Random Editorial Ramblings

By Jack Dionne

No matter who you are, if you are in the lumber business in California and want a first cliass spr{E to-nic to r+ juvenate your faith in your businlsa and yourstate, Br_1b--the Mar-ch first issue of Thc California Lumber Merchant, turn iJ *t" 3'6, and rcad wlrat Frank Burnaby, of Beverif-H-ills-, recently sald t9 the I-os Angelgs HooHoo Club. It is one ot'111e* nneit utterances of optimisrn, and sunshine, and faith,, and fact, that has fallen from the lips of a California lumberman since th€ slow businesJ era began. Read it slowly, so4k it up, and let some of the fine germe of truth perrneate YOUR mentality, and creep into your business,afiairs, and-into your daily-life. lt !!" most blessed.by natur_e' the rnoet gifted by Providince spot oi ttre whole gtrobe, wrhere -peoale_from-all the world are flocking to live, pessimisrn and hard times for a gr-et basic industry have no rightful place, and Mr. *Burrraby tells you so, and tells you why.

And onc of the best things that has happened to the lumber business in California of late has been thc creation of the new Lumber Dealers' Associition of Los Angeles. Curo the lumber ills of Los Angeles, and you have helped the lumber iUrs of Californiir, and the new organizatioq undqr th9 very_-able ,direction of Kcnneth Smith, seems well o1_ the w-ay t^o tate-ttri aches ahd pains out of lumbering Los -Angeles. They- have secured almost a maximum mernbership-which is entirelv essential to- success+nd the morale of the mqnbership is already splendidly improved. So are physical conditions. -Herc are the objects of the new Association: l. To promote the mutual intercets of the members. i. to prevent utdair methods of competition and dbcriminative trade .practices.

2. To -encourage the use of lumber as a building -nlatcrl,al.

3. To establistf maintain, and eafo,rce; all such lawful trade customs and usages for the protection of the members as the Association may deem advisable.

5. To 'collect and disseminate useful iilorrnation and statistics concerning the retail lumber business in the area of Metropolitan Los Angeles.

6.' To do all things incidcntal or conducive to the "1"t1*T of the above objects and purposes.

The lumber intlustry in California is far bctter organized than that of 4ny other state or distriet No part or parcel of Caiil-ornia is without its lumber associatioq or club. And suctr organizations ar9 gantcd more freedom under tlre law tttan ittcy are in any other state. Wouldn't I9u think the lumber business in California would be more consistently prqso""oo" a|d dependable tban anywhere else? I would like to see at lcact 8fl) yards in the State Associratiorq horrerrer. Its ilr-U"r"tri" is far Uetow its nicessities, and below the average of most state associations. Also, I think the lumber wholesalerJ might organize with good rcsult!-

I am oerfectly colrvinced ttrat California Redwood has gobably a greater future than any other American wood. In thc first ptace it is a specialty wood, fitted by tlp Maler of_ all. goo$ thit-tS-s- f9r_ uses separate and distinct from the o'rdinfi. i" t]he second plaic, it lias only one competitor along th: lines for which Motber Nature so richly endowed it, and that "#"etiton. Southerri Cl4rress, is fast disappcaring as to its timber supply, and rapidly concentrating in F'lorida, all the -""-"aoui the continen[ from ttre Redwood forests, with plenty of rapidly developing consuming territry rn between An'd ttrc third big reason is that Redwood holdings are_falrly well concen-traled, ^agd th-e pqoduction ryill plobably nwer be "Uowca to drovi tlre norrnally incrcasing demand. Cyprcas_stumpage is the highest in the land today. Redwood is very low. The Ctrpress lumber mill average is above $50. It will never be less. Truly, the opportunity for this distinct California wood otretches into the Sunkist future- * * * * r

Hon Winston Churchilt of Great Britain, in a recent adilress, co,ntrasted Russia and the United States in the followinc Dow€rful fashion: '\l[/hat a contrast is prcsented by comparrng tlre condition of these two countriest Here are two viit-communitiee, each numbering more than a hundred million, qach in possession of a mighty continent containing ev€ry form of national'wealt} and inexhaustible resources, the one sinking back into the hideous self-torture of the Commrurist aeluiion, and the other striding forward year after year into a prosperity for all classes of people, rrithout parallel or preccdent." Some fine thoughts there. ,F :r :r )F :F

The other day in an advertising m4gazine I read this epigram: "Public confidence will corne to an institution that deServi it, whethef it advertises or nlot, but advertising,can measurably shorten the ti!q9 required to_gain-_that confidence." I don't beliwe the first part of that statement. I used tot but I've learned better. That vras good stufr in olden times, when men and institutions were few, and competition was n':x. The grave5rards of every city are filled with deserving men whoso desserts were never discovered, just as those "Mute, inglorious Miltons," that Gray pictured, occupied the graves he saw' ,r :f ,r * ,r

I have frequently heard lumbermen who live in brick houses bcwail the reducing per capita consumption of lumber. If everyone elJe foliowed ttreir example the per capita *consu?O1." would rapidly reach the vanishing point.

As I see it, the chief aim of the lumber producer has always been _t9_ get hi9 sgodg INTO the dealer's yard, while the "substitute" manufacturer makes his chief efiort to get HIS goods OUT of the dealer"s yatd. And, as they say so truthfully in the free city of Battle Creek, "There IS a difrerence." The "per capita" consumgrtion business has a lot to do with this situation * * ,r( * r

-Iesse H. Jones, of HoustorL Te:ras, the big, impressive gentleman who went out and single-handed secured the Democratic Convention for his home towr\ is and has always been, a lumberman. He first started.in the lumber business, established his great fortune on lumber foundations, and-he'-is,still ver_y actively interested in and identified with this business. At the-same time he is said to be the grentest individual builder, not only in Texas, but in the entire nation. Scores of great structures have sprung up when he waved t{1 iasjc yan*d. He is thoroughly a credit to the lumber industry.

Some wise guy remarked that a man doesn't have to be eazy to play golf, but that it helps a lot. This for the benefit of my almost innumerable lurnber golfing friends.

Few business men are so cold that a spark of inspiration cannot be found iri the service they render the other fellow, Wiictt them, see what they do and how they do it, and see if it doesn't mein sometiring to YOU. Only he who is able to profit by the experiences of others reallY lives* abf"f"}".

A lumberman said to me the other day-"I enjoy your built-in editorial. shots, and hope they do the work." I said: "Friend, thes€ are serious editorials !o me; I beliwe they are reallf-hugelv important. I want to help the folks in the small towns particularly improve. their old-tirney hornes with modern bujlt-ins_.- And in doing so I want to help the dealer who shoul'd-be showing, pnomoting and selling these features. I really believe they are more important than promoting new structures," Every live lumber merchant should be showing, brosting, selling built-ins, for tlrc sake of his trade and for the sake of his business.