Arizona Retail Lurnbermen in Big Annual M eeting

Douglas, Ariz., June 10.-Lumbermen from nearly every section of Arizona wound. up a mighty busy two-day convention here tonight and are prepared now to conduct one of the most active retail associations in the 'West. A solid memb,ership among retail lumbermen of. tho state is expected before the next session is held, in Nogales one year hence.

I l. C. Light of Miama was electetl president antl J. H. J'Woorl of irowell was re-elected secretary of the association.

Reports from the delegates revealecl that Arizona is enjoying a prosperous era, that both the agricultural and. mining districts &re experiencing a revival of business with a consequent favorable reaction on building activities, that the retail lumber merchants of the state are eondueting their stores on modern and progressive lines and that an inereased volume of business is their lot.

Announeement that THE CALIFORNIA I-,UMBER MERCI{ANT will cater to the interests of the industry in Arizona was greeted with applause.

The Arizonans have some good oratoriaal talent among their own members, but some of the best speeches of the convention were those ofrered by the visitors. Particularly is this true of the address of Parson Peter A. Simpkin, the beloved councillor, evangelist, philosopher and friend of all the Iumbermen in the West.

"Arizona, potentially, is one of the greatest states in the Ifnion," said Parson Simpkin, "and is destinetl to produce more wealth than any other state has produced up to this time.

"You have alL passed through a trying period, but I have stuclied economic conditions and know some of the great financiers of the country, so I know whereof I speak when I say that the worst period is over. 'We are on the way 1;o better times.

"Since the first of the year I have traveled more than 25,000 miles in these United States, talking to lumbermen. In all my addresses I have stressed. two important points which I gonsid.er rlecessary to the welfare of the lumber industry. These are: First, the lumbermen must realize the necessity of unity and organization; second, they must adopt a system of education which will teach the general public that they are not a band of thieves and that their business methods are as clean and honest as those of any other worthy industry. The average person thinks the lumber industry is an octopus with the chief aim in life of squeezing all they can out of the public.

"Three things are neeess&ry to make the lumber inclustry a profitable ind.ustry. fn order of their importance they are: The establishment of an economic level or cost level of running the business with a consequent stability of prices and fixed margin of profits; amicable relations between ernployers and employes with mutual trust and confidence; and a more stable level of prices without inflation at oue end of the scale and d.epression at the other.

"Shave your overhead. expenses as closely as'possible, run your business clean and honestly, foster the campaigrr to builcl homes and the lumber business is certain to get back on its feet.

"The own-your-own-home eampaign is the most patriotic movement ever started. If every family man owned his home it would. be impossible for the Bolshevik or Commuuist to make a fool of him. "

The Parson talkecl for more than an hour and helcl the close attention of his hearers. He fiIlect a'pulpit in Arizona more than 30 years ago and has a wide personal acquaintance among the people of the state.

A:rother interesting speaker was F. I[. Beckman of Spokane, manager of the National Builders' Bureau, who emphasized the importance of the home builtling movement and dwelt upon the advantages to the retailer of following modern merchandising methods.

C. D. LeMaster of Fresno, secretary of the San Joaquin MiII Owners association, gave a very instructive talk on "Krro# Your Costs." Ile declared. that cost finding is one of the greatest eeonomie need.s as well as the best kind of a safety valve for any industry or any business. Mr. LeMaster has been successful'in inducing members of his organization to adopt cost sytems and is urging the same upon not only other planing mill men but upon retail lumbermen and lumber manufacturers.

"A modern retail lumbeman is, or should.be, a building specialist," he said. "He should know tensile strength of timbers so as to advise his customers coruectly the size of sills ancl joists for various roofs-the kinds of lumber which stand weather exposure and thousands of other details that have to do with building-among them doors, windows, frames, mold.ing, and so on, and these items being the product of the planing mill, it is necessary to have close co-operation between the retail lumbermen and the planing miII men.

