SheYlin Pine Sales Gompany

Dtst?IluroDs

I its budget to pay the president's expenses to visit the conventions. Your speaker can assure you, without hesitatioq, that everyone of you would have benefited materially had it been possible for us to have had him here and for him to have taken part on the program.

Let us here and now take a few minutes to review the National work. The National office has been located in the nation's capital, and this is unquestionably the proper place.

During the time Congress is in session our secretarymanager is in close touch with the various committees in the House, or the Senate. These committees are working on bills which affect every retail dealer in the whole coun-try. During the time thit the FHA program was being worked out, these committees were in daily touch u'ith oui National office, and much of the structure bi ttre FHA was the result of conferences between the Congressional Committees and our office in Washington and our special committees of our prominent dealer members.

It is quite appropriate here for us to review the rvork of our efficient and devoted National secretarv. Frank Carnahan, whose death in July of this year wis a very great loss to the National. In carrying out our program he worked unceasingly and unselfishly without consiCeration for himself or his farnily.

Our National executive committee has appointed as Mr. Carnahan's successor H. R. Northup as se&etary-manager. Some of you here have met Mr. Noithup while he nvas 6mployed bv the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, from which he resigned to accept the position rn'ith us. He gives good promise of serving well.

The National executive committee has the burden of running the business of the National under the close sup- ervision of our president (not the President in the White H_ou;e). All National officers serve without pay and much of their personal traveling expenses are boinl by themselves personally. This is one of the privileges of- serving an association, plus the honor and tlie hard work whicE falls to the lot of a National officer or committeeman.

The next subject, an undertaking of the National, was to develop the sales training course for our dealer members. This. was planned by a special committee after nearly a Ilar'g hard_work. A corporation was set up-The Merchandising Institute of the National Retail Lumber Dealers

SPECIES

NOBT!|ERN (Gcnuilre)

NORWAY

PONDENOSA PINE (PINUS PONDEROSA)

SUGAR (Genuine Wbiie) PINE (PINUS LAMBENTIANA)

Association-and "Tested Selling Methods" was edited and produced for the use of our members. This cost us not one dime, in fact the divisions have received some profits in dividends from the Merchandising Council after the loan funds from the various divisioris had been returned in full.

The report on Tested Selling Methods made at the National meeting last May revealed that over 3,5@ courses had been sold to dealers and repeat orders have been coming in during the last five months. Letters telling of the success of the training course, under Tested Selling Methods have been numerous. Your speaker takes occasion to state here that the retail yards under his management have subscribed for twenty-three courses of the Tested Selling Methods. The results of the course have shown marked improvement in the technique of our salesmen and have enabled our company to obtain very much better net results in the sale of our merchandise.

The next subject which is presented is that of our "Home" magazine. This is entirely a product of our National Association-prepared by and edited by a committee of our National. - Itls printed by the W. F: Hall Printing Company of Chicago. This magazine, if properly used by the dealer will produce rvonderful results- One dealer in the Northwest subscribed for 12,000 copies of each issue. In a visit to this dealer some few weeks ago your speaker asked "What results have you obtained from your distribution of Home magazine?'i The answer was -"I've never done any advertising in my life which produced so much business at so little cost."

Ifome magazine is issued six times a year. Three issues in the spring, three issues in the late summer and fall. This is a winner for the dealers. Your speaker can testify to good results. If there are any profits on this magazine the gain goes to the treasury of our National. We are now issuing about 375,000 copies of Home each month. We expect to double this within a year. Three quarters of a millior issues per month will produce a sizeable profit for our National treasury.

There are many more activities of the National which ryight vvell be recited here but you have been most patient during this rather long review of the work of the N-ational s_o_ I- will sign off by quoting an old but familiar slogan "lJnited we stand, divided we fall." I thank vou.