Outlining and Defining Service

By Jock Dionne

I hcve c very interesting letter belore me crs I write.

It is from the hecrd oI cr big Southern line ycrrd concerrL and he crsks q difficult queslion. He scrys crll modern retcil lumbennen crre advertiging crnd ottering crnd promising "Service." That his ycrrds crre doing lhe scme. He suggests thcrt cr ycrd ncrncger ought to know iust excrctly whcrt he mecna when he promises "Service" to the trcrde, and wcmts suggestions lrom me to be incorporcted into a letter on thcrt subiect thcrt he plcurs to write to his mcncgers.

No ecrsy problem, I cssure you. Beccruse the interpretation ol Service to ecch lumber dealer depends very lcrgely on the loccrl situction ol thct decrler. It is hurncnly impossible to lcry down a set ol rulee qnd scry-"This is what Service meqna in c retcil lumber business." Totcrlly impossible.

Service is cn intcmgible thing. It is lhct intcngible thing which" when cpplied to curd qdded to our physiccl stocks. trcnslcrtes those stocks into the lcngucrge ol buildings, crnd building functions, and buitding ideqs, cmd building things.

The <rvercrge retailer-the gentlencur who asks for this assiBtcmce being one.of thern-wants to explcrin Service in entirely too tcmgible cmd physiccrl cr nrcnner. crnd Service, in the best sen8e ol the word, is NOT c physiccl thing. It is c mentcl spiritucL ururcmcble thing.

In your ycrrd there is lumber dirnension, bocrde, llooring, ceiling, roofing, etc. They mcke no pcrrticulcr crppecl, torm no crtkcrction to the humcrn mind, cs they crre.

And the thing thct makes them desircrble, crttrcctive, populcr, is the SERVICE ihe decler puts behind ihem.

He FiIOWS their vclue in building cffcrirs.

He knows the grcdes, the items, the guclities thct cue best suited to the vcrious building purposea. He knows how they should be used, hcndled, sqwn, nciled, dressed, linished, pcrinted, etc., to gdve them the grecrtest BITII"DING vcrlue.

He knows the correct price ol everything he hqs. He is able to give c round figure on cr building iob composed oI these mcterials.

He crdvertises, displcys cnd in every wcy crt his commqnd cclls the attention ol his trcrde to these things he hcrs lor sale. He shows them pictures, plcnrs, suggestions oI how HIS stocks mcy be ueed lor THEIR benefit.

He SEIJS them the iob--the stocks plus the buildi.g service that will trqnslcte the stocks into building things. He sees thct the stoclc cre properly used, to give the best scrtislqction.

He keeps up with the lctest thoughts, styles cnd idecrs in building, so thcrt his stocks mcry be used in modern ltrshion cnrd therefore be the more highly prized when in use.

He lullillE crll his promises, gives prompt delivery ol everything <rgreed upon" funrishes the kind oI stocks he offers, keeps behind the iob in lhe wcry th<rt he should, is crlwcrys recdy with expert cdvice cnrd suggestions as the building ltoes up crnd wecrves himself into the building proiect.

The intcngible things thct he luraishes cre much more inportcrnt in the lincl <rnclysis thcnr the physiccl stocks And everything thct he lurnishes outside oI the hcrd, phyeiccl stocls lhemselves, iS ihE SERVICE_IhE BIIII.DING SERVICE.

The lumber cnd building mcrtericrl is the suit goods in the tcrilor's stock. The finished, modern, scrtisfcrctory; economiccl BIIILDING is the completed, cttractive, well-fitting, stylish SttIT OF croTHES.

The diflerence is th€ SERVICE.

Senrte-Hou3e Conference Reach Agreement on Housing Bill

Washington, Jan. N.-A Senate-House conference today reached agreement on the housing bill after removing a provision requiring that prevailing wages be paid on government insured construction work.

The Senate-House conference ironed out differences in the housing bills passed by the two chambers and the resulting legislation will soon be voted upon finally.

It will permit the Federal Housing Administration to insure mortgages amounting to 90 per cent of the value of homes costing up to $6000. On homes up to $10,000, the first $6000 of the value could be 90 per cent insured; the remainder 80 per cent.

Under present law, F.H.A. can insure mortgages only up to 80 per cent of the value of all types of homes.

The loans on lower-priced homes, under the new legislation, will carry 5 per cent straight interest, plus .25 per cent on the diminishing balance.

Loans on the higher-priced houses will carry an insurance premium charge ranging from .5 per cent to 1 per cent, to be fixed by the F. H. A. The straight interest charge will be 5 per cent.

Loans on $6000 homes can be paid out by the borrorver over twenty-five years, but all larger loans will be on a twenty-year basis.

The new bill also provides for insurance of loans on homes costing not more than $250O, F.H.A. officials said.

Horseless Carriage Club Meets

Iforseless carriage days were revived in Los Angeles, Sunday, January 16, when the Horseless Carriage Club, which has been formed by persons interested in old automobiles, held a meeting.

Art Twohy, Twohy Lumber Co., Los Angeles, who has been a collector of old cars for many years, was among those attending. He drove to the meeting in a 1909 touring model Cadillac, all decked out in linen duster, riding goggles and cap. "Didn't have a qualm the entire trip," said Art, as he disembarked from the four-cylinder machine, equipped with carbide lamps, air-bulb horn, and a two-step running board for the rear seat.

Art has appeared at the wheel of his 1909 Cadillac in several moving pictures.

He says the Club is making a collection of old automobile sales magazines and catalogues for a Club library, and if any of his lumbermen friends have any of these old publications on hand he will appreciate it if they will send them to him.

Buys Yard In Los Angeles

Owen S, Dalton has bought the Anderson Lumber Co. at 5941 South Western Ave., Los Angeles, and is operating a retail lumber business under the name of the Dalton Lumber Co. Mr. Dalton was formerly manager of the Glendale Lumber Co. at Glendale.