The Point at Which Service Ceases to be a Virtue

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Dy JdcK vtonne

One oI our moat expensive business luxuries is over-cnxiety to outstrip our competitor-go just c little lcrther thcm he does. This is p<rrticulcrly true in the line ol building "service" qs we hcve come to know cnd ccrll it.

Now, this iourntrl hcrs been precching building service since its first issue, but we hcrve long cgo come to reqlize thcrt building senrice is cr commodity thcrt must be wisely crnd intelligenth hcrndled cnd dispensed. In ltrct, building service is wise or loolish, depending entirely on how you interpret the term, cnd incorporcrie it into your business.

All going crnd growing crnd worthwhile concerns must use building service. And it is onlv when they misuse it thcrt it becomes c licbility, rcther thcn an csset. And its misuse most lrequently comes cbout through the urge oI over-enthusicrstic competition

The decrdline is ecrsily eEtablished to one who knows his business. So long qs your service is mcking you money, it is being wisely hcnrdled. When you lind it ecting into your gross profits is the time to cqll c halt, qnd when thcrt time comes you glenerclly discover thcrt you hcrve been giving too mcny things for nothing.

And service does NOT mecm thcrt you cre to give your stock in trcrde trway, wheiher thcrt stock consists of building mctericrl, or the knowledge oI how to hcrndle crnd use thqt mcteriql.

For instcrnce: The olher dcry c lriend of mine c<rme to me reioicing. He hcrd'bought cr ccrr, needed a gqrqge, qrrd wcs lcirly ticHed over the "building service" he hcrd discovered, <rnd the discovery ol which lightened his mind clong building lines.

He scrid to me: "This mcn not only sold me the mcrtericls, but he sold me the completed building, cnd lelt me no worries ct all. He puts up the gqrage, puts ia the doors and windows, lcys the concrete floor, and puts the coats of pcrint on the building, crnd I pay him the flct price crgreed upon. I ccll thcrt service."

Now, thqt sqlesmcn hcdn't GI-N him cnything. He undoubtedly hcd included in his price <rll the mcrterials, the lcrbor, the cost ol over-seeing the iob, crnd a profit on the whole proposition. He didn't give crwcy thcrt service the man wcrs so tickled ct getting. The chcrnces qre he made q better profit on the service thcnr he did on the mcrterisl. But he delighted his customer.

And THAT is the ideq thct should be behind cril building service. The service should not come OUT oI your profit. It should INCREASE thcrt profit. And when it doesn't you hcrven't properly understood the mecming oI the term.

When you deliver goods, lor instance, within q recrsonqble radius oI your ycrrd, you qre perIorming <r service, qnd cre undoubtedly chcrging lor thct service. But iI you deliver the goods mqny miles lcrther cwcry, ct the scme price, you cre doing cr foolish service, crnd throwing qway your righilul profits.

They scry thct there is cr point where "pctience ceqses to be c virtue." True enough. And the sqme ihing ccn be just crs truthfully scrid oI service.

IF IT DOESN'T PAY BOTH T}IE BTITER AND SEIJ.ER_IT ISN'T SERVICE. GET THE POINT?

Parson Simpkin Reunion Held October 8-9

There was a record attendance of 8O at the "Parson" Simpkin Memorial reunion, held at the Parson Peter A. Simpkin Sequoia in Calaveras State Park, October 8 and 9. This number included 56 lumbermen with their wives and friends and 24 members of the C.C.C. camp located in the park.

The reunion was sponsored by Hoo-Hoo Club No. 39 of Oakland, with Bert E. Bryan acting as chairman. Central Valley Hoo-Hoo Club No. 62 assisted in making the affair a success. Charlie Bird of Stockton did a fine job in handling reservations, and getting the ground work done. The program was one of the finest presented to date.

Following the dinner at the Big Trees Hotel on Saturday evening Carl R. Moore spoke on "Reorganization of International Hoo-Hoo." R. L. "Dick" Ustick led the campfire program.

Several poems of Adeline Merriam Conner were read, and Mrs. Conner was pr,oclaimed by all those assembled as the honorary Poet Laureate of the lumber industry. Bert Bryan opened the service at the Memorial tree at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, and asked Dick Ustick to read an invocation once used by the Parson. Mr. Bryan then sketched briefly the Parson's association with the lumber industry.

