Activities of the State Association

By H. A. Lake, Garden Grove Lumber Co., Garden Gtove, President, California Retail Lumbennen's Association.

Our State Association was founded some six or seven years ago, and the progress, at first, was rather slow, but it was. lounded on the Droper foundation, and the ideals lt proper and were right, and they have stood the test of time.

At that time we had a very fine organization here in the South, called "The Southern California Retail Lumbermen's Association," and it was only after much debate that we finally decided to drop the Southern California Retail Lumbermen's Association and join the State Association. To date, I do not think any lumber man in Southern California regrets this step.

At our annual meeting in November, 1928, the Board decided it was time to change the plan of handling the .association work somewhat. After much discussion several changes were voted on favorably.

First, that we would foster the forming of local associations. When I inform you that during the past six months eleven local associations have been formed, and are now working fine, and that several more are in the process of being formed, at this time, and in every instance some member of our State Board was instrumental in forming these associations, you will see that good work is being done.

Second, in order to cut dowu expenses, somewhat, and to keep the president of the association in closer touch rvith the association work, it was decided to have the office located where the president lives. Rotary uses this method, so, in April, our office was moved from San Francisco to Garden Grove.

Third, we decided to put in a manager, who would devote his entire time to calling on the lumbermen, in their offices, and attend committees, and association meetings. The board rvanted to do fhis the first of January, but rve had a manager one time lvho ran us several thousand dollars in debt, so I asked the board to delay this just a little bit and I decidecl to cover the entire state myself, trying to sell the Association to the retail lumbermen, and I wanted to satisfy myself that the lumbermen of the state did rvant the State Association.

I have now attended seventy-five 'lumber meetings, all over the state. in five months, and am thoroughly convinced that the lumbermen did want a State Association, and would back one up that gave them real service.

The board was more than rvilling to do rvhatever it was askecl to do for the benefit of the lumbermen of the State, and the several committees appointed did everything the board requested them to do.

The personal contact was mttch better than bulletins, and the very fact that fifty yards voluntarilv joined our association in five months, showed how the lumbermen were sold on the association, and I was more than ever convinced that we dicl need a manager in the field to visit the lumber men in their office, as lots of the smaller dealers did not attend association meetings rvhere I contacted the dealers in the State, so the committee hired Dee Essley as managef.

Mr. Essley started working May 16 and at this time has put in about three weeks' time in the field, and has tqrned in over fifty new members for our association since that time. We now have 89 new members, and ten reinstatements. This is very nearly a 50 per cent increase in our membership, and Mr. Essley and I now think we will increase it to 100 per cent this year. I enclose you a list of oLlr new members, which I hope you can publish so that all can see them.

What I consider as our greatest advancement during the past five months is the splendid co-operation we are getting from the manufacturers and wholesalers. Just, for instance, I refer vou to Svlvester Weaver's talk before the annual meeting-of the Aiizona Lumber Association, as reported in the l,umber Merchant for June 15, wherein Mr. Weaver says:

"The roofing industry feels that a dealer's business is the 'backbone' of the trade, and is sincere in his efforts to develop and help dealer business and particularly to co-operate rvith the Lumber Merchant who is, or should be, a building material merchant. A number of conferences have been held on the coast between organized lumbermen and committees of roofing manufacturers, and favorable progress has been made along good merchandising policies, and the final result of these conferences will favorably affect the West."

With this spirit from the manufacturers of roofing, our roofing committees will soon report direct benefits for us all.

Mr. Robie has been very active on this roofing work for the past trvo years, and we owe a debt of thanks to him for what, f am sure, we are going to get out of these conferences. Chas. Curran, head of the Southern roofing committee, has also done fine work.

Charlie Cooper, president of the West Coast Hardwood Flooring Association, has thanked me for the .work our hardrvood flooring committee has done in its conferences rvith the hard'ivood flooring jobbers.

