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By R0SS KINCAID executive vice president

fl'AVE YOU set up an '.Energy rr Conservation Center" in your store vet?

Several good suggestions were contained in Energy Crisis Alert Bulletin #1 included in our December mailing. Review it carefully. There are many ways you can assist your customers to conserve energv while at the same time bolstering youT sales of products and services.

Changes by Congress will increase Social Security benefits in two steps from a total of llVo:77a in April, 1974 and 47o in July, 1974. To finance this increase the taxable wage base was increased from $10.800 last vear to $13,200 on January i this year. The tax rate of 5.85% will remain the same.

Everett Yost, in his 1973 convention talk on Continuation of the Familv or Small Business, referred to a new book "The Business Owner & The Estate Tax" available through WBMA. Many members have already ordered this book. If you have overlooked ordering it and wish a copy, WBMA can obtain one for youcost $3.95 (plus tax for Washington members).

Claim forms will be mailed by the U.S. District Court in San Francisco about the middle of Februarv to all firms entitled to participate in the settlement of the suit involving gypsum wallboard, lath and plaster.

If you handled any of these products during the period from Jan. l, 1963 - Jan. l, 1968, you are entitled to participate.

To assure that your claim will be filed properly and on time, we again suggest that you take one of the following steps now:

(l) Contact your attorney regarding this settlement, or

(2) Contact (or have your attorney contact) Charette & Brown, P. O. Box 63, Aberdeen, Wa. 98520, which has the background material, worksheets, etc. necessary to file a proper claim.

By WAYNE GARDNER

tnHE Energy Crisis seems to be of I most immediate concern to the lumber and buildine material dealers. And'it can be loo[ed at wiih hixed blessings. The outlook for the sale of some types of building materials could be quite good.

Anything that could be construed as energy saving, such as insulation, wood windows as opposed to metal windows, wood siding in place of stucco; all of which enhance the beauty as well as the livability of the house and can save on heating and cooling.

Additionally, the outlook for remodeling of houses and building in central city areas could be increased by virtue of the new families not wanting to go 20 or 30 or even more miles awav from the center of employment. They may find themselves with only enough gasoline for the family auto, let alone enough to drive the 30 to 50 miles that some are now experiencing.

For the delivery of building materials some dealers certainly will be taking a hard look at jobs that are on the outer fringe of their present economically feasible sellins area. The comoetition for the jobs neirer the metropolifan area may be intensified. Wholesaler distributors will be considering delivery into areas on a specific basis rather than whenever a customer needs material. Truck and trailer shipments from the mills may be reduced. Also predicted for l974isa20%-30% decline in residential buildins activitv.

But the Iumberman is a hard breed. Energy crises causing housing slumps and delivery problems will be taken into stride just as other changes in business have.

There are, however, positive factors such as a high level of commercial and industrial buildine predicted. hieh remodeling activity;rid building on"more central sites. Additionally the announcement on January 10, that the fuel shortage may not be as bad as originally anticipated will help.

These do have a brightening effect and the business outlook for the buildins material dealer will undoubtedlv be onE of challenge and opportunity, ioothed by good profits.