South etn California lndependent Retail

Lumber Dealers Orga

O. H. Barr

President

Plans for the organization of the independent retail lumber dealers of Southern California were formulated at a meeting held at Pasadena, Calif., on December %. Orr behalf of the committee appointed by the dealers and u'ho have had the matter under consideration, O. H. Barr, Barr Lumber Company, Santa Ana, in presenting the plans of the new organization, addressed the dealers as follows:

"Your committee has held eight meetings, of an approximate average of three hours each. You know, and we recognize, too, that any mutual undertaking, be it political, economic, matrimonial. or what have vou. must be a matter of 'give and take.' We have labored together in that spirit and we trust all those gathered here this afternoon have that spirit and that we may agree upon a course of action and then see it through, even thoqgh the trial and error method must be followed to a certain extent.

"The legal aspects and mechanics of cooperative arrangements are comparatively simple, though the necessary and all-important spirit of cooperation in mutual relationships is infinitely difficult. However, we are told that our very early ancestors drank blood from the skulls of their human victims, so we may feel that we have come a long ways and not be discouraged over becoming further civilized.

"Surely we are all agreed in these days that the day of intense individualism has passed, that interdependence of nations and peoples and individuals must be recognized and accepted as a better principle. The demand for mutuality and unified endeavor is present in every craft and profession, from gangsters and racketeers to school teachers and ministers. The latter two have much to say about 'raising the standard of the profession' which means principally to them limiting competition by keeping out the unfit and poorly prepared.

"Should we come to you this afternoon with a proposal that your yards be m,erged into one large corporation, possibly some of you, for certain advantages inherent and apparent, would consent. (Many bankers and others have done that in the past few years.) Suppose what we do propose shall be capable, with your cooperation, of producing all the benefits of such a large consolidation of units without the serious disadvantage of taking your business out of your hands or reducing you to the place of a salaried manager with little or no voice in the policies of such business. Would that not appeal to you ? We think it will.

"The plan we shall propose to you this afternoon, like every other undertaking involving two or more persons, is dependent in a large measure for its success upon confidence and good faith. Most of the under cover acts in our industry are due to lack of confidence and we do the thing we should not do only because we fear.that the other fellow may do with our confidence if given to him. We