Building Merchant? How the Change took Place

By Jacrt Dionne

On the opposite page will be found a very terse and thoughtful statement, recently made by Dr. Wilson Compton, Secretary-Manager of The National Lumber Manufacturers Association before the annual convention of that organization, on the subject of "Changes in retail distribution."

Truly things progress slowly in the lumber iqdustry. And just as truly it is this slow progress that has placed the industry in the very unenviable position in which Dr. Compton so well and fairly pictures it.

The lumber industry-the manufacturing industry he speaks of, of course-has depended largely upon "Custom, tradition, and inertia to maintain its products in general use." Truly a terrific statement from one of the most intelligent, practical, and thought- ful men serving this great industry. It should be dinned into the ears and eyes of every man who. manufactures lumber.

It took me back fifteen years, when f read that statement. I was pleading with the lumber dealers of Texas in convention assembled, to get out of the rut, become building merchants, do the building thinkingfor their communities, become the building experts and authorities of their communities, and create business instead of waiting for business to happen of itself. And I told those lumbermen-retailers and mill men-both at that tim+-that the primary obligation of merchandising lumber rested upon the shoulders of the manufacturers who produc ed that lumber. That the dealer owed the lumber industry a duty and an obligation, but that it was secondary; the manufacturer should first father his product, and the dealer should then cooperate with him in his efforts to create new markets for forest products.

And it is that same thought that f want to bring to the mind of my esteemed friend Dr. Compton at this time. The dealer, through a seemingly endless term of years, was the only champion lumber had. The mill man felled his trees, turned them into whatever item seemed best to fit his manufacturing equipment orthe character ofhis logs, and turned them adrift in the world. His inierett ieased when he shipped the stocklo the dealer. If the dealer found a market for it-well and good. If he did not, then business was rotten, prices slumped, and the manufacturers got together and talked about the necessity of curtailment. That was his one thought-production. If he couldn't find a ready buyer for his lumber, the trouble was alwa5rs "over-production."

fle's suffering from the same germ rig ht now. ft never was over-production. It is not NOW.

It is idle and meaningless talk to declare that it IS or WAS, when the facts and figures show that the use of building materials has been steadily increasing-ENOR- MOUSLY increasing as a matter of fact-through all these years when lumber has been sufrering from this illogically termed "over-production." But lumber was standing siill. Lumber was making no effort to plant the seed-of which the ripened harvest meant more and more building-but there were others that WERE.

The lumber dealer has always been the point of contact between the lumber industry and the consuming public. And it is my belief and contention that the lumber industry has been served bythis contact point even beyond its just deserts. I say that because all men who look, admit that the retail department of the lumber industry has made far more progress than has the manufacturing department, in comparison with the general progress of commerce and industry:

The failure of the lumber industry lies with the producer, and not with the retailer whom he left alone and unaided tofight the battles of lumber. "Custom, tradition, and inerita," is the way Dr. Compton describes the effects of the lumber manufacturing industry to find a market for its products.

(Continued on Page 16)

NEW WOODWORKI.NG DEVICE OFFERED HAMMOND LUMBER COMPANY-IS ANYONE INTERESTED?

Mr. Leonard Hammond, of the Hammond Lrrrnber Company, San Francisco, sends us the follo.iving letter dated July lst: California Lumiber Merchant, Dear Sirs:-

As I know you are always interested in presentiug to your readers the last rvord in labor saving devices, I take pleasure in submitting for your consideration the attached copy of letter from Pour Eijffinger at NIarquet, of Paris, France. Yours Very Truly (Signed)

L. C. Hammond

The attached letter which he referred to. reads as follorvs: Paris, France, Le 14 Jfin, l9Z7 HAMMOND LUMBER CO., SAN FRANCISCO (Cal.) U. S. A. Dear Sirs,

We are inventors and depositors o{ a brevet from a machine rvich lve want to sel for the U.S.A. and other countrys.

This machine can manufacture woodflooring on 4 sides, moulding, and moulding pyrograved, to 13 inches rvide, all this 32 times quicker than the machines existend to day.

She cans make 1.280 pipes claen (smocking) at once. Further she cans make all work of sculpture in rvood, alabaster, ivory and other material as: smocking pipes, panels, statuettes, buttends, shoe-last and hoes, lumps, etc. etc. all this articles 160 pieces at once from 16 inches'ivide to 5 foot inches high. She cans make also the propellers of airplanes.

If our proposal rvill interest, you please 'rvill you u'rite us and we shall give your more details.

PAUL W. MASTERS ON NORTHWEST TRIP

Paul W. Masters, Gaynor Masters Lumber Co., Los Angeles, is on a business trip to the Northwest where he is conferring with his business associates, L. R. Gaynor, Jr. and M. A. Weyman, and visiting their mill connections. Hervill return to Los Angeles around the middle of the month.

