Two Views of The Depression

From Railway Ase I

Let's quit. Business has gone to hell. We are simply business men, and therefore can't do anything about it.

Congress tvon't pasi the right kind of a tax bill. It won't reduce federal government expenditures. Our state and local governments won't reduce expenditures and taxation, either. 'We are not citizens of the United States or of any state, county or municipality. Therefore, there is nothing vye can do about it.

Let's quit. Business is rotten. Nobody will buy anything. \Me can't sell anything. \Me were wonderful salesmen when selling was simply order-taking, but we can't sell to anybody that doesn't want to buy. Therefore, let's quit trying to sell. The most useful thing we can do now is to sit in our offices, wear out the seats of our pants. and talk about how bad conditions are.

Let's quit. The country has no leaders. We complain about lack of leadership, but it does no good. We would become great leaders ourselves, but there is a law against it. There is no law against other people being leaders, but there is a law against us being leaders, and therefore all we can do is to tell others who try to become leaders that they should go away back and sit down because they don't know how to lead.

It's too bad, isn't it? But there isn't anything we ,can do about it. We are so wise that we know what ought to be done, and as we wear out the seats of our pants in our offices we tell each other what ought to be done and criticize everybody who is trying to do anything. But there isn't anything we ,can do because there is a law against us doing anything. In this country there are available means of production and distribution sufficient to provide all of our people and a large part of the entire world with every necessity, comfort and luxury. It is just too bad that we can't so use these means as to get rich by providing those necessities, comforts and luxuries. But we can't do anything about it.

Let's quit. We sit daily in our offi,ces wearing out the seats of our pants telling each other what ought to be done. But there aren't enough people listening at our keyholes to be influenced by what we say, and, anyway, there are a lot of fellows outside making su,ch a hell of a ballyhoo about what ought to be done that anybody listening at our keyholes,could not hear the wisdom'regarding politics. economics and business that we are distilling. Why not quit?

There isn't anything we can do. We can't produce because we can't sell. We can't sell because nobody will buy.

Nobody will buy because we can't sell. The country is going to hell. Business is dead. Let's quit.

Tl

On September 9, 1914, at the height of the first battle of the Marne, upon the outcome of which depended the fate of France, General Foch sent the follolving telegram to French general headquarters :

"My center gives way, my right recedes; the situation is excellent. I shall attack."

Busine'ss is rotten. There are able ancl brave men who are striving with all their might to lead us out of this morass. The ,continuance of the depression is not their fault. It is the fault of that large majority of us who are too selfish to be patriotic, too corvarclly to fight and too fat to run.

A real man and patriot appeared before a Congressional committee in Washington a few weeks ago and .told the committee and the world what he thought. His name is Charles G. Dawes, and he is president of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. His message was longer, but as good and to the point as that sent by General Foch on September 9, 1914. Te told the fools and demagogues in Congress how they are ,contributing torvard the ruin of the country by soaking the rich to help the poor-to lose their jobs. Having rendered distinguished service to the American people during the late war, he told those veterans who are seeking legislation to flood the country rvith a flat money bonus, that they are trying to do to their country what they were fighting to prevent the Germans from doing fourteen years ago. Then he went back to his job of helping save America.

General Dawes set an example for every American citizen. There is a big fight going on in Washington between the taxeaters and the taxpayers. The taxpayers are being beaten because while most taxpayers are wearing out the seats of their pants,complaining about conditions, most taxeaters are wearing out the soles of their shoes prote,cting their pay and their jobs.

Why not get into the fight ? The trouble is not lack of leaders but lack of followers. Most men who have accepted the titles, responsibilities and salaries of leadership will not lead themselves and will not follow those who are trying to lead. That is why almost every effort made to reformla* laws, reduce government expenditures, revive national credit, in,crease sales and production is being defeated.

Let's quit rotting. If we won't or .can,t lead, let's follow those who can and will. This ,country is not going to be saved by snake-dancing or medicine-making in Washing_ ton, but by millions of Americans ceasing to sit on their backsides and scrutinize their navels like to many Indian fakirs, and beginning to do their stuff as citizens, as busi_ rless men and as rvorkers.

Business is not dead and the country is not going to hell. C)ur .center gives way, our right recedes, but our situation is excellent. Let's attack.

Plan Helps Dealers Make Sales

Many lumber dealers all over the country have been cashing in on the shingle stain campaign put on by the Creo-Dipt Company to assist dealers to sell shingle stain, particularly for restaining shingled homes in their territory that need restaining. Many dealers have expressed surprise when they found out just how large the stain market really is, and the profit possibilities of this market.

The plan of this company, which has the best known name in the stained shingle industry, and rvhich has had 25 years' experience in making Creo-Dipt Stains is as follows: '

The dealer is asked to furnish a list of the shingle houses in his town that need restaining, and then without cost to him a big attractive broadside, imprinted with his name, is mailed to each prospect. This broadside tells the prospect all about Creo-Dipt Stains and where to get them. This is followed by two letters at three day intervals, and dealers are advised when the mailings are completed so that they can follow up with a call on the prospects.

Experien,ce has shown that the mere fact of drawing the homeowner's attention to his roof has been a big factor in helping to develop sales of shingle stain.

Dealers are given a new nine'color display for their store or window, and are also furnished with merchandise helps such as folders, blotters and color pads imprinted with their name, also wall cards, sample cans, color pad display rack, etc.

Dealers who plan to take advantage of this plan can get quick action by sending their lists of prospects to be cir,cularized over their imprint to the Santa Fe Lumber Company, 16 California Street, San Francisco, Northern California distributors'of Creo-Dipt products; or to the Los Angeles distributors, Fisk & Mason, 855 El Centro Blvd., South Pasadena.

Big Lumber Delegation At Commerce Chamber Meeting

San Francisco, May 30.-A full delegation of eight members-the largest it has ever had at such meetings-represented the lumber industry and the National Lumber Manufacturers Association at the annual session here, May 1720, of. the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. These delegates, selected from nearby California points, planned to review session discussions with as much detail as possible to representatives of the industry scheduled to arrive a few days later to attend the meeting of the Western Pine Association.

Heading the lumber delegation was C. R. Johnson, Union Lumber Co., San Francisco, serving as alternate for Wilson Compton, the industry's National Councillor to the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Others in the delegation included David Painter, Fruit Growe.rs Supply Co., H. W. Cole, Hammond and Little River Redwood Company, Henry Hink, of Dolbeer and Carson Co., Fred Holmes, Holmes Eureka Lumber Co., Howard Dessert, Humboldt Redwood Co., Stanwood Murphy, Pacific Lumber Co., and Homer S, Bunker. Coos Bay Lumber Company.