Were Scattered---ohd Scarce

He dropped into his friend's office for a little friendly chat.

The friend was the executive sales head of a great corporation whose sales and consuming field was the entire country, and whose name was one to conjure with. The visitors knew that up to several years ago they had had district sales offices in every consuming center in the country.

When he walked in the executive was engaged in a long distance phone conversation, so he put in his time for several minutes examining a big map of the United States that hung on the wall of the big and very pretentious offiie. He noticed that there were pins with bright colored heads stuck in the map at Chicago, Seattlg Los Angeles, New Orleans and Atlanta. When the phone conversation ended and the friends had greeted one another cordially, the visitor remarked:

"You don't seem to have anything like as many district sales offices as you had several years ago."

"How do you know that?" asked the host.

"f see only five pins with colored heads stuck in your wall map today," was the reply. ,,Those are your district sales offices, aren't they ?"

"District sales offices, Hell !" replied the sales executive. "Those are our remaining customers.,'

Oak Flooring Market Continucs Strong

News items in the trade and industrial press during the month of January reported the strong, individual position occupied by oak flooring with relation to the lumber market as a whole.

As pointed out then, the industry entered the new _year with a general shutdown of flooring plants and no definite plans for resumption. Since those facts were printed,, it has brought us that much nearer a season of spring demand. Ii is reported that the shut-down remains practically 100 per cent and reduced inventories at many points, resulting in broken stocks of the more mobile items.

No plant has yet announced its intention of resuming manuficture, and meantime the 4lready acute shortage of flooring oak at the hardwood mills has been extended by anothei month of continued rains throughout the hardwood belt and parallel cessation of logging operations.

All the factors make for the strongest position oak flooring has held in more than two years. That the situation is not being overlooked by the trade is reflected in a moderate flow of orders coming to the mills from all parts of the country, for both straight and mixed cars, indicating that dealers in many localities anticipate at least a partial resumption of new construction and remodeling.

David L. Albe*

David L. Albert, brother-in-law of R. Stanley Dollar, and widely known in shipping and lumber circles, died February 15 in San Francisco from a heart attack. Mr. Albert was born in Brownsville, Calif., 65 years ago. He went to work 47 years ago for the C. A. Hooper Ship and Lumber Co., Oakland, for which concern he lvas secretary-treasurer for many years, and at the time of his death was secretary-trgasurer of C. A. Hooper & Co., San Francisco. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Ida Albert; two daughters, Dorotha and Georgiana, and two brothers, Daniel and George Albert.

Census Bureau Seeks Prompt Cooperation of Lumbermen

Washington, D. C., Feb. 17-The Director of the Census, W. M. Steuart, has requested the aid of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association in securing the cooperation of lumber manufacturers throughout the country in filling out and mailing promptly the census report blanks which they will receive shortly and upon which the early publication of the statistics and their accuracy depend.

The schedules have been considerably simplified and in consequence will be more easily prepared by the manufacturers. It is believed economy can be effected by securing the returns by mail, rather than by the appointment of local special agents whom the Bureau will appoint in case pick-up work is necessary.

The 1931 questionnaire covers one of the regular biennial series and does not fall within the decennial series, as did the 1929 census. Therefore it is much smaller in size and the, major items covered are only four in number: Wage earners employed by months; wages paid; cost of materials, fuel and purchased electric energy; and products of quantity and value.

Wilson Compton, secretary and manager of the N.L.M.A. urges all lumber manufacturers to give the Census Bureau full cooperation in this important undertaking.