NRLDA Board of Directors Adopt Program to Provide Homes and Eliminate Government Controls and Regulations

An aroused board of directors, National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, meeting October 21, 22, and ?3, rn Seattle, Washington, decided to quit talking to themselves and do something about the building situation in this country. Perhaps it was the 2,400 dealers who turned the meeting into a convention that did the arousing, but more likely it was only the reflection of the same conditions that caused 2,4N dealers and over 800 women to be present in Seattle.

The fact that the board of directors unanimously adopted a resolution favoring the elimination of "price controls, subsidies, allocations, guaranteed markets, and all other regulations and restrictions which are obstructing the production and flow'of materials into homes for veterans and other essential building" would have been as inefiective as rain on a tin roof had the convening directors not adopted three major programs which put teeth into the resolutions.

To sum up the entire meeting, the board of directors unanimously supported the engineered housing program which for over six months has been a joint project between the Producers' Council with the membership oI 104 manufacturers, and the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, representing the lumber and building material industry.

Iff"*preSenting the engineered housing program, Robert A. Jones, secretary of the Middle Atlantic Lumbermen's Aisociation; pointed out that an industry-engineered home was the only positive answer to the National Housing Program. ..;a .*

On the modular 4-inch increment, this Domino Plan of construction features a basic unit capable of being combined into an infinite number of home designs and shapes. The fundamental principal of this engineered home is to either design the materials to fit the home plan or to fit the plan to the materials. Over 250 manufacturers besides the Producers' Council group have expressed definite inter' est in designing their materials to fit this home plan.

Savings to the ultimate home buyer result from the elim' ination of waste in sawing and fitting materials and reduction of labor time in construction of such a home.

Lynn Boyd, director from Pampa, Texas, stated that a similarly constructed home would create a savings of $1,500 over methods now in common practice.

Modern low-cost quality homes in today's market can be efiectively developed provided controls and regulations are eliminated. Only Government controls and regulations have been and are preventing the construction of an adequate number of such homes to solve the present housing shortage.

The second pr'ogram meeting a problem of vital concern to lumber dealers everywhere was given emphasis by the adoption of the educational program originally started in the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. William Bell, secretary of the Western Retail Lumbermen's Association and chairman of the committee on education, recounted the success of the educational program thus far. Pointing to courses to be operated at the University of Illinois, Purdue, Washington, Massachusetts State, and Syracuse, he expressed the belief that 12 or 15 additional universities would embrace the 30-day lumber dealer course for veterans and lurnber yard employees.

Martin Chamberlain, director of education for the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, explained the use of the guide and lecture outlines which have been prepared for associations, university, and student use. A 4page information folder on this program is also ready for distribution to all interested organizations.

For the purpose of projecting the modern engineered home program and the educational program for veterans into the lives of citizens not directly a Part of the building industry, the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association has increased the public relations budget. A complete publicity and public relations campaign will be worked out and developed on both projects. In addition, the public relations section of the National Retail Lumber Dealers

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We ore now moking our spsce reservqtions for our Annual Christmas Number to be published Decembet lt,1946

Our regulor ndverfising rqles qpply -One-time roles qre qs follows:

Our crdvertising deportment will moke up ct suggestion for your crd or ossist you with copy.

NRLDA Board of Directorsr Meeting

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Association will continue to prepare information for the use of lumber dealers in their respective areas in combating the false propaganda emanating from Washington Go'i'ernment agencies, according to P. W. Watson, public relations staff.

The dealers advertising mat service, building headquarters campaign, and a rejuvinated and revised Home Planners Institute, have been placed temporarily on the inactive list until materials begin to flow freely through the yards.

On Tuesday morning Edward G. Gavin, editor of the American Builder, traced the course of the so-called Wyatt Housing Plan and proved: first, that Wyatt had nothing to do with it; second, that it was not a plan ; and third, it has not produced houses.

With irrefutable figures Mr. Gavin showed that home construction under the Wyatt Plan had progressively decreased in rate from January 15 to Sept. 1.

Upton Close, authoritative radio commentator and analyst effectively discussed the insidious efiect of Government regimentation and controls upon the building industry and traced its origin to Marxist and Lenin philosophies from which sprung the triple threat of Nazism, Facism, and Communism.

Closely following the pattern of this industrial meeting of protest against control and regimentation was President S. L. Forrest's masterful analysis of basic American principles 'ivhich he portrayed as being shredded by the paternalistic philosophy now permeating Government bureaus in Washington.

The talk given by the newly elected President, Norman P. X1[ason, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, likewise pointed to the appearance of Communism popping up in all Gor-ernment agencies, including the OPA, CPA, NHA, O\^rlIR, and others interlocked in promulgating their viewpoints. In his address, Mr. Mason stressed the abortive effect of Governm{ent allocation of building materials.

H. R. Northup, secretary-manager of the Association and frequently forced to spearhead the interest of this industry on all fronts provided one of the most factual, hard-hitting, and plain-spoken talks of the entire meeting. Closely allied with the Association's theme of eliminat- ing GovernmenL control and regulations was Joseph King's discussion of past legislative trials and the impending attempt to pass some building legislation similar to the Wagner-Ellender-Taft Act.

Edward H. Libbey in sparkling style reviewed the work of the OPA Industry Advisory Committee, which has struggled all through the year with the intricate and multitudinous though sometimes microscopic changes made in OPA price regulations. Mr. Libbey pointed out the prob' lems that lie ahead in securing changes in OPA controls and the necessity of eventual abolishment of the OPA itself.

The two-day open session, or what turned out to be the convention part of the meeting was opened by President Forrest.

R. W. Beil, president of the Western Retail Lumbermen's Association, Spokane, Washington, gave the address of welcome.

"\\/e Grow" was appropriately the address given by Carl Blackstock, president of Blackstock Lumber Company, formerly president of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, and one of the men who helped the Association to start to grow.

Reflections of normal times to come were presented by Neilson M. Mathews, vice president and general manager of the Farm Journal, and Ralph Carney, vice president of the Coleman Company, Incorporated.

No account of this historic meeting would be complete without a grateful vote of thanks to Bill Bell, his committee members of the Western Retail Lumbermen's Association, and the entire Seattle Lumbermenls Club for their tireless and unflagging efforts to make this meeting successful as well as entertaining and constructive.

The newly elected officers lor 1947 are: president, Norman P. Mason, North ChelmsTord, Massachusetts; vicepresident, C. B. Sweet, Long Bell Lumber Company, Longview, \\Iashington; treasurer, George W. LaPointe, Jr., O & N Lumber Company, Menomonie, Wisconsin, and secretary-manag'er, H. R. Northup, Washington, D. C.

A hand-tooled Western leather saddle and bridle was presented by the Association to retiring President S. L. Forrest, of Lubbock, Texas.

About lO0 retail dealers from California attendecl the meeting.