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I'm ashamed to say that I've forgotten his name, but there used to be a platform speaker'<ne of these Chautauqua type philosophers-who talked around this country for manS many years' using an illustration of one of his main poinb that made a terrific hit with me the first time I saw it. I still remember how it impressed his entire audience as no array or arrangement of words or phrases could have done. He used to talk about people, the succees of Bome, the failure of others, and the whys and wherefores of human nature. To illustrate his opinions he would produce a glass iar that held about half a bushel. He would almost fiIl this glass jar with potatoes; potatoes of all sizes from very smdl to very large.

He would invite his audience to watch what happened when he shook that glass jar filled with potatoes. And he would start shaking. And as he shook, you know of course what happened. The little potatoes went to the bottom: the big potatoes came to the top; and the rest of the potatoes took their place between top and bottom, just according to their size. And he would say: "See? Now, folks, that's what happens when you shake the bushel basket of humanity. That's exactly what happens. The big people come to the top, the small people go to the bottom, and the other people will take their place just according to their size." And then he would say to his audience: "Now stop and thinkl What can a person do to get closer to the top in this battle of life?" And everyone would shout: "He must make himself bigger." And, of course, that was the answer he was looking for, and he would go on and discuss the subject furthcr; just how a man, or woman, or even a child, can work to make himself bigger.

That spcaker and his glass jar often comes to mind now as I watch the battle for survival of thc fittest going on throughout this lumber industry. That "the weak must go to thc wdl" there can be no doubt. A world of them already havc. And with thosc that remain in thc rctail lumber business there is strictly and definitely a "survival of the fittcst" struggle taking place. It requires strength, in-

By tack Dionne

genuity, imagination, resourcefulness, optimism, and plenty of sticktoitiveness to stay in thc retail lumber business today. Say what you will about it in normal times, but this retail lumber game is a he-man's job now, and don't doubt it for a moment.

This war thing is shaking the glass jar of business today, just as my friend, the talking philosopher, used to shake it from the Chautauqua platform long ago. And the result is the same. Identically the same. The big men shake to the top. The little ones shake to the bottom. And the others take their place according to their size. And their size means the caliber to which they have recently developed. The battle for survival is bringing out the stronger characteristics in a world of men; developing the wea,knesses of others. Surely the old saying that "it isn't the size of the dog in the fight that counts, it's the size of the fight in the dog," is liquid truth.

I'm a great believer in the law of compensation. It's a law heavy-laden with justice and fairness and the Hnd of equity that plain humans can understand and appreciate. And one of the big compensations that I get out of sitting on a sort of watch-tower and watching this wartime lumber industry take the jumps and the hurdles, is remembering what a magnificent breed of lumber dealers we are golng to have in this industry when the cmergency ends, and we start back toward normal business again. Can you doubt for a minute that the survivors of this scramble for existence are going to be better merchants than thcy evcr drcamed of being before?

'We're coming out of this confict with a breed of super dealers to whom the problems of peacetimo-problems that previously looked difEcult enough-will be only molchillr in comparison with what they have bcen through. Yeg, sir, the lumber dealer of today is getting a new sort of education, and getting it the hard way. The buy, sell, and collect days will be pretty soft comparcd with these think, work, and substitute times, and don't doubt it. Thc stiffest problems will seem easy.

But it's a hard school to learn in, isn't it mcn?

Private Houring Units for War Workerc

The Federal Housing Administration announced that over 8,000 private housing units for war workers have been placed under construction in Southern California during the first nine months of this year.

During September alone, . tottl of 1,14O of such units were placed under construction in the district, according to W. G. Birlgham, district director.

Since the first of the year private lending institutions in Southern California operating under the FHA-insured mortgage program have made applications for insured mortgages totaling $34,5,{0,000 to finance 7,136 new war housing residential units to be constructed in the various critical areas throughout Southern California, Mr. Bingham reported.

In addition to the applications for financing of new war housing residences received during the first nine months of 1943, the FHA offices of this District also received 3,1,+6 applications for insuranie of mortgages totaling $16,494,000, to finance the purchase of, or to refund mortgages on existing homes. These applications were filed under Section X3 of. the National Housing Act, which permits loans, in some cases, up to 90 per cent of the FHA-appraised value and terms for as long as 4 years.

Many applications for priorities for residential conversions are being received in the local FHA offices. This program offers a special Title I insured-loan available, through private lending institutions, up to $5,000 for property owners who want to convert existing properties into additional housing units'

Elect Officers

D, C. Maclea, Maclea Lumber Company, Baltimore, was re-elected president of the National Wholesale Lumber Distributing Yards Association at the annual meeting held in Chicago last month.

Fred G. Christmann, Christmann Veneer & Lumber Co., St. Louis, was elected first vice-president, and Frank J. Connolly, 'Western Hardwood Lumber Co., Los Angeles, second vice-president. J. J. Kidd, Kidd & Buckingham Lumber Co., Baltimore, was re-elected secretary-treasurer.

LeRoy H. Stanton, E. J. Stanton & Son, Los Angeles, was elected a director. J. E. Higgins, Jr., J. E. Higgins Lumber Co., San Francisco, and Dallas Donnan, EhrlichHarrison Co., Seattle, were among the directors continued for another year.