The Appreciation of Publicity

There are still to be found in the retail lumber business, men who do not believe in retail lumber advertising (or at least who do not advertise and who say-as an excuse for their remissness-that they "do not believe in it.") '' Now, there may possibly be intelligent business men somewhere in the world-thev marr even be in the retail lumber business-who have watched the trend of business in this day and generation, and who still do not believe in advertising.

Yet-the difference between man and monkey is said to be that a monkey has sense enough to profit by his own experiences but not by the experiences of others, while a man can profit by both, and must do so if he is to survive. The monkey sees another monkey burn his paws oh a hot chestnut that the mischievous boy has thrown him, but instead of learning from the outward manifestations of pain in the other monkey that hot chestnuts are good things to let alone, the first monkey has to go and feel that same chestnut to find out what it was that made.the other one cut up so.

A man sees harm come to another man in a certain wav. and he stays away from that harm. He sees good come to other men in certain wavs, and is anxious to avail himself of the same opportunities.

The business man who watches all the other business men in the world depending upon their publicity for the vital fluid of their business: who sees these other men de- pend upon this agerrcy to keep their business wheels turning; who sees the live advertisers forging ahead, and the old fogies going to the wall ; who sees as he must see that to the successful merchant and business man of today advertising is the one thing that cannot be done withoutand who still says that he "Doesn't believe in advertising," surely must have something radically wrong with his make-up.

In ninety-nine cases out of every one hundred the trouble originates in the same spot, too, miserliness. The average man who does not advertise in a business that from the experience of others needs advertising fails to do so simply because he is so constructed and moulded that he can't tnrn loose the dollars that go to advertising expense, regardless of the profits that might be expected to accrue.

In our judgment there are just two main reasons why lumber dealers fail to use general and intelligent publicity in their business. One is miserliness, and the other is that they haven't the right kind of competitors. That's the rvhole story. Put a good advertising competitor in against the non-advertiser, and the other fellow is going to have to advertise, or give up the lion's share of the business.

It is reasonable to suppose, don't you see, that the fellow who don't advertise, won't do the other things that go to make modern building service, and so deprives the public of its rights in a building way. So if a fellow comes along who gives modern building service and plainly ad- vertises that fact, the stingy man or the have to improve his methods or quit the unbeliever would game. yard in the world and progressive used by its com-

We don't believe that there is a lurnber that could survive without advertising business methods if those methods were petitors.

Opportunity knocks with thunderous sound, every hour of every day, at the door of the competitor of the retail lumber dealer who does not advertise.

If we were in the line yard business and looking for new locations, we would stick a new yard in at every'prosperous point where the lumber dealers are not advertising and giving service (and the two go hand in hand.)

There is no more chance for competition between the non-advertising, non-service retail lumber dealer, and the progressive lumber merchant, than there is between an ancient stage coach and the Golden State Limited.

The only chance the old-timer lumber dealer has is to get his competitor to agree not to advertise, not to merchandise, nbt to solicit, etc., (So help us they are doing that very thing in some unfortunate towns in the United States) and then the citizens of the town ought to rise and throw them both out, and get some live ones.

Issues Treatise on Dry Rot

A very interesting and comprehensive booklet, "Dry Rot in Buildings and Stored Materials and How to Combat It," has just been issued by The Alabama Polytechnic Institute.

It is full of vital information. necessarv to all lumbermen. and a copy should be in the files of every retail lumber dealer in the state.

Copies cah be secured by communicating with Dr. C. J. Humphrey, Madison, Wis., or Dr. L. E. Miles, Auburn, Alabama.