Millwork Institute Issues New Pricing Schedules

A new compilation which embraces both Stock and Detail items of Sash, Doors, Blinds and Screens, and which promises to take the guess out of their pricing and ottt of lhe interpretation of their specifications as well, has just treen published by the Millwork Institute of California, undcr thc titlc .,STANDARD SASH & DOOR SCHEDULES-No. 128". Some four thousand copies have been distributed in California, and the Institute is'already receiving inquiries and orders for the Schedules from other territories. i

The book's foreword, which bears the signature of H. T. Didesch, Managing Director of the Institute, explains that two main objectives were attempted through prrblication of the work. They are summarized as follorvs:

1. To pres'ent a balanied and flexible method of price making; i. e., a method based upon proved costs conveniently expressed in schedule form,; easily understood and rapidly applied; adjustable to all market conditions and suitable to a Manufacturing, Wholesale or Retail operation; and, withal, embracing all but the'extraordinary items encountered in the "Sash and Door" division of the Millwork industrv.

2. T-o publish an authoritative Definition of Terms and Standard Trade Practices, acceptable to all, which rvill avoid misunderstandings between buyer and seller, and thereby simplify the problems of each, and reduce costs.

The schedules comprising the book were compiled by a State-wide committee, working for a period of seven and one-half months, under the direction of H.. T. Didesch, as Chairman and Editor-in-Chief. The personnel of the committee consisted of active executives and experienced cost talent. thoroughly versed in price-making methods, and representing the foremost sash and door manufacturers in California. The schedules therefore reflect managerial decisions predicated on composite cost experience rather than estimators' interpretations. Those serving on the comm,ittee were: C. R. Blankenship, American Manufacturing & Sales Corporation, Los Angeles; J. A. Farnworth, Jr., the California Door Company, Los Angeles; Fred Silbernagel, Frank Graves Sash, Door & Mill Company, Los Angeles; E. V. McClintock, Ifammond Lumber Company, Los Angeles; J. L. Pierce, Pacific Manufacturing Company, Santa Clara; E. A. Nicholson, Pacific Door & Sash Company, Los Angeles; R. R. Leishman, Redr,vood Manufacturers Com- pany, Pittsburgh. Others who assisted the active committee during compilation were V. A. Boell, The California Door Company, Oakland; M. A. Imhoff, Frank Graves Sash, Door & Mill Company, Los Angeles; A. J. Todhunter, Hammond Lumber Company, Los Angeles; L. M. Rosenberg, Hipolito Company, Los Angeles; A. W. Koehl, J. W. Koehl & Son, Inc., Los Angeles; J. F. Brodie, Pacific Door & Sash Company, Los Angeles; F. J. Peil, Patten & Davies Lumber Company, Los Angeles; Walter J. Drazan, Southern California Haidwood & Manufacturing Company, Los Angeles.

All cost data of the entire membership of the Institute were utilized throughout the work. Preliminary drafts of each schedule were submitted to representative operators in each of the principal markets of California, andl their criticisms invited. In addition, the schedules in final form were tested out in their entirety by the estimating deoartments of several member-firms.

All schedules occurring in the book are expressed in "List Prices", i. e., they are subject to discount to aseertain either Cost or Selling price. As a guide in the establishment of a selling discount, the Institute has announced that the committee proceeded on a basis whereby 50 per cent off, under normal conditions, would produce a price embracing all elements of cost, plus a legitimate net margin. It is pointed out, however, that special conditiotns would influenee the rate of discount suitable to a given market, and that each locality must therefore determine its own discount by individual check-up of Factory Cost or Purchase Cost plus Gross Profit, with the schedules. That however, is neither a difficult nor prolonged procedure. If, for instance, it is determined that the proper discount for a given size and item is a certain per cent, then all other items listed in the same schedule-since they have been built up in relative proportion to one another-will be subject to the same per cent of discount.

The various schedules comprising the book are arranged with the stock items of each classification on one set of pages, and the detail items of the same classification on the pages immediately following. Each schedule is complete in itself, i. e., the "Basis" of the schedule appears on the right-hand page and all "Extras" appearing thereto on the left-hand page. Where the Basis of any classification occupies more than one page, the additional sizes continue