n'Them Days ate Gone Forever"

By Jack Dionne

The other day I heard a mother talking most seriously to her seventeen year old boy. He wasn't a bad boy, but her old fashioned notions about seventeen year old boys staying out night, going to late dances, etc., were at variance with modern notions. She told him about how seventeen year old boys used to do when SHE was a youngster, and how early they went to bed, and the many things boys did THEN that she thought they should do NOW. And when she stopped for breath, the youngster naively remarked:

"But mother! 'Them days are gone forevet:"'

Ife was just quoting the slang of a modern funny strip that runs in the daily papers, but it answered the whole proposition, from HIS philosophy.

It seems to me that that slang phrase applies mighty aptly to the still remaining great number of lumber dealers who think that "lumber is lumber," and that the only way you can induce people to buy it is by making thern the right kind of a proposition. (Which usually means, the hest price, terms, etc.)

As a matter of fact, while we haven't had a chance to actually count noses, our €fuess is that the old-timey lumber dealer is still in the majority. We wouldn't be surprised if it were quite a considerable majority, also.

Yessir, it's hard to admit, right here at this Christmas season, but while we rejoice at the thousands of live lumber merchants who have by their splendid creative merchandising efforts put a new and better face on the lumber industry, yet it is undoubtedly a fact that more than half of all the retail lumbermen in this country are still doing business just as their daddies did-just as it was being done a generation ago.

For one who has "labored in the vineyard" of modern tnerchandising for lumber dealers for sixteen consecutive years of editorial and vocal "preaching," that's a sad admission, but a fact, nevertheless.

, But, havlng uttered that bit of humility, let us do a 'little proud boasting by remarking that while the above ,statement is unquestionably true, it is NOT true in the rterritory where our preaching is constantly read and heard.

If ALL lumber dealer territory enJoyed as high a per; centage of merchandising effort as the territories served by iTHE GULF COAST LUMBERMAN and THE CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT, the dealers who do business "like Dad did," tryirig to meet the conditions of this day of the flying machine and the radio-and the human demands for service that come rvith this fast-moving generation-with the supply and the service of the stage,coach days, u'ould be in a hopeless minority.

I We have THAT to be thankful for at this Christmas seasoir.

And in 1924 we're going to see how many more con- verts we can bring into the advertising, merchandising, salesmanship, modern service fold.

When you stop to think of it, you wouldnft think it would be so hard a job to convince business men, who [ook, speak, and in all other ways ACT intelligently, that they ought to do something to keep up with the times; that the service, and the methods of doing business that used to prevail a generation ago, are entirely back numbers now; that people who are marveling at the new things and the new thoughts, and the marvelous development in all other lines might expect something new from the building people, would you?

But it IS ! It's the biggest job and the slowest in modern history. Strange, too, the way it afiects the difrerent men. You propound the doctrines of modernly merchandising building materials to one m?n; and he becomes a perfect enthusiast on the subject. Every thing he tries in a merchandising way, seems to simply excite him into try-

(Continued on P,age 16)

Durlng thc War, SPRUCE frm rO6 difrcrcnt fourccr vcBt Into thc malltg of Britlrb end Frcnch rlrplanc. Of the totsl uount u:cd, Grrhm ldu4 Britirh Colubia, cupplied bcttcf thln 90Vo, ot norc thu all thc otler ,10,1 rourcC put togrthcrt

GRAHAM ISLAND SITKA SPRUCE

Wlth apprcximatcly 3,ie05@,000 f.Gt of Viratn Tlnbcr on Grahu lrlud, wtth e flcct of rtccl, rtcu luubcr rhoonere ud wtth Sitandc raw r4lllr ln thc Norttwat end rt I-oc Arryclcr. Herbor,+dl owncd rnd opcntcd by u&-wc cln Lrurc r rtcrdy rupply of. hlgh lrado rprucc lunber.

Pricer ind dctailr or rcquc.t

(Continued from Page 15) ing others.' There,is such an prdept and direct apfeal, that he eats, drinks, afil sleeps merchandising. " It becbmes ttie ' first and foremost thought in his cranium.

