N.R,L.D.A. Charts Plan Through Postwar Period

Out of the Akron meeting of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association last October has come a definitely charted plan of operation to carry over into what it is hoped will be the postwar period.

The following decisions made at that meeting have determined that the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association will devote its effort along five major lines of endeavor:

1. Legislation-To consult with Congress and its committees in respect to required, prospective and present laws affecting the industry; to follow and, report the status and content of legislation before Congress which affects the business welfare of the retail lumber dealer.

2. Government Relations-To consult and cooperate with all peace-time and war agencies of the Federal Government, whose rules, regulations,.and actions may in any manner concern the business welfare of the retail lumber dealer.

3. Public Relations-To acquaint the citizens of every community with the fact that the retail lumber dealer has at his command the services, facilities, and materials essential to construction in the residential, agricultural, industrial, commercial, and public fields as well as the fields of maintenance, repair and modernization.

4. Building and General Industry Relations-To maintain close relations with trade associations and other organized groups in the building industry and to participate in all organized building industry effort to improve, develop and stimulate the general construction market.

5. Trade Promotion-To report and develop facts and projects of value to state and regional associations and their dealer membership which will assist the individual retail yard in becoming in fact "Building Headquarters" in each community through the utilization of the most modern merchandising techniques.

Although legislation and Government's relations will continue to constitute the larger portion of the National's work, with building and the general industry's relations problems looming larger in the picture, two relatively undeveloped projects-trade promotion and public relationshave been added.

Under Trade Promotion, the Board of Directors voted the creation of a cut and mat service that would allow dealers to obtain illustrative ad cuts, complete advertisements, and advertising art work at between 1/10th and I/lffith of the cost that individual lumber dealers would have to pay. This cut and mat service will be prepared and available in January, 1945.

Also voted on and adopted was the Association's support for the Home Planner's Institute, a dealer-sponsored home promotion program designed to provide information on the postwar home to people who are now saving their money to build when restrictions are lifted. By furnishing the dealer or other elements within the building industry with lecture material on postwar home building, the dealer is provided with the means of getting people interested in home buying together, and is thus enabled to develop a card file of live prospects who are ready to build the moment the war is over.

The revival of Home Magazine, which was discontinued for the duration of the war in 1942, was voted on the request of hundreds of dealers in all sections of the country.

A farm building promotion program is one of the things now receiving the greatest study. In the development of this farm program, the ultimate aim will be to have a number of one-reel sound movies available to lumber dealers so that any type of farm show program could be put on locally. Possibilities are now being explored for the development of movies covering nearly every phase of farming. The manufacturers interested in the farm construction field are invited to contribute to this film circulating library.

Side by side with these trade promotion aids for dealers will go a public relations campaign in newspapers, business journals, the Trade Press, general magazines, and other media. Radio releases will be provided to local elements of the building industry for regional radio use. An effort is now under way to uncover and card index file industry speakers who are available for appearance on dealer programs. In addition to this, addresses on many subjects of interest to prospective home builders and the farming element are being prepared for local use by dealers and their speakers.

Christmcrs Sncppiness

"Madam," said the patient saleslady to the peevish shopper, "you seem to have the rhyme right, but the word wrong."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"The papers say-'do your Christmas shopping early'- not surly."

:r * *

A Scotch Christmcrs Prcyer

Some hae meat and canna eat. An' some would eat that $rant it; But we hae meat an' \ltre can eat_ Sae let the Lord be thanket.

Going Home Ior Christmcrs

He was seated in h-is desk chair *itt a time card in his hand.

And a smile upon his features that I could not under_ stand:

When I found him in the office after hours and all alone, The lamps had long been lighted and the whistles long had blown.

"Well, old chap," said I, "why linger when your busy mates have gone?

Don't you know it's past the hour and you're still work_ ing on?"

But he reached out for a letter just as though he didn,t hear,

Just opened it and read a part and smiled from ear to,ear.

"I'm going home for Christmas, going home for Christmas day, f'm going to see my mother, trrany, many miles away; Ifere's a letter she has written asking that her boy coie home,

The family is scattered and she's living all alone. f can't resist her letter, let me read you just a line, 'Come home and I will feed you orr those mincemeat pies of mine;

I'll let you try my new preserves and sample all my jell, And bake some of the cookies that you used to love so well,'

Then at the end she says .please come, I,m getting old you know,

You've been away for seven years, f want to see you so., So I'm going home for Christmas for f can't resist lhe call. It's the only place one ought to be at Christmas. after all.'

;ft(* Christmcrs Gifts I love the Christmas-tide, and yet I notice this each year f live, I always like the gifts I get, But how I love the gifts I give.

-Caro,lyn Wells.

Around the Christmcs Bocrrd

Ah, friends, dear friends, as years go on and heads Get grey, how fast the guests do go!

Touch hands, touch hand.s with those who stay. Strong hands to weak, old hands to young, Around the Christmas board, touch hands. The false forget, the foe forgive, for every guest will Go and every fire burn low, and cabin empty stand. Forget ! Forgive ! For who may say that Christmas Day May ever come to host or guest again?

Touch hands!

.

-J"T

Norton's Vagabond.

The Real Spirit of Christmcrs

By Charles Lamb

Oh merry, piping time of Christmas ! Never let us permit thee to degenerate into distant courtesies and formal salu_ tations. But let us shake our friends and familiars by the hand, as our fathers and their fathers did. Let them all come around us, and let us count how many the year has added to our circle.,Let us enjoy the present and laugh at the past. Let us tell old stories, and invent ,r.- on"* innocent always, and ingenious if we can. Let us not meet to abuse the world, but to make it better by our individual example. Let us be patriots-but not men of party. Let us look cheerful and generous, and endeavor to make olfiers as generous and cheerful as ourselves.

A Christmas Creed

To give a little more than the law requires; a smile to every customer, a helpful suggestion to every purchaser, unfailing courtesy to every complaint.

To believe that business means something more than dollars and cents, and that something more than dollars and cents must be gotten out of it if we are to be successful.

To believe that the Golden Rule can be applied in busi_ ness, and that its application simply means a square deal for all. To make money to live-not live to make money. To try always to share with our co-workers what the-ir brains and hearts have helped to make us.

Christmas Grcrtitude

John Sharp Williams used to tell the story of the old colored woman in Alabama whose extreme age and help- lessness were such that kind neighbors, both white and black, supplied all her needs in life. The aged woman was deeply grateful for all this help and attention, and never failed to try and express her gratitude. On Christmas morning the neighbors came in a group and fairly over_ whelmed her with a great basket of good things to eat and drink, and she burst forth:

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