Calling on the Retail Dealers

By Dee Essley, Manager California Retail Lumbennen's Association.

Well friends $re are leaving Gilroy for the Apple city, Watsonville, to visit with the General Secretary M. D. Bishop of the Coast Counties Association and before we return I think you will agree with me that this body- of lumbermen havl founded a spirit of co-operation, serving one another, unselfishly, and it should inspire any layman the great results obtained by an active organization.

BeJore we g'o I will drive into one of the line stations who service Northern California and fill the tank with ghsoline. The operator knew we wanted gasoline b-ecau.se ive drove up and stopped by the gasoline pumps' and while the gasoline was flowing into the tank you noticed he had chec-ked the oil, water and also cleaned the windshield without our permission. "May I check your tires," ask-ed the salesmanl "you know more damage is done by. un-de1 inflation than over inflation. Thank you. Call Again."

Of course it is folly to even mention the service extended the motorist by the serviqe stations, because they have competition and they are driven to spend time and money tryirig to get the motorists to stop at their stations. In thi lumbei business the customer knows just what he wants and anyway we haven't time for the minor details which take up so much of our time.

Good morning, Mr. Bishop, sorry we were late but we just had to stop our car at the summit of the pass, to- view ihe beautiful cbuntry in and around Watsonville. Nature was certainly kind to this beautiful valley.

Mr. Bishop just what are those binders or books you have on youi desk? You see gentlemen we have six districts in the Coast Counties, covering some sixty-four lumber yards, reaching from Morgan Hill north to Santa Barbara south, and those books you see are price guides. Each district is under the guidance of a local secretary. Each dealer has a price guide of each district, and the base price is established at the water front so for each district we have listed the prices plus the freight. We find these guides very completl and helpful, many mistakes are eliminated. It is not only a great labor saving but it enables the customer to always receive a uniform and fair price and furthermore the dealer does not have to resort to guess work.

- We have here in Watsonville three members of the Coast Counties Association, all are splendid merchants, and they are serving Watsonville with the best material possible. We will go down and meet them personally. The firms are as follows: 'Watsonville Lumber Co., Mr. 'Herman Herwig; Hammond Lumber Co., Mr. Harrison Enlowand;

The Homer T. Hayward Lumber Co., Mr. Glenn Bronson, manager.

Now we are entering Salinas and our first visit will be to the Hqmer T. Hayward Lumber Co. Did you notice the display of the items to make the home comfortable. You see the prospective customer can see just how the built-in fixtures are going to look in the home. All the down stairs is devoted to making the home comfortable and beautiful. We will go up stairs and meet Mr. Arthur Hayward the general manager.

GOOD LORD, BISHOP, COME QUICK, HURRY, FIRE, FIRE ! Get some water, someone is on fire. "DON'T WORRY," shouts Chuck Griffen who is superintendent of the Haywards yard. "It's nothing, only Art's shirt and tie. He's not burning, just getting warmed up for the Annual ' Rodeo to be held next week.t' Chuck's father, Mr. C. H. Griffen of Artesia being one of my very best friends down south, stated that if I ever needed a friend for me to call upon Chuck, so that being the case it did not take long for him to convince me that Art's red Rodeo shirt was not going to endanger the lumber yard by fire. You know I im very interested in helping any lumber yard that is threatened with fire, on account of the splendid support given our Association by the Northwestern Mutual Fire Insurance Association. You know this firm has spent many, many dollars helping the lumbermen of California to become Association minded.

To the writer Salinas is one of the most aggressive towns in Northern California. All the lumbermen are awake and on their toes, up and coming as the saying goes. There are four yards; Homer T. Hayrvard Lumler eo., Sam Moore Manager, also Arthur Hayward makes his headquarters there. Salinas Lumber Co., H. B. C-hadbourne, Manager. Chad, as I will call him is one of the local secretaries of the Coast Counties Association, and was formerly a salesman for E. K. Wood Lumber Co., working out of San Francisco. He is one of those boys who is up on his toes, you know what I mean. I shouldn't say thosi good things about him, because when, I sang him my song he accused the writer of being a book agent, so you see I am off of him for life. We also have the Steiling Lumber Co., C. L. Frederick, Manag_er, and the Tynan-Lgmber Co., T. G. Ryan, Manager. Mike Tynan, the big boss of the Tynan Lumber Yards, also makes his headquarters in Salinas, so you see with this array of lumber executives, things have to PoP.

Our next trip will take us to Santa Cruz and San Jose.