*Own Youf Own Lumber Yard" is Advice Given at National Real Estate Meet

In June the National Association of Real Estate Boards met in annual convention at Tulsa, Oklahoma, and home building came in for discussion during a large part of their business program. The lumber dealers will be intensely interested in some of the things. advocated at that meeting, and at some of the suggestions offered for cutting the cost of home building.

The proposition of having home building real estate firms own their own lumber yards was stoutly advocated, it being declared that by so doing the cost of their lumber supplies will be reduced 25 per cent. Here was one of the statements made in that direction:

"If a builder has his own lumber yard, he may know that his framing lumber is at least four months air-dried. It is lumber cut only two weeks which induces lots of plaster cracks. Here arc some of the economies of a, large scale home building plant:

"If he is operating his own planing mill, the builder may bring $18 lumber up to $80 lumber at no expense in grade through cutting out knots, and utilizing the high grade material between them. He may take a 1x6x16 No. 2 board that has several knots scattered at intervals of two to four feet, and by picking sound places convert it into stock for cabinet head trim and, with windows from 16 to 36 inches in width and doors from 18 inches to 36 in,ches in width, ihto almost every size between these figures. Or he may take a stick of lumber marred by three or four knots, and run it into rabbited door jambs, obtaining perhaps, one side for a 6 foot 8 inch door, and two headers-probably one for each of two different width doors.

"He may buy low-grade oak boards, surface them, and cut a large percentage of the material into high grade paneling stock of varying lengths. He may buy mill-run dimension and find much material for sub-sills for windows, where it is important to have timber that will last.

"And all the time a 30,000 foot stock ol2x6 rough lumber to be run into six-inch base, or casings, or car sidings, or into ordinary square-inch trim, would represent for hirn'a 30,000 foot stock of each of these individual items. Thus he would keep down overhead."

We quote these remarks from a verbatim report of the meeting, so that the r.etailer may understand what a simple business his is, from the vielvpoint of the man on the outside looking in. All he has to do is stock general large items, of low grade, and cut them up to suit the needs of the customer, or of the building. What a simple thing this retail lumber business is when one really understands it, isn't it? It becomes painfully evident that what we need in the lumber business is more real estate men.

When we read this stuff we were reminded of a man we used to know in the retail lumber business. He had more ingenious schemes for taking common lumber and cutting, working, piecing, etc., and making it into those things for rvhich high grade lumber was ordinarily used, than any one man we ever knew. Of course, Whenever you checked it up you found that the cost of cutting and working, added to the waste, made the completed job more costly than the original method of just using the high grade stock to begin with. This fact never bothered the man we used to know. He kept right on trying. He went broke running his own 1 yard, and couldn't hold a job running other people's yards, but his theories were interesting just the, same. : But there were still further suggestions made by these good real estate conventionists. One of them said: , "If you are in position to set up your own lumber yard, 'your own planing mill, your own rock quarry and gyratory rock crusher, you may practice economies that will enable 'you to build a five room brick veneer hqlse, with bath and ,breakfast room in addition, for $5,000. And you will be ; able to give it concrete front and rear porches, hardwood ;floors; cedar-lined mirror-door closets, brick or stone I mantle, built-in bath tub and the rest."

Possibly so. We won't debate it. But what business has a man with enough money to own those things; fooling around building five room bargain price homes ? If you've lgot enough money to own a lumber yard, and a planing rmill, and a rock quarry, you wouldn't want such incumbrances. And if yqu DID have them, you ,would be too rbusy running them to have time for any of{eh business. I These notions sound good to the,outsider, but they won't iwork, because thev aren't pracfical. It's beeh tried hunidreds of times. You can't afford a lumbeq yard and planing mill and milh'ork plant, just to cut up stock for your owir lbuilding business, unless you have a business of prodigious ;size. Otherwise you must operate a retail lumber'business las well as your own business, and the man who operates a ;retail lumber business {inds it necessary to concentrate on what he is doing, if he is to survive.

And thousands of practical and keen minded men in the United States can testify to the fact that running a retail ilumber yard and millwork plant in conjunction is a game that requires every faculty of the operator, and should never tbe attempted by anyone as a side-line, because if you do, the side-line will eat you up.

The statement that if you have 30,000 feet of a certain item, you have in fact that many feet of the various items you need in your business, is a sad joke. You have your :investment in that full amount all the time. You must rhave men ready all the time to cut it up for your needs. rYou have to insure and protect if. You have your waste to :consider.' And when it's all figured up, it will be cheaper and safer to phone the lumber dealer to send it out as needed, and get his rightful profit. It will pay both of you.

Charitie Wilson At Peeble Beach

Charles R. Wilson, Jr., industrial representative in the Bay District for the Chas. R. McCormick Lumber Co., i9 spending his annual summer vacation at Peeble Beach Lodge. "Charlie" is an enthusiastic golf enthusiast and plays a very snappy game. He took his golf tools along, so every day will find him "doing his stuff" on the spotty Peeble Beach links. He will be back on the job around the first of the month.

BILL GI.]ENN SPENDS VACATION IN WIDE OIPEN

w. A. (Bill) Glenn, t:It:ff"tsco, connected with the sales department of the Coos Bay Lumber Co., is back on the job after a two weeks' camping trip which was spent in the vicinity of Sonora and in the Big Basin country. Bill reports that he had a great time and from now on is a real out-door enthusiast. His family accompanied him on the outing.

lile are Specialirtr in Supplnng the Tndc widl

R. A. Long Invites Hoo Hoo Annual Delegates to Visit Longview Farm

R. A. Long, No. 30, chairmah of the Board of the LongBell Lumber Co., has extended an invitation to delegates to the Thirty-fifth Hoo-Hoo Annual, which will be held in Kansas City, Sept. 28, 29 and 30, to visit the celebrated Longview Farm.

Unquestionably, Longview is one of the finest farms in the world. It covers approximately 1700 acres and millions of dolars have been expended for its beautiful buildings, remarkable equipment, and the finest cattle.and stock of all kinds. It is one of the show places not only of Missouri, but of the entire country.

The Invitation of Mr. Lon!', extended through M. M.' Riner, of the Riner Lumber Co., General chairman of the Annual Committees, follows:

My dear Mr. Riner:

I notice the Hoo-Hoo will hold an International convention in our city in September.

We are desirous of assisting in making this a very enjoyable occasion for our visiting friends, and looking to this end, Longview Farm is at your disposal:

As to program suiting the gathering on our farm, may I suggest your arranging this with my daughter, Mrs. Loula Long Combs, and Mr. C. J. Tucker, general manager of the farm.

Yours very truly R. A. LONG.

The invitation has been accepted and the committees are planning a program at the farm. Mrs. Loula Long Combs, a horsewoman of national prominence, has at the farm her finest thoroughbred stock, which the committees hope to have her exhibit for the visitors.

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