$outhorn California lumher Dealers Hold Convention in Los Angoles "Novor Before"

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It lvas truly a "l1ever before" convention that the Southern California Retail Lumber Association held in the Biltmore Hotel in I-os Angeles, April 2lst and 22nd. It rvas just that.

For never before did so goodly a crowd of lumbermen and lumber ladies gather together in Southern Cali{ornia; never before was there such a star-studded list of speakers on a Southern California program; never before u'ere there such enthusiastic and successful audiences for the speakers; ne\:er before 'n'ere there luncheon and dinner crolvds as large and enthusiastic as attended those two days; never before were so many interesting subjects so splendidly handled as n-ere crorvded into three half-day business sessions ; never before 'lvas there so great an interest demonstrated by the delegates to the meeting; and never before \\ras so fine a program pulled off .ivithout a hitch, including all business and social arrangements. It was a championship convention from every viewpoint.

The credit in full goes to that genial gentleman, that genius for arrangement and management, Orrie W. Hamilton, of Los Angeles, the great Secretary-Manager of the Southern California Retail Lumber Association. He ran it all rvitliout a moment's hitch, delay, or trouble, includ- ing the splendid exhibit of products and equipment which filled a great room in the Biltmore close to the convention hall and the banquet hall. Hats off to Mr. Hamilton ! Bill Woodbridge, the shingle association man from Seattle, remarked so that all might hear: "I've been to a thousand, and this is the best retail lumber convention I ever attended." And rvhen he said that he echoed the words of many and the thoughts of more. "Orrie done himself proud," said one boy from the forks of the ,creek. He did, indeed.

Second only to the managerial ability of Orrie Hamilton in making the convention an overwl-relming success, was the chairmanship of President H. Park Arnold, presiding officer throughout the meeting. Mr. Arnold has a gift for graceful chairmanship. Whether in introducing a speaker or delivering a follow-up at the conclusion of an address, Mr. Arnold always said the right and thoughtful thing, his u,ords well chosen and well handled. A fine master-ofceremonies was Mr. Park Arnold.

The meeting opened u'ith a luncheon for lumbermen and ladies in the great banquet hall of the Biltmore. The room was packed r,vith more than six hundred delegates. President Park Arnold called the meeting to order when the eating ended, and presented Orrie Hamilton, with many u'ords of praise for the Secretary-Manager. Mr. Hamilton introduced rvith many rvords of friendly praise the speaker of the meeting, Jack Dionne, Publisher of the California Lumber Merchant, keynoter of the convention as he had been at many previous conventions of Southern California lumbermen.

Mr. Dionne warned his audience in the beginning that he would probably never reach the subject printed under his name on the'official program. His prophecy was correct, for he neyer did. He confined his entire time to reminiscences of past conventions, personalities, numerous stories; and alleged humorous remarks. His entire speech was a fun talk.

When he finished Orrie Hamilton brought forth a wonderful plaque of solid gold, beautifully framed in walnut, which he presented to Jack Dionne amid much applause. Engraved on this twelve by sixteen-inch gold plaque were these words:

..SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RETAIL LUMBER ASsocrATroN 1947 AWARD PRESENTED TO JACK DIONNE, WRITER, PUBLISHER, TRAVELER, STORYTELLER, AMBASSADOR OF BUSINESS, PHIIJOSOPHER, SCHOLAR, IN RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP, DISTINGUISHED JOURNALISM, HELPFUL SERVICE, AND FRIEND. SHIP TO THE RETAIL LUMBER DEAL'ERS OF THE NATION, APRIL 21, 1947, LUMBERMEN'S AN. NUAL MEETING, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA."

Winners of the ladies' door prizes at the opening session were: Mrs. Ray Van Ide, Mrs. Eva Henney, and Mrs. Wilfred T. Cooper.

Monday Afternoon

President H. Park Arnold called the convention to order at 2:15 p.m. for the afternoon session.

W. W.'Woodbridge, secretary-manager of the Red Cedar Shingle Bureau, Seattle, was the first speaker. His subject was "Delectable Chaos." The speaker was introduced by Bert M,cKee, San Pedro Lumber Co., Los Angeles. A synopsis of this talk appears elsewhere in this issue.

Charles B. Keys, vice president, The Periseal Co., New York, spoke on "Building Better Business." He was introduced by Gerald V. Curran, Curran Brotheis, Pomona, Calif.

H. V. Simpson, executive vice president of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association, Portland, Oregon, in an address entitled "Douglas Fir, Today and Tomorrow," told his audience of retail and wholesale lumbermen many things they wanted to know about present and future supply of West Coast lumber. This talk will be reproduced in full in the next issue. George Lounsberry, Lounsberry and Harris, Los Angeles, introduced Mr.'Simpson.

"LJnemployment, Compensation and Disability fnsur- ance" was the topic of the next speaker, John W. Davis, senior underwriter of the Occidental Life Insurance Company of California. Ben Vizio, Cucamonga Lumber Yard, Cucamonga, introduced Mr. Davis.

There was a capacity attendance at the banquet and entertainment in the Biltmore Ball Room in the evening.

Iuesday Morning

R. P. A. Johnson of the U. S. Forest Products lraboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, spoke briefly at the breakfast meeting on the research work that is being done at the laboratory.

,H. Park Arnold presided at the morning session which opened at 9:45 with an address by Upton Close.

Mr. Close delivered what Wm. Jeffers later referred to as a "forthright" speech. He is a gifted speaker, thinks clearly and connectedly, and expressed his thoughts unusually well. He is a genuine orator; and there are few such living today. He has plenty of vinegar in his thoughts on present political things and trends, and he excoriated the New Deal first and Truman second in no gentle fashion. He made the point that this nation is in extreme danger from the dark cloud of Communism, and has almost lost hope that we will take up our own defense soon enough to head off a totalitarian scoop that will destroy this government. He left the audience feeling deeply gloomy over the world we live in and the threats that face us.

Tom Fox, John W. Fisher Lumber Co., Santa Monica, introduced Charles A Cryster, combustion engineer, of I{untington Park, Calif., who addressed the convention on the important topic of "Efificient Disposal of Wood'W'aste." He suggested that lumber dealers write to the Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, for their booklet on Wood Waste.

Introduced by Mr. Arnold, S. V. Fullaway, Jr., secre' tary-manager of the Western Pine Association, Pilrtland, addressed the ,convention on the subject "Let's Talk About the Future," and gave an optimistic view of present and future production. When the present emergency is over, he said, there will be an ample supply of good lumber. He told about the two and one-half million acres of tree farms in the Western pine area, and estimated that the annual growth may well exceed eight billion feet. He stated that production exceeded six billion feet in 1946, and that so far 1947 figures show an increase. Incidentally (Continued on Page 14)