And then the other fellow ! Wherv ! In the words of the advertising person from Michigan, "There IS a difference." To him it's all bosh, bull, bunk, etcetera. The idea of'supposiirg that you can MAKE people buy lumber by merchandising. People buy lumber when they need it, and they buy it where they can get the quality they want at the lrowest price, dnd that's all there is to it. And he sits right .there on his lumber pile ,and doles it out to the builder who discovers his own needs, at such and such a price. He calls on the contractor trade, and watches for news of people who are planning to build.

,And THAT'S the system. The fellow who cuts his wheat rvith a hand scythe, and threshes it on the barn floor with a club, is a super-progressive comp4rqd with the reaction.ary lumber dealer.

And then, of course, there are the various intermediate courses, between the reactionary and the enthusiast. There is a large percentage in between who believe that building material CAN be merchandised successfully, and that business CAN be created, but who never can bring themselves to the point of spending the rnoney and beginning the physical and mental effort that is required.

And next year we'fe goirtg to talk plans, display rooms, personal service, personal solicitation, intelligent salesmanship, forceful and thoughtful publicity, etc., in the hope that some day we may be able to look in vain for an oldtimey lumber dealer, and say, as the litle boy did-

..THEM DAYS ARE GONE FOREVER.:'

M. Hotchkiss Reelected President of

California Redwood Association

At the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the California Redwood Association, held in the Fronch Parlor at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, on December 6, the following gfficers were reelected to serve during the en_- suing year: President, J. M. Hotchkiss, Hobbi. Wa[l Co.; Vice-President, Harold A. Plumer, Union Lumber Co.; Secretary-Manag'er, R. F. Hammatt. The Board of Directgrs are: J. M. Ilotchkiss, Harold O. Plummer, W. R. McMillan, Hammond Lumber Co.; Fred V. Holmes, Holmes-Eureka Lumber Co., and P. C. McNevin, Pacific Lumber Co.

The Association rvill continue and better the "Redwood Service" to the retail dealer, which service has proven so benificial to the retail trade during the past year.

An effort will be made to try and organize regular monthly meetings of the Redwood traveling salesmen, who are the direct state representativqs of the various Redwood manufacturers. At these meetings various phases of the Redwood industry will be discussed and arrangements will be made to have-a prominent speaker address each meeting. Among the -"ubjects that will be given consideration are: the manufacturing of Redwood, the uses and physical characteristics of Redwood, and the retailers problems. These meetings will be held at various points throughout the state.

The Association went on record as against anti-shingle legislation and rvill take an active and aggressive stand where necessary in connection with anti-ihingle legislation.

Direct netvspaper advertising to assist the retailers to sell Redwood was exhaustedly discussed and the matter ras laid on the table for a future decision.

The Directors voted the association their unanimous support of all the mills for the year 1924, and, the officers of the association expressed their belief that additional members would be secured for the ensuing year.

J. M. Hotchkiss, who will be serving his second term as President of the Association, is one of the most active and progressive lumbermen in the State. He has been connectl ed u'ith the Hobbs-Wall Co. for twenty years, and is VicePresident and Manager of the company.

Those who attended the meeting were: Theodore Lerch and C. F. Flinn, Albion Lumber Co.; J. H. Holmes and Fred V. Ifolmes, Holmes-Eureka Lumber Co.; W. R. McMillan and' Henry Faull, Hammond Lumber Co.; P. C McNevin and Al Nolan, Pacific Lumber Co.; Henry Hinkt Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Co.; John Reed, J. R. Hanify Co.; C. E. DeCamp, Casper Lurnber Co., and H. W. Sinnock and M. V. Johns, Redwood Sales Co.; and R. F. Hammatt, California Redwood Association.

' Sbealcing of retail advertisernenta, ien't thia one just about the most attractive copy that you have sien? ''This full page appeared recently in a home-owning magazine, published at Los Angelea.