Cooperation rS Keynote of

Paul Hallingby

- Co-operation and l>etter merchandizing methods rvere the keynotes of the sixth annual convention of the California Retail Lumbermen's Association held at the Alexandria Hotel, Los Angeles, November 10, 11 and 12. It was one of the largest gatherings of lumbermen ever held in the state, and was remarkable for the high average of attendance at each of the five sessions, and for the number of members taking part in cliscussions on the various subjects.

The lumbermen are most appreciative of the co-operation l of the Los Angeles Chamber bf Commerce, Conveniion Department, u'hich helped greatly in making the convention a success.

Thursday Morning

President Paul Hallingby, Hammond Lumber Co., Los Angeles, called the conveniion to order about 10 a.m.. and introduced Lieutenant Governor Buron Fitts who gave the address of welcome. The Lieutenant Governor had Io hurry arvay from the convention to make an airplane trip to Sai Francisco, where he was scheduled to addr-ess anotlier gath- ering in the early afternoon. In the eourse of his reriarks he said, "'We must solve our taxation problems or else stifle American business life and make it impossible to own real property. Business men of the qeunht must become more aware of the problems of taxation."

_ President Hallingby then turned the meeting over to R. F. Wells, West Turlock Lumber Co., Turlock, vicepresident of the northern district, who presided over the remainder of the session.

Dudley Chandler, manager of the Building Material Dealers' Credit Association of Los Angeles, talked on "Surety Bonds", explaining the different kinds of bonds, and issuing a warning against those that fail to protect the material dealer.

Among the subjects discussed rvere "Credits and Collections", "Ethical Relations Between Building and Loan Associations and Lumber Dealers", "substitution of Grades", "Names of Grades", "IJniform Building Code" and "IJniform Cost Accounting".

Paul Hallingby, Hammond Lumber Co., Los Angeles, rvas re-elected President. R. F. Wells, Turlock, was reelected ,vice-president, Northern District, and Verne Whitson, Sahta Ana, was elected vice-president, Southern District. J. E. Neighbor, Oakland, was re-elected Treasurer, and J. E. Fraser, San Francisco, was re-elected Secretary.

Mr. Chandler was also assigned the important subject of "Credits and Collections." In his talk on this he told how credits are handled by the members of his association, a non-profit credit association of 485 Los Angeles building material dealers, banks, and bonding companies. He ex-plained in detail the various forms used by the principal members of this association in this work, copies of which had been distributed to everyone present. in conclusion Mr.,-Chandler said, "when selling your material sell your credit terms to the customer, and check up on the optimistic statements of your salesmen. You have then goni a long way towards solving collection problems. Another important point is to get the salesman's estimate of the character of the customer."

N{onroe Butler,public relations representative of the Pacific Coast Building-Loan Association, Los Angeles, lvas the next speaker. His subject was, "Building and Loan Associations' Relations With Building Material Dealers." In a rapid-fire talk the speaker sketched briefly the growth of Building-Loan associations throughout the country, rvhose 11,000,000 investors have $7,000,000,000 invested in