Random Editorial Ramblings

By Jack Dionne

Again the great usefulness of the retail lumberman comes to light. A firm that has made a big success of a line of builders hardware, told i'ne the other day that his success really started when he quit trying to sell builders hardware through the hardware dealer, and went in to sell it through lumber channels instead. He now sells exclusively through theretail lumber dealer and the local planing mill, and found there cooperation and effective cooperation that he tried in vain to get from ,1" store.

The building trade is the natural and normal route for the sale of builders hardrnrare. The hardware is a natural sales adjunct to the building material itself, and the live building merchant that doesn't sell the builders hardware also, is simply overlooking a fine profit-making bet. And he is oftentimes depriving his trade of a service they are entitled to, because the local hardware store may have the particular hardware they need hid away under a table, or in a back room. The firm I quoted above found that their gOods were unknown in certain towns, although handled by the leading hardware stores. When they switctred to the lumber dealer and millwork 1*;" great demand sprang up.

Same way with many other things. Paint, for instance. No doubt on earth but that the ideal place to buy and sell paint to go on buildings and on building materials, is from the lumber dealer. This has been demonstrated in thousands of places in the last ten years. The man who sells the building material is the ideal man to sell the decorative and protective paint. HE has a direct interest in seeing that the builder uses the right paiat to cover his lumber. A good board, with the wrring paint covering, is ruined. Remember the old building adage: "A board and a nail and a can of paint, make many a place look new-that ain't". And the man who sells the board, should sell the nail, and the can of paint also, and all the other materials of like character that go into the building. Stock, display, and sell the builders hardware, and the paint. There's money in it for you, and there's service in it for your customer. And those are the two things you want to achieve.

A California lumberman told the lumber manufacturers of the Northwest the other day that-"there is a great Potential market for all wood interiors in the living rooms of homes, and for shakes and heavy sawn shingle roofs". Two great merchandising thoughts that appeal to me veny much indeed. I recited the fact in this colu'mn not long ago that the most beautiful walls I have ever set eyes on were to be found in the living rooms of modest apartments in South' ern California, made from low grade hardwoods, and done on the job by ordinary carpenters who had been shown how, the idea and the materials both being sold by a lumber dealer. If you could sho,tv such rooms in every town in this country, and shqw them how to duplicate those walls,,they could be sold by the tens of thousands. The hardwood supply would be exhausted in a few months supplying the demand. No doubt about that whatever, in my mind.

**:f

The Red River Lumber Company, of Westwood, Cdifornia, onp of the most progressive lumber manufacturing institutions in existence, are going farwith thoughts and materials for furnishing wood interiors, and supplying some of the demand that the California lumberman referred to. They make an all pan€led room, furnishing the entire job from a blue print, ready finished, tinted, etc., needing only to be nailed to the wall. There will be lots of that sort of building service in days to come.

{3{.*

The day of the general use of the wood panel is almost here. Why not? Great sheets of wood, all in one piece, beautifully grained, susceptible to anysort of desirable finish. What could be more of a service giver than that? The day is practically at hand when wooden panels will be sold everywhere, in town and hamlet throughout the land. They should be stocked by every retailer, displayed, and their wonderful utility demonstrated. Wide boards for every use, at economical prices. Built scientifically, the core so made as to prevent buckling, warping, cracking, etc., to which wide boards sawn from big logs are suscetr> tible. For shelves, sheeting, paneling, decorating, building.

{.

I saw something new the other day, spite of the fact that theold adage disclaims that anything CAN be. I saw a practical casement window. No foolin'. You all know that a casement window, PERFECTED, would be a wonderful thing in the home building business. But, so far as I have previously discovered, there has never been any such thing. A perfect casement must be watertite, must be washable from the inside, must stay set at any angle of opening, must handle easily, and the hardware must neither rust nor wear. There never was such a thing before, but there is NOW. And it means that the casement window will become popular. It will be particularly wonderful in warm climates.

(Continued on Page 8)