aLJALITY"

Lumber Company, was chosen for recommendation to appointment as Vicegerent Snark. His election was a one hundred per cent favorable vote, establishing his popu- larity among the members.

W. B. Wickersham, president of the Los Angeles Club, yas 1n honored guest of the meeting, and was intro9u:.4 by the toastmaster. "Wick" made a short talk, bringing the greetings of the Southern members and an invitation.

Phil B. Hart of "The California Lumber Merchant.', lesponded to his introduction by telling a few of Jack Dionne's latest crop of stories, and congratulating the club on their wise selection of leaders for the co-ing year.

T. W. Jacobs, of the Lumbermen's Reciprocal Association, Los Angeles, was another guest and was introduced.

The Concatenation was held in the roof garden of the 'Woodman's Hall, a very beautiful and uniqie setting for a meeting of this kind. Thebright starJ and brilliant moon lent an air of mystery and enchantment to the routine of the ritual, properly impressing the twenty-one pilgrims.

The nine consisted 9f M. D. Johnson, Snark; Billy Kendrick, Senior; H. E. Verble, -Junior; W. F. ' Baird, Bojum ; L. L. Walker, Gurdon; M. D. Bishop, Scriveloter; C.. W. Bingham, Jabberwock; W. H. E-ssr,vorthy, Custocatian, and R. A. Johnson, Arcanoper.

Snark Johnson interposed a very nici part of the program by reading the names of the reinstatements, welcoming them back into the fold and formally introducing them to the gathering.

The feature of theinitiation was the splendid Junior work by Ernest Verble. After the ritual he put thi poor tunfortunates through a variety of paces such is have never before been witnessed ata Concatenation. They rvere a sore and weary bunch and were uhdoubtedly impressedthat they had joined something when Ernest got through with them. The San Joaquin Valley boys are athletes, if nothing else.After testing the candidates in various ways for their physical well being, Ernest gave thought to their mental development by making the entire twenty-one take a solemn oath to subscribe to and regularly read "The California Lumber'Merchant."

The Kittens were:

N. M. Hansen, S. P. Lumber Co., Fresno.

John Holliday, Madera S. P. Co.. Madera.

J. M. Fitzpatrick, Tilden Lumber Co., Fresno.

H. F. Rogers, Chowchilla Lumber Co., Chowchilla.

T.L. Stockton, Halstead Lumber Co., Fresno.

E. Weimer, S. P. Lumber Co.. Fresno.

P. J. Pederson, Routt Lumber Co., Fresno.

H.J. Tolloday, Blackstone Planing Mill, Fresno.

E. J. Blair, March Lumber Co., Woodlake.

J. B. Harmison, Tilden Lumber Co.. Fresno.

E. E. Schlatthauer, Tilden Lumber Co.. Fresno.

G. L. Dunlop, Burnett Lumber Co., Tulare.

Tom Ware, S. P. Lumber Co., Fresno.

F. M. Grey, Standard Planing Mill, Fresno.

H. H. Cleveland, Spaulding Lumber Co., Lindsay

S. G. Truitt, E. M. Cox Lumber Co., Tulare.

J. L. Verm, Spaulding Lumber Co., Porterville.

L. C. I{agler, Central Lumber Co., Lemoore.

C. S. Denham, Central Lumber Co., Lemoore.

H. O. Gedry, S. P. Lumber Co., Fresno.

F. K. Peil, Madera S. P. Co.. Madera. There were two reinstatements:

F. L. Hand, Swastika Lumber Co., Fresno.

O. W. Carr, Burnett Lumber Co.. Exeter.

S() DID THI

tUilBIRIIIIN:

The fruit grower. in Celifornia and Flori& baad to' gcther to market thcir productr with grcetcr cconony for the individual growGr thru thc clirination of num' erou. unDe,cc$ary markcting cxpcnrer. Thc whcat growers of Indiana band togcther and by the elimina' tion of uttncccrtar3r handling chergcr derivc a grcatcr net pricc pcr burhel for thcir product. Othcr liner of indurtry hevc co-operative ryrtemr which rerult in a raving to thc indviidual ncrnberr compriring cach Ar' eociation. Thc Lumbcrmen'r Rcciprocal Alrociation war forned by the Lunbcrncn for the purpore of heudling their lllorkmen'r Compenration Inlurence and thc rane principal of co'opcrativc managcmcnt end thru thc climinatiol of variour fottr of ctPGn3G DGGe.' rary for thc older ayetemr of lnrurance revel for the Rcciprocal Inrurancc rubrcribcr a conridcreblc propor' tion of the prcmiun which hc payr from y€ar to yGar. In rpitc of thc intenre antagoniem of compctitive ryr' temr of inrurrnce thir Arociation har dcvelopcd con' rirtcntly from ycar to ycar both in numbcr of policy' holdere aad in meritoriour 3ervice.

Red Cedar Shingle Market Condition

The market for Red Cedar Shingles has been steadily improving all this year, the principal feature of which has been the extraordinary lack of fluctuation in prices' What changes of prices there have been hal'e as a general rule been very gradual and invariably upward so that the actual cost of manufacture has been reached recently and the shingle mills enabled to make a small profit for almost the first time since eatly 19fr. The demand duiing this period has been normal with orders more evenly spread out than has been customary in the past. This is due to increased efficiency of the railroads making prompt delivery to the retail dealer possible. Thus the dealer has not found it necessary to anticipate his requirements a long way ahead and has been able, satisfactorily, to buy on a replacement basis, reducing his overhead and carrying charges. Again the mills have shown a distinct tendency to book otders ahead which always has a tendency to check violent fluctuations.

The manufacturers look forward with confidence to the market for shingles for the balance of this year and the first six months of next year, convinced that present conditions will prevail and that prices will become still more stabilized, showing very little variation. The manufacturer is just as anxious as the Retail Dealer to see this accomplished, despite the fact that past history in the industry *ould most certainly tend to refute this statement. It is felt that the shingle industry can look forward to brighter times, profitable to everybody and thus warrant the supportthatthe Retail Lumber Dealer is giving more- and more to his product. Improved returns of the business is undoubtedly leading to improvements generally in the quality of the product and more and more efforts are being made on the Coast in this direction' something that was almost impossible to perform when themills were not operating on a profitable basis.

RED CEDAR SHINGLE BUREAU.

LUMBER SCHOONER ABLAZE AT DOCK Seafoam, Heavily Laden, Badly Damaged

Fire recently threatened destruction to the steam schooner Seafoam atid its heavy cargo of lumber at pier 17, San Francisco, and it was with difficulty that firemen made their way to the seat of the blaze, which was centered in the engine room.

eotps of stevedores were summoned to the sc€ne, and assisted in fighting the fire by removing the lumber piled onthe deckJ of fhe schooner. Although the blaze was quickly extinguished, the damage is said to have amounted tb sevlral thousand dollars, chiefly the destruction of machinery.

GEO, R. CHRISTIE' Gencral Manager Home Officc

HOUSTON, TEXAS

\lforkmcn'e

San Francirco Branch

Undcrwood Bldg.

Compcnration Inrurencc

The'fire started in the engine room {rom leaking oil. The' schooner is owned by the Figgins Lumber Company, and was under command-of Captain Walter Higgins.

Kenneth Smith Spends Two Weeks At Longview

Kenneth Smith, manager of the San Francisco office of, the Long-Bell Lumber Co., has returned from a two weeks'tr:ip spent at the company's mill operatig-ns at f-on-g-: view, Waihington. He says that lumber conditions in ther Northwest are showing a continued improvement. Mrs': Smith and their children accompanied him on the trip.