Solving the Southern California Problem

by Merger

Wherever and whenever lumbermen gather together of late, the problem of solving the overdone lumber and millwork situation in Southern California in general, and in the.Los {ngeles district in particular, comes up for discission. This would naturally be. Equipped and mentally keyed up to a greater volume of business than is now manifesting itself, the industry has been strongly overcompetitive in its readjustment program.

. There is one group of men in tos Angeles territory who believe they have found a sane and wise way tro solve their particular part of this problem, and their effort in this direction stimulates interest, and demands attention. They are the men lvho recently grouped themselves and their possessions together under a newly created parent organ- ization, The American Manufacturing & Sales Corporaiion.

Their effort at amalgamation is soirewhat clifierent from various other efforts that have been made on the pacific Coast, but v-ery closely. in line with amalgamatecl and coordinated efforts that have been made in ither territories. and in other lines of business. The proponents of the plan believe that they have followed the b^est thought, basecl on the best experience, of the progressive buiiness elements of the country, such as Generat Motors and others, and their several months' initial "*p.ii.rr." has already convinced them that the_ plan is not only practical ani feqlible, but even better thin they had anticipated.

These units have not been desiroyed, nor'their identity cha-nged. Each continues as it w;s, it. n.*" and gen_ erally speaking, its organization intact. but it is now wirk_ ing coordinately with these other units, making the efiort of each unit stronger, broader, and better fitted for service. The salesmen for each unit norv have an immensely broadened line of goods to offer, ancl a broadened line of service to talk about. Each salesman now sells, not only the goods for his particular unit, but the goods and service of each other unit in the group. This is working well. They have cut dorvn overhead and eliminated duplication by this coordinated work. Each of the executives is finding his place in the groove he is best fitted for. There are no personalities and no personal aggrandizement in the scheme. The whole plan is to eliminate individuals both in person and in the equipment, and make each a working cog in the group.

Their plan is to spread out, and include other useful units in their group. The more the better so long as they are in good financial condition, and headed by useful men. They have one lumber yard in their first group. They plan to add others. Also in other lines they hope to increase their unit membership, each addition increasing the usefulness of every other unit, and its service-giving and cost-reducing ability.

The California Lumber Merchant believes their olan is both intelligent and practical, and not unlike the thought behind General I\{otors, where a grouping of scattered executives and organizations were drawn together into a coordinated effort that has set cooperation in businer;s on a high pedestal in the eyes of the business world.

Such activities are constructive, and should help solve the problem of the lumber and mill industry in this territory.