Retail Distribution

By BEN W. REED Manager Lumber z{ssociation of San Francisco

The Lumber Association of San Francisco extends its heartiest congratulations to the California Lumber Merchant at this time of its birthday anniversary with the additional best wishes for its continued prosperity.

'Underlying the success' of any enterprise must be the fresent'and permanent belief in the mind of the directing individirals that the venture will be a success. From the reliant tone of the editorials of vour Tack Dionne-and from' the wide awake policy o{ -his sipporters it is at ijnce ' apparent that the suciess of the CALIFORNIA LUX,IBER MERCHANT is assured.

I{ we have any th6ught to convey in your.valuable,publication, it is along theSe very'fines.. A LUMBER ASSOCIATION cannot function successfully or permanertly unless there is behind it that definite'and inherent belief that it will GO. Too many Associations are founded on talk, conventions, and conferences-they all fail unless there is the dynamic {orce of certain individuals behind themcalled hard work. A set of By Laws-a nice office-a pleasant sm'ile-all appear in the organization of any fly-by-night promotion scheme. An association must actually do work then dues will take care of themselves.

1'he RETAII- LUMBER ASSOCIATION game is comparatively new-it will grow only by intelligent effort of those who have sufficient belief in their own LUMBER

BUSINESS to realize that there must be a united effort to secure for the LUMBER DISTRIBUTOR. who is the RETAILER. a definite policy as to buying and selling.

"FROM.THE X'IILL 'fO THE CONSUMER" is a SearsRoebuck joke still taken seriously by many RETAIL LUMBER DEALERS. If you want to buy a head of lettuce and are asked by your vegetable man to. purchase an onion and a bunch of radishes at t'he same time in' order that he may sell the lettuce a little cheaper-you laugh at l-rinr. Still the"RETAIf ER worries about a transit car that an occasional customer' buvs from a wholesaler or brokdr which contains one item wanted and four items which he does not require.

The manu{acturer has developed his operation to a fine point in labor- saving machinery, utilization of warste and conservation of timber. -fhere he stops unless he wants to put in line yarcls-and that's the RETAILER'S game. The oroblem of DISTRIBUTION OF LUMBER to the ultimite collsumer is a business in itself and if the manufacturer wants to distribute he must enter a new fieldthat of the IIETAtrLER.

In California the ticle of increasing immigration spells direct necessity for RETAIL DISTRIBUTION OF LUMBER. It is a confidence in this {uture development that must mean Success for the RETAILER and the ASSOCIATION which he builds.

STEAMERS .CLAREMONT" .SAN DTEGO'.soLANO'. (AV.ALON" "HARTv/OOD' "WILLAPA" {QUINAULT" .ROBT. JOHNSON".PoINTLoMA'' SCHOONER .UNDAUNTED' curing the bulk of their supply from rria.n-made {orests. Behind these trail Ergland and Japan-lumber-importing nations. But the most startling fact is that if the per capi- ta consumption of this country continues to decline as it has done in the past, by 1930 we shall be classed below Russia.

Timber is one of the greatest essentials of our national life. In peace or war it is the measure of success or failure. We shall always have timber in our markets, but if the price is beyond the pocketbooks of the average citizen, what good will it be to us ? The end of our great virgir forest resources is all too clearly to be seen, and the pi,nch for lumber will be upon us before new forests can be grown. Forest culture in the United States is bound to come-in fact, it is inevitable. The history of every great nation the world has ever known is proof of this assertion. But our forests will not be a great naaural resource left to grow haphazard. They will be handled as a crop; cared for ard cut at regular intervals---not mined and exhausted like coal or iron. It will be a large task-this growing of wood to supply our nation, but we shall do it in true American fashion, and the lumber industry will have a large part in its accomplishment.

. MUCH ENJOYMENT

"Ilave been a subscriber of the California Lumber Merchant for a little while and always read it from cover to cover with much enjoyment.', Chas. F. Y*d, Western States Lumbcr Co. San Francisco.

CALIFORNIA & OREGON LUMBER COMPANY OPENS LOS ANGELES OFFICE

IVIr. R. R. Pattison, formerly manager of the San Francisco office of the California & Oregon Lumber Company, has been put in charge of the newly opened office ai 401 Van Nuys Bldg., I-os Angeles

Mr. M. J. Bymes will be in charge of the San Francisco office.

This company has just recently purchased the North Bend Mill & 'Iimber Company, at North Bend Oregon. They handle the cut of the National Mill & Lumber C-ompany, Hoquiam Washington, as well as that of the Stout Lumber Company at North Bend.

Mr. Pattison announces that their present location is temporary, that they will move into larger and permanent quarters as soon as same can be located.

Owens Parks Lumber Company Books Large Mill Work Contract

One of the largest mill work orders to be let in Southern California for some time has just been awarded the Owens P4.r I umber Company of Los Angeles.

The Mercantile Arcade, one of the largest business blocks to be built in Los Angeles, is to be finished entirelv in figured gum. T'he order for this trim, together with the order for all the sash and door work, is understood to have been in the neighborhood of a half million doltars. The Owens Parks Lumber Companv will furnish all of this material.

H. V. BERCKES APPOINTED SECRETARY SOUTH. ERN PINE ASSOCIATION

At the lest directors meeting of the Southern pine As_ sociation, Mr. H. V, Berckes w"as elected to the position of see.etary-manager, succeeding the late J. E. Rhodes.

Mr. Berckes has been connected with the Southern pine ASsociation staff almost since its organization in tgiS, he has been Assistant Secretary since 1919. -- -:' '--