National Retailers Meet-R e-elect Offic ers

The need of a distribution clairse in both lumber codes was stressed at the annual meeting of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association which was held in Washington, D. C., on April 10 and 11. Spencer D. Baldwin of Jersey City, president of the association, presided at the meeting.

The officers of the Association re-elected for the ensuing year are: Spencer D. Baldwin, Jersey City, N. J., president; George W. LaPointe, Jr., Menomonie, Wis., vice president; L. P. Lewin, Cincinnati, Ohio, treasurer, and Frank Carnahan, Washington, D. C., secretary.

At the conference of regional secretaries, Frank Williams, of Florida, was named as chairman; G. E. Denike of New Jersey, vice-chairman, and Allan T. Flint of Colorado, secretary.

The report of the resolutions committee which was unanimously adopted recited the inability of the retail trade to decrease hours without decreasing wages. The resolution declared that in most of the smaller retail yards of the country shortening of hours does not increase employment but only decreases hours of service, that many employees are now being retained only because of past business relations and that an increase of costs would result in their being laid off, that many branch yards would have to be abandoned, that the "modal" mark-up would have to be increased and that this would probably result in a further decrease in the now deplorably slender volume of business.

Another resolution contained a request to the President and to the Congress and administrative officials to take such steps as may be necessary to furnish government assistance to rehabilitate the building industry by providing funds for'mortgages on new residential structures and for repairs, alterations and modernization of existing residential buildings.

The convention went on record as opposing unfair and discriminatory discounts and petitioned the N'RA and manufacturers and wholesalers to establish and enforce a policy providing that anyone receiving wholesale or jobbing discounts shall confine sales of materials purchased under such discounts to wholesalers, dealers, and regularly recognized wholesale trade.

Cognizance was taken of the fact that small sawmills are in some cases selling lumber at retail in competition with retail lumber yards, and a petition was addressed to the NRA and to the divisions of the Lumber Code Authority to lend active and effective support to the complete enforcement of code provisions designed to prevent such competition.

Another resolution advanced the suggestion that small woodworking operations connected with retail yards be transferred from the jurisdiction of the Lumber Code Authority to that of the Retail Lumber Code, and requested that the Retail Code Authority name a committee of three to confer with the Lumber Code Authority with a view to solving this problem.

It was also resolved that dues be increased from 5O cents to $1 per yard per y,ear, that the personnel and office facilities of the Association be increased and that it embark upon a four point program including (1) matter of distribution, (2) legislation, (3) traffic, and (4) merchandisirg. The convention also resolved that because of the tendency toward a five-day week, the transportation companies be requested to exempt Saturday as well as Sunday from demurrage on all shipments arriving during the last two days of the week.

A motion was passed to the effect that the President of the Association be designated as chairman of the Retail Lumber Code Authority and that the Authority shall elect an executive committee of seven members, which committee is to name its own chairman.

Immediately upon adjournment of the Association, the Retail Lumber Code Authority convened.

Among the Association directors who attended the meeting were F. Dean Prescott, Valley Lumber Co., Fresno, and J. G. O'Malley, O'Malley Lumber Co., Phoenix, Ariz. Elmore W. King, King Lumber Co., Bakersfield, and O. H. Barr, Barr Lumber Co., Santa Ana, national retail code authority members for the Northern and Southern California divisions, attended the meeting of the Retail Code Authority.

Elmore W. King was elected a member of the Executive Committee of the Retail Lumber Code Authority. O. H. Barr was appointed to serve on the National Trade Practice Complaints Committee, and Mr. King on the Finance Committee.

Will Represent Pine Mill

W. D. Dunning of Los Angeles has been appointed Southern California representative for the Buzard-Burkhart Pine Company. Their mill at Lakeview, Ore., resumed operations on April 10. His telephone is VErmont 7747. Mr. Dunning also represents the Klamath-California Redwood Co.

Cost Protection for Furniture lndustry

Washington, D. C., April 18.-In accordance with a provision of the Furniture Manufacturers Code, the Code Authority of that industry has submitted for approval by NRA Administrator Johnson, a Definition of Cost, which prescribes in detail a formula for determining the cost below which sales may not be made.