Southern California Dealers Meet at Los Angeles

The retail lumber dealers of the Southern District of the California Retail I-umbermen's Association met at the Elks' Club, Los Angeles, on Thursday evening, August 7. The meeting r,vas largely attended and all sections of Southern California were represented.

A. J. Stoner, Sawtelle Lumber Co., Sawtelle, presided at the meeting. Among the lumbermen who addressed the meeting \vere: Frank N. Gibbs. Gibbs Lumber Co., Anal-reim; Harry A. Lake, Garden Grove Lumber Co., Garden Grove and President of the State Association; Chas. P. Curran, Curran Bros., Inc., Pomona; O. H. Barr, Barr Lumber Co., Santa Ana; Paul Hallingby, Hammond l,umber Co., Los Angeles: Flank Kranz, Golden State Lrimber Co., Santa Monica; C. W. Pinkerton, Whittier Lumber Co., Whittier; Henry M. Adams, Adams-Bowers Lumber Co., Anaheim; Hal Baly, Consolidated Lumber Co., Los Angeles; C. H. Griffen, C. H. Griffen Lumber Co., Artesia; J. M. Buhler, J. M. Buhler Lumber Co., Los Angeles; Frank Burnaby, Sun Lumber Co., Beverlv Hills; Howard Curran, E. K. Wood l-umber Co., Los Angeles; W. R. Vanderwood, Fox-Woodsum Lumber Co., Glendale; R. W. Blanchard, Blanchard LumberCo., North Hollywood; Wayne Mullin,Mullin Lumber Co., Los Angeles; F. N. Dudley, Dudley-Thomas Lumber Co., Santa Monica.

As a result of the meeting, the trustees of the various districts in Southern California met on Monday, August 11, at the offices of the E. K. Wood Lumber Company, Los Angeles to outline a program of. organization for the Los Angeles district. President Harry A. Lake volunteered the services of Dee C. Essley, Manager of the State Association, to assist in any way possible. Mr. Essley is sacrificing his vacation to help carry out the program.

John Treanor, President of the Riverside Portland Cernent Co.. Los Angeles, cliscussed the cen-rent situation and the new sales policy together with the new price schedule lvhich has been adjusted to meet present changed conditions, especiallv in regards to the trucking of cement. The nerv price list r,vill facilitate the purchase o{ cement in paper sacks, relieving the dealer of the expense of re- handling cloth sacks and increases the dealers' margin by a material increase.

Dr. W.D. Moriarty, University of Southern California, addressed the meeting on "The Certificate of Competency." Dr. Moriarty said that a professional standard in businesj is on the way and he urged the lumber dealers to get legislation _to protect the industry fromthe inefficient coming in. Lawyers, real estate brokers and the contractors havi to'show a "certificate of competency" before they can do business, he stated. The Association through the solidar- ity ofits members can go before the Legislature and demand those things it is entitled to for the protection of the public and the industry itself. He said that he was interested in seeing the retail dealers get a "certificate of competency" through legislative action, as it would keep the dumbest from entering the business. A "certificate of competency" will result in protection to the public and the industry, an.cl al56 give a better distribution to lumber products, he stated.

A. W. Bernhauer, Fresno Planing Mill, Fresno, and President of theMillwork Institute of California, stated that the State Association has cooperated with the Millwork Institute l0O per cent. M;. Bernhauer told the dealers that the Millwork Institute were holding their TriAnnual meeting at Pasadena on Friday, Augusi 8, and invited the dealers to attend.. L. G. Sterett, Manager of the Service Bureau of the Millwork Institute of California, was introduced to the meeting.

C. W. Pinkerton, Whittier Lumber Co., Whittier. and Chairman of the Legislative Committee for the State association, announced that he was mailing the Southern California dealers a recommended list of tlie candidates for the State legislature in Southern California who will be voted on at the primary election on August 26. He stated that _a similar list for Northern California had already been mailed to the dealers in that part of the state. Mr. pinker ton said that the State association would presgnt important questions pertaining to the lumber industry at th-e next session of the State legislature and he asked the dealers' cooperation in this matter.