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By ROSS KINCAID executive vice president

A T THE February board of directors a r meeting in Portland, directors' reports of conditions in their local areas were generally favoralle and 1968 predictions reflected a note of optimism. However, i1 is difficult to summarize the reports without recognizing that our four-state regions had a wide variety of market t1pes.

Alaska-Building holding up fairly well throughout the state, with Anchorage and Kenai area showing good gains and optimism for the future-. Fairbanks area recovering satisfactorily from devastating flood.

Idaho-Lewiston area has been spotty but 1967 was a fairly good year and 1968 is expected to be just as good or 'better. Boise and surrounding area had a better year in 1967 than in 1966 and the trend is up for 1968.

Oregon-With the exception of some southern Oregon points, moat areas in western Oregon reported good business in 1967. Predictions for 196B were generally optimistic. Limited reports from eastern Oregon showed L967 to be about the same or slightly down from 1966 with prospects fair for the coming year.

W'ashington-In the western part of the state, directors from the greater Puget Sound area report that business had been good and will continue through 1968. Some expressed concern about rising costs of everything including money and inability to get and keep good personnel.

Other Western W'ashington areas also look for a good 1968. Reports from eastern Washington ranged from poor to good for 1967 business but all expected 1968 to be better.

Twenty-six of Western's directors responded to the National's business survey. In a comparison of the first l0 months of 1967 with the same period in 1966, just over 50 percent showed increases in volume of business and net profits in 1967. About 30 percent showed a decrease in business and 20 percent a decrease in net profits.

Fourteen firms reported that collections were satisfactory and 12 that they were slower. Average age of accounts receivable was 52 days. The majority believe that construction activity this year will be fair to good in thomi'building; comriiercial. industrial and repair and modernizatioir; and poor to fair in farm construction.

'Hete?s something to think about from the Associated Oregon Industries' News Di;gest. It's worth repeating and as revelant today as ever.

"A little more than a century ago, Abraham Lincoln set down Ten Commandments for Government. Their truth echoes startlingly into our lives in America today.

I. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

II. You cannot strengthen the weak iby weakening the strong.

III. You cannot help strong men by pulling down big men.

IV. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down tlre wage payer.

V. You cannot f urther brotherhood by encouraging class hatred.

VI. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

VII. You cannot estarblish sound security on ,borrowed money.

VIII. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more money than you earn.

IX. You cannot build character and courage by taking awlly man's initiative and independence.

X. You cannot help men perrnanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

APRlt, 1968

More Yords Open

New lumber and building materials busi' nesses continue to open up across the west. Among the newest are Camp Verde Lumber Co., Cottonwood, Ariz., a new Westy's store in Chula Vista, Calif., and a new Forest Lumber Co. location in Lancaster, Calif.

Camp Verde has a wide inventorY of tools, paints, hardware as well as a good selection of lumber and hard materials they house in a large L-shaped shed.

W'estern Lumber Co. has opened a new 16.000-square-foot W'esty's in Chula Vista. The firm recently closed smaller outlets on F Street in Chula Vista and on Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach.

Ray Pauls. with Western {or 1I years and former manager of the Chula Vista store, is manager of the new Westy's South Buy.

'flre new outlet occupies more than 212 acres and has parking for 85 cars.

John D. Sullivan. Western prt'sident, said the store has two major divisions.

"A whole-.ale section {eatures lumber. plyrvood. hardrvood. molding, doors and allied products.

"The second section is a ltome cetrter rlith major departments in hardwarc. tools, clectrical and plumbing supplies, paints lnd decorator item-*. Also featured is a pre-finished paneling section."

The new Forest Lumber Co.'s 17,000 sq. ft. building is on a 3.7 acre site' They have been doing business in Lancaster since 1946. When completed this summer the facility will represent a $350,000 investment.

A. B. (Bert) McKee is president and his son, A. Kingston McKee, vice president. McKee stated his decision to make this investment is evidence of the good business Forest Luml,rer is enjoying.

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