"In Central California we have recognized. this and today we are pulling together. As a result our ind"ustry is in a healthy condition, but there is a crying need. all over the 'West for similar relations. Wherever I go I find, as a rule, that the retail lumber business is a highly respected and healthy business contributing to the wealth and advancement of the communities, but I am sorry to say that I find almost the reverse is true with respect to the planing mill business. This is d.ue to the lack of organization.

"I have been asked hundreds of times by retail lumbermen who are not familiar with the technicalities of the planing mill business why the wide variation in estimates from plans .and specifications. It is easily answored., and the answer is lack of knowledge. AncI this condition will continue until we all have installed. an adequate cost-keeping system and educated tho men in the industry to the true value of their products. As I havo said on numerous occasions, it is not the man who knows the business who is. a menace, but the man who operates without adequate knowl,, edge.

"You men who have planing mills in connection with your business realize the truth of my statements. I could cite you thousands of concrete cases such as f have referre'd to and I believe you men want to see an improvement in this partieular.

"There is now underway a movement to create a Westem Planing MilI Congress, the objects of which are to edueate primarily the planing mill men themselves and next the retail lumbermen on the costs and values of planing mill products; to standardize sizes and kinds and to secure closer relationship between the planing mill operators and the retailers. "

Tho eonvention took favorable action on the proposed Planiirg Mill Congress.

A-lbert Stacy, the retiring president, had charge of the meetings. The nominating eommittee whieh brought in the report on ele,ction of officers was composed of J. J. HaIloran of Phoenix, II. S. Corbett of Tucson and J. Ilenderson of Bisbee. The committee on by-laws was R. A. Nickerson of Phoenix, 'William Killen of Tueson and John Wood of I-.lowelI.

Tho eonvention was eoncluded with a banquet at the American club in Agua Prieta. Parson Simpkin again was the principal speaker.

The following is a register of attendanee:

E. L. O'Malley, Tucson.

H. S. Corbett, Tucson frving D. Jennings, Douglas.

J. R. Henderson, Bisbee.

J. M. Oltler, Williams.

J. J. Leason, McNeal.

J. G. O'Malley, Phoenix.

J. S. Halloran, Phoenix.

S. S. Cornick, Flagstaff.

J. A. Grimm, Benson.

H. E. Bmbaker, Chaniller.

W. C. Faulkner, Safford.

J. If. Calvert, Douglas

F. C. Groves, Tucson.

J. W. Tardy, Douglas.

S. G. Dowell, Douglas.

C. A. Linclsay, Douglas

N. C. Pierce, Douglas.

John H. Wood. Lowell.

A. If. Quist, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mex.

O. Olson, Bisbee.

E. Watkins, Bisbee.

Albert Stacy, Douglas.

Emil Marks, Irowell.

R. A. Nickerson, Phoenix.

Joseph Joss, Douglas.

E. I. Merithew, Phoenix.

P. J. Jack, Douglas.

O. D. Dwyer, Douglas.

Gus Buxton, Douglas.

Chas. IrePine, Douglas.

E. Martin, Bisb'ee.

C. D. I-reMaster, Fresno.

J. J. I-rahiff, Los Angeles.

F. J. Graham, IJos Angeles.

George Speer, Douglas.

William Albert, Douglas.

A. J. McKennon, Douglas.

Norman Macbeth, I-.,os Angeles.

IIy. W. Swafrord, I-.,os Angeles.

E. O. Gooclrich, Iros Angeies.

O. G. Crawford, Los Angeles.

Ir. E. Bancroft, Los Angeles.

F. II. Beckman, Spokane.

Floyd A. Dernier, Iros Angeles.

O. E. Welch, Los Angelas.

B. A. 'Wehr, I-ros Angeles.

G. A. Beckett, Los Angeles.

Leroy Stanton, Los Angeles.

Parson Simpkin, San Francisco.

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