LLOYD ST. CLAIR A CALIFORNIA VISITOR

Lloyd St. Clair, assistant manager of Fir sales for the Central Coal & Coke Co., in their Kansas City office, was a recent California visitor rvhere he spent several days combining business rvithpleasure. He r'vas a caller at the San Francisco and Los Angeles offices of the Santa Fe Lumber Co., rvho are the California representatives of the Central Coal & Coke Co. While on the coast, he rvas also a visitor at the company's mill operation at Vernonia, Oregon. He rvas accompanied by Mrs. St. Clair on his trip'

P.W. CHANTLAND RETURNS FROM SOJOURN ON RUSSIAN RIVER

P. W. Chantland, Chas. R. NlcCormick Lumber Co., I-os Angeles, has returned from an enjoyable vacation on the Russian River in the northern part o{ the state. While in the Bay District, he was a visitor at the company's San Francisco office.

San Francisco Lumbermen In San Quentin

Awaising yollr answer, we remain Dear Sirs, Yours faithfully Pour Eijffinger et Marquet

(Sgd)

A. Eijffinger

L. J. Woodson, Howard Gunton and Bill Woods u'ere in San Quentin for a fer,v hours Thursday, July 7th.The party wal on the rvay to the Hoo Hoo meeting at Petaluma ind visited the prison enroute. They stated that the prison oflrcials report a shortage of lumbermen at present but expect to have a ferv permanent guests before the year is out. Swar

Everything In Hardwoods

Our battery of modern kibrs, operatd under the direction engineer, assuner our trade of a conplete stock of correctly meet the climatic conditions of Soutlrern C,alifornia.

of an e:<perienced kiln s€arond hardruoods to

Los Angeles, Cal., luly 5, 1927. Mr. Jack Dionne, Care California Lumber Merchant, Central Building, Los Angeles, Cal.

Dear Mr. Dionne:

'lMe were much'interested in reading your editorial on page 28 of the June 15th issue of The California Lumber Merchant, entitled "Sell Built-Ins for the Attic."

George C. Brown & Company have spent a great deal of time and money in devCloping their Super;gedar Closet Lining business. As their exclusive distributors here we have found that the idea of selling Supercedar as a remodeling proposition presents as many opportunities for sales and profits to the retail dealers as in new buildings. To keep abreast of conditions retail yards will have to look to repair and remodeling jobs to take the place of reduced new building activities.

We appreciate your interest in the matter as expressed in the article and thank you for the cooperation given George C. Brown & Compann and ourselves.

Cordially your,

E. J. STANTON & SON, By James J. Cline,

Mgr. Flooring Dept.

H. P. KENDALL, JR., RETTRES AS PRESTDENT

H. P. Kendall, Jr., has retired from the presidency of the Creo-Dipt Company, his stock having been purchased by the company. The former management will continue under H. E. Gosch as President; J. D. Giles and H. P. Kendall,

Sr., as Vice-Presidents, and W. W. Faulkner as Secretary and Treasurer.

Mr. Gosch was the founder of the business when it started in 1909, and has heretofore been Chairman of the Board. Mr. Giles has been in charge of the company's sales for twelve years.

The Board of Directors will continue with the former personnel of Messrs. Gosch, Giles, Kendall, Sr., and Faulkner, with the new addition of William II. Means, who for many years has served as the company's legal counsel.

Mr. Kendall, Jr.,'will leave shortly for an extended trip in Europe and will defer any future business plans until his return in the fall.

Spends Vacation At Lake Arrowhead

Chester M. Freedland, Los Angeles representative for the Chas. R. McCormick Lumber Co., is back at his desk after spending his summer vacation at Lake Arrowhead. Ife was accompanied by Mrs. Freedland and their young !on, Bill Freedland.

I nrcsenD pERSHTNG GoEs ro pHrLrppINEs- Y JAYNE SUCCEEDS HIM WITH RED RIVER

Richard S. Pershing, Assistant Sales Manager for The Red River Lumber Company, at Westwood, California, has resigned that position and gone to the Philippine Islands; where he has accepted a very lucrative position as Manager of The Insular Lumber CompaqY at Fabrico, Negroe Island. He had been with the Compaly f99r yeais, and was very popular with the lumber trade. He is a nephew of General Pershing.

He his been succeeded in -his position at 'Westwood by Mr. F. M. Jayne, who has been with th9 cgmpa-ny for the past three yeirs, actively connected with the sales depart' ment.

STIDING DOOR FRAMES AI{D HANGERS

Frer shippcd nlled up mPlata' rcady to et tr pctdo h rall Qu.rtiv nuufcturo onrblar ur to sE mcy for tbc bulldcr or obetd.

II/ITH PURPOSE ANID INTENT

Boards like these do not come by accident. Somewhere back of them there is a glorious by skilled men; a knowledge of proper drying; make them as perfect as is possible.

tree; nurnberless operations and a purpose and intent to

If you will look closely at the ends of the boards in the middle stack of lumber you will see the little diamonds enclosing the trade-mark of HDE, the mark put on every stick to assure you that back of that stick there is a pride in production and a guarantee of fitness for its purpose.