Vagabond Editorials

By JackDionne

This is October first. Winter is practically uPon us. In the milling and manufacturing districtS of the entire United States tens of thousands of men who depend upon the manufacture of building materials for their livelihood and that of their wives and children' are out of employment' or working for much curtailed ingomes. These men and their fdmilies are looking forward to the cold of winter wittr unutterable dread. They are hoping for more work and more wages before winter comes.

AND WITH THIS SITUATION AND THESE MEN AND THEIR DEPENDENTS THE RETAIL LUMBER INDUSTRY HAS A DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY.

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Mr. Retail Lumberman, here is a direct appeal to you. GO OUT AND CREATE SOME BUILDING BUSINESS. START TODAY. CHANGE YOUR WHOLE ORDER OF THINKING. MAKE EVERY DAY BRING IN SONNB NEW BUSINESS NO MATTER HOuI SMALL, THAT WOULD NOT HAVE APPEARED WITHOUT YOUR CREATIVE EFFORT. DO IT EV. ERY DAY. COUNT THAT DAY LOST THAT HASN'T DEVELOPED SOMETHING NEW FROM YOUR OWN EFFORTS. IT'S YOUR DUTY. YOU OWE IT TO YOUR INDUSTRY TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP BRING IT OUT OF THE SLOUGH BEFORE WINTER COMES. AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT' AND DO IT WELL, YOU ARE JUST A LAZY RASCAL THAT DOESN'T DESERVE THE NAME OF "LUM. BERMAN'"

The manufachlrers of lumber and other building materials whose ga6at you sell, cannot cr€ate business in YOUR territory. If you caught their representatives calling on your trade and trying to sell them direct you'd raise a shout that would reach the skies. But when you assume that position, you likewise accePt its attendant responsibilities' There IS a market for more building material in YOUR territory. It doesn't make any difrerence who you are or what or where that territory is, there IS such a possibility' And, since you allow no'one else to approach that tradeand very properly so when you fulfill your obligationsthen it's y--our business and your duty and your resPonsibitity td$o out and develop that business.

The mills and the buifding material plants generally are running short time because of lack of business. Their employes are in need of help befcc witrter c/@es. Your duty, Mr. Retailer, is more ttan a business propositionit's humaqitarian. If every retail lumberman in the Unitcd States will start out this morning doing wcrything he tnows how to create some building busincss, and will kecp it up until he combs his territory over and over again, HE WILL BE DIRECTLY GIVING EIIPLOYMENT TO THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF MEN WHO ARE AT PRESENT UNEUPLOYED OR EIIPLOYED ONLY PART TIUE AND WHO ARE LOOKING FOR. WARD TO A TERRIBLE WINTER *rf|} rlf

Every single doorbell in the United Statcr rhould be rung in the ne:t thirty days, and buildilg natcridg and building firnctions and building tbitrys should bG intclligently ofrered for salc. Sitting tighg nrnning ahort handc4 cutting salaries, keeping down erpcnscs at ttc erpense of creative effort, can have only one poesible cffect and tbat is the continuation of the business dol&ums wc have bccn sufrering witb.

Neither will fotcing a grin and saying-"Busincss is good"-be of any sewice. Thc oly tbiDg that will do the trick is plain, old-fashioned WORtr. Get out, gct busy, hit the ball with enthusiasm' thinl' hustle, plan, create, do ttrings, do then bctter, male your trade think of you morc frequently in the ne:t mont'h tAan they have in the last entire year, and you will sell building things that otherwise will never be sold. Don't doubt it-DO itt :i tl tl

Mr. Dealer, ttis isn't only a busin€ss oPPortunity; it's a DUTYl it's a RESPONSIBILITY; it's a service to mantind that you can render. at a most vital and opportune time. With tens of thousands of pcople in rnill and factory saying to you-"Qive us worP-are you going to reply"I'm waiting ior business to pick up?"

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I'm betting on you, Mr. Retail Lumberman. With tbittyfive thousand of you hitting thc ball for thc ncxt thirty days, ttrings will certainly lool diffcrcnf A grcat stcrwardship rests upon your shouldas. What arc you going to do about it?