Business Progress and Cooperation

By Orrie W. Hamihon, Matrager-Secretary, Lumbermen's Service Bureau, San Diego

The progress and prosperity of any business is contingent upon the desire and ability of its directors to work har-. moniously together in behalf of their common interests.

It is just as important that we be fair and honest with our salesmen as with our stockholders, with our competitors as with our customers, with the men from whom we buy as the men to whom we sell.

The same is true of a trade association, which must reflect the wisdom, knowledge and experience of its most intelligent members. who typify the best in leadership and feel a responsibility for its ethics. If its members are to prosper, principles of practice should be very carefully worked out and inculcated upon their minds to minimize misunderstandings, and no policy should be adopted unless it is fot the good of the greatest number. Selfishness and jealousy must be removed to accomplish the greatest good.

No trade association can prosper its members unless they are willing to co-operate 100 per cent, unless they are willing to give up their pet stunts that break down confidence and engender hatred, and unless they are willing to accept only their share of business in proportion to their investment and place in business.

Mernbers should respect their fellow member's investment to the extent of helpi.rg him make a profit, for if this is not done and prices are maliciously slaughtered to beat a competitor, it will start retaliation quicker than anything else, which is one of the r,ardest evils of the industry to overcome.

The dealer that goes out and maliciously cuts prices, who builds up volume without profit and takes business he is not entitled to, is of no benefit to his industry, to his community, or to himself.

The member of any trade association that agrees to certain principles and then goes out and willfully violates them is not to be trusted, he will sooner or later meet with disappointments and failure, for no man or group of men will tolerate deceit.

We are living in a progressive, co-operative, amalgamative, mass buying and productive age. Any man that stubbornly shuns co-operation in this day and age is not mentally capable of keeping in step with the times and to his sorrow he will soon be a back number and a failure.

If a man lives for his fellow-men and is willing to see others achieve the goal of success, he will himself achieve success, will live longer, be happier and get more out of life.

Any organization is as its members are. There must be complete co-operation among its entire membership to procure the greatest benefits obtainable. Each member must possess the ability to trust, for all organizations are founded on faith and confidence.

Boiling it all down, to build an association that will work with you to raise the standards and place your business on a sounder, better and more profitable basis, plain everyday honesty must permeate the entire membership.

The business or trade associations that endure are the ones that have an honest purpose, are within the law, are of public interest, are willing to live and let live, are cooperators, are reciprocators and those that play the game with others.