Coast Counties Lumbermen's Club Holds Annual Meeting

The officers of the Coast Counties Lumbermen's Club were reelected at the annual business meeting of the club held at the Resetar Hotel, Watsonville, on Friday, March 4. Fifty-six members attended.

A resolution to amend the by-laws with respect to the number of directors having been first adopted the following members were elected to serve as directors :

Two years: Fred L. Sayre, Sterling Lumber Company, Oakland; George N. L.y, Santa Cruz Lumber Company, Santa Cruz; James M. Heick, Hammond Lumber Company, Watsonville; J. O. Handley, M. J. Murphy, Inc., Carmel; Arthur C. Hayward, Homer T. Hayward Lumber Company, Salinas; J.H. Kirk, Southern Pacific Milling Company, San Luis Obispo; H. C. Grundell, pacific Coast Coal Company.

One year: Clifford C. Kelly, Gilroy Lumber Company, Gilroy; J. E. Norton, Norton-Phelps Lumber Company, Santa Cruz; Earle E. Johnson, Watsonville Lumber Company, Watsonville; Henry Hansen, Union Suppty Company, Monterey; L. M. Tynan, Tynan Lumber Company, Salinas; Thomas Hambey, Tom Hambey Lumber Company, Soledad.

At a meeting of the board of directors held immediately after the members' meeting, the following directors were elected officers for the ensuing year: President, J. O. Hand- ley; vice-president, L. M. Tynan; treasurer, J. H. Kirk.

J. H. Kirk was elected for a two-year term to represent the Club on the California Lumbermen's Council.

J. O. Handley was elected to represent the Club on the board of directors of the California Retail Lumbermen's Association.

C. S. Tripler was re-appointed secretary.

Just before the business meeting the members listened to an enlightening exposition of the amended Federal Housing Act by Douglas S. Manuel, assistant director for the San Francisco district, Federal Housing Administration, and K. S. McBride, assistant vice-president in charge of FHA loans for the Bank of America at San Francisco.

At the conclusion of the addresses more than an hour was spent on questions and answers, and Mr. Manuel and Mr. McBride not only answered all the members' questions in the clearest possible manner, but questioned each other on various phases of the operation of the FHA and the banks, rvhich added much to the interest of the meeting.

Editorial Should Be Broadcast

The last issue of your Lumber Merchant contained in your editorial a sermon that should be broadcast all over the United States. I believe that if the business men of today would follow your advice and conduct their business as outlined by you our trouble would be ended . I am always looking forward for the Lumber Merchant and its good sound advice to business men.

S. J. Hauge, Secretary-Manager, Redwood Empire Lumbermen's Club Santa Rosa, California

Steady Upturn in Building Since Signing of Amended NHA

Washington, D. C., March 6.-An indication of a steady upturn in home financing and construction activity throughout the country since the beginning of the year, especially since the signing of the amended National Housing Act on February 3, is shown by the records of the Federal Housing Administration, Administrator Stewart McDonald said today.

Business transacted during the week ending February 26 exceeded tl-rat of the corresponding week of last year.

"Our tabulations of mortgages selected for appraisal," Mr. McDonald said, "have consistently, throttghout the entire period of our operation, proved to be a very early barometer for forecasting home building activity. Various checks on this gauge have, r'vith signifrcant regularity, corroborated the trends shown in advance by our mortgageselected tabulations.

"Since January 1, 1938, mortgages selected for appraisal on one to four family dwellings have shown a consistent increase. This is illustrated by the following table: