Random Editorial Ramblings

By Jack Dionne

You've heard men say, "Lumber is just lumber," but it isn't true" ,Not long since I attended a big retail lumber convention where there were wodds of exhibits of building materials. As vou entered the lumber exhibit, you had Lo go right through the exhibit of the Pickering Lumber Company, of California, and I don't remember-ever see ing -anything that impressed me more than the huge, wide, thick, clear.planks of Sugar Pine that confronted you. They gave you a real thrill. Not a soul passed through without stopping to examine, to feel, to admire the cleainess, softness, and beauty of that marvelous lumber. Two by fours may be two by fours, but cheese.like wooden planks four feet wide are something different again.

I said in this column recently that Redwood had the greatest future of any American wood.Why?A premium wo9q, a long future production, and rapidly lessening competition from its most direct rival. Think of tfffS. -There are today just four Cypress mills still iq operation in Louisiana, the lormer home of Cypress. In six-months the largest of these four will be gone. In twelve months a seiond will be gone. Then there will be just two Cypress mills left in that state; and their combined capacity -ijf U. less than half the capacity of a single California Redwood mill. Cypress production, will be almost confined to Florida. And Cypress is Redwood's natural competitor.

My personal opinion iJ trlt hedwooa should increase its trade promotion efforts right now. That's what Cypress would do. The Redwood effort so far has bein spl-e4did initsquality.But the next two years are going to be vitd ones in the history of Redwood. If the old Cypress gang-Downman, Williams, Ffewes, Watson et al were running the Redwood business they would make things hum the next couple of years. They raised the Cypress trade promotion ante from 10 cents to one dollar plr th-ousand. They were theonly people in lumber histiry who practiced the thought that if ten cents is good, onl dollar is at least ten times as good. In fact, they thought the ratio of value increased as they increased their effdrt, and that a dollar was more than ten times as good as ten cents. And the way they got their money back in direct returns is something that will always be blazoned in lumber history.

At the recent Southern Pine convention in New Orleans there was on display some very attractive Southern pine panneling showing how a library, or den, might be walled, in w_hic-h lhe panels were made of excepti6nglly knotty wood. And it was wonderfully attractive. Theie was i big knot in the middle of-each panel. Which brings to mind the fact that maybe we look at some of these so--called de fects the wrong way. Several years ago Dick putman, as Advertising Manager for Southern Pine, decided it would b_e a smart trick to print grading rules in Spanish, and send them to South American lumbermen, the gist of which was: "Just about the time I get all these people sold on the idea that a knot is a thing of beauty in-wobd, you come along and tell them it's a- defect, and you've ruined .my business". You see the,re's different ways of looking jt these things

One fundamental of -salesmanship is courage, and another is initiative, and they go handln hand. iom Dreier, of Massachusetts, sales expert, tells of a nice young man in the Pullman, who sat and admired the young-lady-in the seat opposite. Ffe was dying to talk to her, but the more he looked at her cool beauty-and dignity, the more certain he becamc that she was unapproachable except in most lo*4 fashion, so he gave,up the idea of gettingacquainted. Just then a big, husky traveling man cam--e in, s-aw ihe loveIy lady at once, and without hesitation walked over to her seat, smiled a big, honest smile, and said: "Shove over, sister, and let's talk'. She shoved, and they talked, to the great regret of the uncourageous salesman.

Alot of business men are tike the bass they used to tell about. A man had a fish tank, with a glass partition between tho two sides. fn one side he put a lively bass. In the other a lot of bright minnows. At Grst the bass would try to grab the minnows, and bump his head. He soon got di; couraged, and gave up hope of getting the minnows. Then they took the glass partition out. Bu1 the minnows swam around the bass in perfect safety. He never attacked them HE HAD

BECOME SOLD ON THEIDEATHAT BUSINE:SS WAS BAD AND THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD Do ABOUI IT.,r

The business of living is the business ofthinking. Our Iives are no bigger, better, broader, or more useful th-an our thoughts. We live exactly to the extent that we THINK. Wh9" you do something to make people think, you are con!9ying the greatest benefit within your power upon others. When- you a4vertise, you make people-think. iMhen you give -the l"lliq nenr thoughts you extend, enlarge, ind broaden its living. That is, if you really advertise something new and interesting about YOUR business that meaqs something to the other fellow.

There is one big problem that the lumber manufacturers, gpeaking nationally, have been scratching their ears over fo-r_t!e- p_ast two- years, and that is the continued surplus of finish lumber in standard lengths. For two years finish has, been in surplus, particularly in the South- and East, and it stays that way, and naturally keeps down the value of clear lumber. Why? In the olden days it was the other w1-y. It _was lhe loy grades that used to clutter up the mill yards and sheds, and norur, strange to relate, itk the finish lumber. Three first class sugge-tions have come to ottr ears, explaining this development. Many men think that there never will again be the automatii demand for the percenlage of finistr that there used to be, on account of changes in building- and manufacturing usage. First, hugo quantities of lumber are now being cut into knock down, cut to fit, frames. And this tendency is growing. In the old days-this- was all cut out of long nnistr. -Many 6ther things besides frames are qow being made out of clear shorts, and out of shop lumber, that used to be cut out of long finish. Third, in thousands upon thousands of cases the lumber using and consuming public has learned to substitute lower grade lumber, where they used to think only finish would do. In buildings and factories both, conimon lumber is now used in large volume where finish was once the thing. There may be other causes, but these three alone tell the story of why finish no longer sells itself.

Harnrnond lumber is ttsafett lurnber for you to stock. Redwood and Douglas Fir lumber manufactured by Hammond mills is of one standard. In manufacture and grading there is no alternative for guality.

Suddenly depleted lumber stocks mean a hurry'up call for rueh mill ehipments. Time then becomes an important factor with rhe retail yard. A definite form of Service ie needed to prevent an immediate lots of bueiness.

Over 60 million feet of lumber ie alwaye in etock in the Hammond dietributing yardt of Southern California. A great rererve ready for immediate ehipment. Theee etocks form a real insurance for theretaillumber dealer. They prove a protection for that emergency order.

Salet Ofrcee:

Portland. Ore.