Mr. Walter Spicer started this work here in the South and then our northern board, under Charlie Bird, got busy and they got action so quickly it surprised them, but here in the South things have dragged along a little bit. Mr. Spicer feels he will soon be able to announce something very definite for the benefit of the southern dealers.

Our cement c.ommittee conferences with the cement manufacturers have been mutually beneficial, especially here in the South, under the leadership of Fiank Gibbs.

Mr. Dean Prescott, chairman of the northern cement committee, has spent a good deal of money and time on this work, and it just now begins to look like conditions are going to be bettered in the North.

Our conference with the West Coast Lumbermen's Association, an organization of 2@ saw mills, has resulted in benefits to us both, the saw mills helping us get segregated grades of lumber and grade marked lumber, and we are working toward American Standards of sizes for lumber.

Mr. L. A. Nelson and Mr. 'fitus of this Association, I think have accomplished a good deal in the way of a mutual understanding between the mills that saw the lumber and the wholesaler, and retailer, who distributes it.

We found the California Millwork Institute met us fully half way toward co-operation. The work of the northern sash and door committee, under Mr. Robie's leadership, brought direct results quickly, and some of the mill men, in Oakland, thanked me for the fine work of this committee.

Our southern sash and door committee, under the leadership of Verne Whitson, is working on a program now with the southern sash and door men. They hope to announce something definite pretty soon.

Our legislative committee did splendid \4/ork, and the co-operation of the Millwork Institute and the Building Mate?ial Credit Association of Los Angeles was certainly splendid and the Senate and Assembly both have appointed committees to confer rvith our'committee, and others, to get better legislation for the building material industry at the next session of our Legislature. Mr. Pinkerton has devoted lots of time to this.

The co-operation of the thirtv-four secretaries of the State has been very fine. They appreciate what the State Association means to the retail lumbermen.

In the North, Paul Overend has been of great help in getting the dealers together, and helping them get organized in local associations.

Now, as our membership grows, our ability to help the retail lumbermen grows, and as long as we ask for what is right, or, as Kenneth Smith puts it, "ask for a fair margin of profits for our services," we will find everyone in the building material business, from the sawmill operator to the contractor who builds the home, very rvilling to meet us half way in co-operating for the benefit of all of us.

The most highly successful chain stores today are the independent stores that work together as a unit. A lot of men who put their money, their brains and their energy into an organization get a whole lot better results than a big organization that is just handled by a few, and that is where the big service of the State Association is,. the cooperation of 1100 retail lumber men of the State, together for their own mutual benefit, and co-operation with the men they buy from, and the men they sell to.

Since May 16, Mr. Essley has contacted several hundred lumber men and he says he has yet to find one rvho is not pretty well sold on the State Association.

During the next six months I look for more real cooperative prog'ress, with the wholesaler and manufacturer, than we have had during the past six months.

Our Association is just beginning to make itself noticed, and when our membership grows to where it is really a representative of the 1100 retail yards in the State, can you imagine any manufacturer or wholesaler who will not be glad to have us market his goods?

I have had letters from several of the eastern secretaries and they all tell me that the California Retail Lumbermen stand alone in having so many local associations in the state. We lead them all in this respect, and, I think, in a very short time rve will lead them as a State Association also.

It has been a great pleasure to me to contact the lumbermen of the entire State, and I really feel that the efforts of the boards and committees havi been appreciated. I certainly do appreciate the wonderful co-operafion I have had from the board of directors, and the various committees and secretaries of the entire State. It has been a pleasure indeed for me to work for and with such men.

In "Robbins" Flooring you are assured of the very finest that has gver been, or ever will be produced. Ou r geographical location, the modern machinery in our mill, and the type of men who make our flooring, all go to make this statemell possible. "Robbins" Maple and Birch Flooring is the best.

Southcrn California C. J. LAUGHUN

535-0 Pctnolcum Sccuriticr Bldg. Lor Angclct\lfErtmorc 9955

Northcra California:..

GEORGE C. CORNITIUS

Mcrcbentr Erchan3c Bldgo Sen Francirco