Lon Starr of Berkeley, accompanied by Mrs. Starr on the piano, sang Joyce Kilmer's "Trees," and "Hills of Home."

Frank W. Trower paid a tribute to the late Douglas Malloch, the Lumberman Poet, and he read Malloch's poem "Today." R. O. Wilson real Malloch's poem "The Parson," and Jas. B. Overcast read Malloch's "Brotherhood of the Forest."

The speaker of the day, Professor Woodbridge Metcalf, took as his topic "Trees and Men."

Joseph Simpkin, a son of the Parson, was present with his family and spoke briefly.

Visits Los Angeles On World Tour

Fred S. Baker, manager of the Cadwallader-Gibson Company's operations in the Philippine Islands, accompanied by his wife, spent a week in Los Angeles recently, on his way back to the Philippines from a trip around the world. In the course of this tour he called on the firm's connections in Australia, South Africa, England and the United States.

Mr. Baker has spent 31 years in the Orient. A native of Indiana he went to Korea when he finished school, spent two years there, 15 years in China, and has now been 14 years in the Philippines.

Roy Barto, president of the company, now on a business trip to the Northwest, saw Mr. Baker ofi on the boat at Voncouver, B. C., a few days ago, on the last leg of his globe-circling journey.

Means Depondability a STOBAGE YARD:

OUTEB HABBON, SAN PEDBO, CAL.

MILLS .[,ND YT,RDS: MANILA cnd

TOI.AMBUGAN, P. t.

lll West 7th Street IOS ANGETES

New Upward-Acting Garage Door

Tacoma, Wash.-A new, upward-acting garage door which is priced for the volume low-cost building field has been announced by Henry Siess, president of the Crawford Door Company, Detroit, Mich., holders of the patents on the new door and manufacturers of the hardware unit. This garage door will be marketed through millwork distributors, lumber dealers, and the outlets of the Crawford Door Company under the exclusive tradename CRAW-FIRDOR. Mr. Siess declared.

The following manufacturers of fir doors, according to Mr. Siess, have been licensed by the Crawford Door Gompany to provide the ,pre-fitted and factory-drilled fir door units and to sell the complete CRAW-FIR-DOR: Bufielen Lumber and Manufacturing Company, Tacoma, Wash.; Central Door and Plywood Corporation, Portland, Ore.; Clear Fir Lumber Company, Tacoma, Wash.; Harbor Plywood Corporation, Hoquiam, Wash.; M and M Wood Working Company, Portland, Ore.; Monarch Door Company, Tacoma, Wash.; Northwest Door Company, Tacoma, Wash.; Robinson Manufacturing Company, Everett, Wash.; and, Wheeler-Osgood Sales Corporation, Tacoma, Wash.

The Fir Door Institute, with headquarters in Tacoma, Washington, will handle the promotion and advertising of the CRAW-FIR-DOR. President Siess stated.

Enlarges Lumber Shed

Fox-Woodsum Lumber Company, Rialto, has increased its storage facilities by a 3Gfoot addition to the lumber shed.

Owens-Parks lssues Attractive Folder

Owens-Parks Lumber Co. of Los Angeles has just issued an attractive 4-page folder, 8 by 11 inches, and printed,on a heavy-coated stock. The front cover in two colors, red and black, shows a striking photograph of a Willamette carrier with a load of lumber, and carries the wording, "Service at Owens-ParksA Picture Story of Modern Methods in the Handling of Lumber."

The other pages carry pictures showing a general view of the office and plant; transportation and handling facilities; the main storage crane which is 600 feet long with a lOGfoot span, having a storage capacity of over six million feet; the lumber truck fleet of 29 units ; interior views of building materials and hardwood warehouses, and the mill.

The company carries a stock of over 12 million feet of Douglas fir, Redwood, and foreign and domestic hardwoods.

Bruce Fair

Bruce Fair, {ormer well-known Pacific Coast lumberman, passed away suddenly at San Francisco, October 17. Mr. Fair entered the lumber business as a salesman in the tr{iddle West for the National Lumber & Box Co. of Floquiam, Wash., then came to California where he represented several Tacoma mills. Later he was a member of the shipping and lumber firm, Fair and Moran. In recent "ears he was eng'aged in the real estate antl oil business. Funeral services were held at San Francisco October 19.