completion of his undertakings. In special cases, problems may appear which will demand that consideration be given to other qualifications, but in general the above three requirements apply to all construc_ tion contracts, and without them no contractor can properly be regarded as wholly responsible.

Why You Should Own Your Own Home

(Some thoughts for the retail lumbernan to give his trade) why should you own your own home?

Because that's the only way you can have a HOME!

Your HOME is the place-the ONf,y place-wherb you h.ave a right and an opportunity to shut yourself away fiom the world 1l "ry timef for anytime, attd ,ro one can say to you, "Nay." -

Your HOME is where you can keep your family safe, and well, and happy.

Unless you control that abiding place-through owner- ship-you are subject to the whim bi tle real Jwner. and you have NOT a home, but simply a SHELTER which. you may enjoy only as long as someone else permits.

The HOME is the original and genuine SAFETY FIRST.

You take a natura_l_pri{e_ in your dwelling, when that dwelling is your HOME. your ihildren instiirctivefy tur" toward home, as against outside attractions.

Your merchant looks upon you with favor, because he knows that a HOME owner is permanent;. that t. *ifi strive to ke.ep. his bills paid and Lis credit good; that his example will induce others to do likewise, There'by insur_ ing greater communal permanence and sta6ility.

Should serious reasons demand a change of location, in your HOME you have a bankable resource to secure needed tqnds, which rent receipts, however numerous, can never afford.

In-your own home, you can live as you want to live. vou are. free. to do. as you will, and this very indepe"a.nl6 tJ material conditions gives you an independence of thought that m.akes yo-u. a better rnan, a better'fathe, "rJ-n"rUl-ra, and a better citizen.