NORTHWESTT NEWS

By R0SS KINCAID executive vice president

NLBMDA representatives reinforced written request recently for "market pricing" by personally appearing before the Price Commission in Washington, D.C.

A strong appeal by President Bill Norman,,Chet Nortz and John Dickerman lasted 216 hours in further sup- port of the industry request for permission to continue previous inventory pricing practices.

The decision by the Price Commissiont "Based on the present regulatione, the repricing of inaentorg to market rather than to inooiae is a oialati,on ol pri,ce commiaeion regulationo."

The Commission made it clear that some kind of perpetual inventory (item by item identification) would be necessary to comply with their concepts. The fact that most dealers do not maintain this type of inventory record system seemed not to impress them.

What next? T\ro courses of action are open:

(1) To submit a special request for exception with the Price Commission (this is what the NLBMDA Supervisory Committee for Legislation and Government Affairs has elected to do).

(2) If the exception is not granted, we should try for Congressional action. Maintaining a price book on replacement market cost is a traditional industry practice. Adhering to the present ruling of pricing to invoice is the list; so, the first thing a member should do is to require the employee to answer a questionnaire on medidal history and take a physical. not practical nor feasible in a volatile lumber and plywood market.

Many back injuries and hernia are chronic and were present when the employer hired the employee. This can save many dollars for employers if good hiring procedures ane required.

Another area to prevent injuries ie to organize safety committees within your operation and hold frequent meetings with employees to educate them on safety.

Another area is to be sure the safety engineer employed by the insurance carrier inspects your plant for hazards. Knowing these hazards and correcting them will cut down the number of injuries.

Safety awards will be presented at our 51st Annual Convention to those firms which have a good loss ratio for 197t-72. We hope this will encourage all our memhrs to THINK SAFEIY and as a nesult, return dollars to them.

Many members are reporting that their fi.rms have been visited by OSHA compliance officers. Typical is an Oregon firm, ass€ssed 9225 for the following alleged violations:

(1) Failure to maintain good housekeeping in carpenter shop, broken boards and scrap wood, sawdust and various materials clutter area. Main storage area behind.

(2) Failure to install handrails on office basement stairway.

(3) Failure to provide covered receptacle in ladies' rest room.

(4) All plant fire extinguishers are not properly mounted.

(5) Ernpty acetylene cylinder, standing free, outside carpenter shop and close to road traffic.

(6) Failure to maintain a log of occupational injuries and illnesses bn Form OSHA No. 100.

(7) Failure to compile an Annual Summary of Occupational In- juries & Illnesses on Form OSHA No. 102.

By R. V. PETERSEN executive secretary

I\TEW officers elected at the close of _Lt our annual eonvenf,ron are: presldent, Arnold N. Nelson, Montana Lumber & Hardware Co., Lewistown; vp., Robert F. Payne, Anaconda Building Materials Co., Missoula; treasurer, A. A. Kind, Linder-Kind Lumber Co.. Helena; asst. treasurer, H. G. White, Neifert-White Co., Townsend; and exec, secretary, R. V. Petersen, Helena.

Lloyd Killham, Midland, Inc., Glendive, has been elected to the board of directors, joining hold-overs Gary Hindoien, Robert W. Lindsey, H. E. Lorenz, A. N. Nelson, R. F. Payne, Milton Sethre, L. D. Shaurette, Dean Swank and W. S. Weston.

A. A. Kind was re-elected as national dealer director, with Dexter Shaurette picked as alternate.

Led off by Chuck Hanna, with his humorously inspiring analysis on the "Conquest of Confusion," a top-flight panel of speakers kept the audience in close attendance throughout the meeting. Joseph McKlveen, past president of NLBMDA, addressed himself competently to the problems confronting the small-town dealer and his guidelines for action. F. Lowry Wyatt, Weyerhaeuser vp., brought to focus the problems directly concerning producers of lumber products and management of the forests behind them. Western Montana Congressman Dick Shoup presented the picture of cur- rent and proposed legislation having an impact on the members as lumber dealers and as individuals. Closing the list of speakers, Calvin Dean Johnson, speaking on opportunity under the American way of life and American principles, brought the audience to a standing ovation. plumbing, electrical, and garden supplies, carries items that can be used as leaders to attract customers to the departmeut. And for the customer rvho wants to improve his home but would like to have a craftsman do it, make a list of qualified people available.

Picked as Lumber Dealer of the Year by the Montana Building Material Salesmen's Association was Brooks Robinson, Grogan-Robinson Lumber Co., Great Falls. Balloting by the dealers to nominate the year's outstanding salesman brought the Silver Log Award to Joe Brooke, Prentice Lumber Co., Missoula.

Among the many who carried home prizes, top winners included the following: Kermit Kruse, Helena50 Eisenhower dollars; Gene O'Toole, Anaconda Forest Products, Bonner100 austerity dollars; Don French, French's Building Materials, Hardin -also 100 dollars; and Mike Brown, Midland, Inc., Miles City, an electric garage door operator.

By consensus-it was interesting, enjoyable and beneficial.

executive vice president

T OOKING at the calendar one can I t quickly find out that there are 100 or more special months, 300 special weeks and nobody knows for sure how many speciai days in each calendar year.

Many of them have significance and special meaning to most of us. During the last few years the month of May has become an honored month in the building materials industry.

Clean up, fix up, and paint up has been the theme at times, all to encourag'e homeowners to improve the value and livability of their property by doing some improvement on it.

The logical business to promote home improvement is the building material dealer. With the modern stores most dealers are operating today, the potential customer should be more easily attracted to come in and look around. And with the broad varietY of merchandise all of the stores have, selectlng the items necessary for improvernent of the,home becomes much more simple than it was a few years ago.

By capitalizing on the national advertising that will be done, the local building material distributor can, with Iittle extra efrort, spread the word in his community that he is the center for home improvement.

Don't neglect any department. Each area, lumber, plywood, paint, tools,

Those members of the LASC who have employees enrolled in the education course are well on their way to realizing great benefits from home improvement special days and other special promotions. Those trained get a broad background of all facets of the building materials business and thereby become better able to assist the customer in realizing full satisfaction of products and services purchased.

So if you haven't ah'eady thought about Home Improvement Month you shoulcl, and if you haven't any employees registered in the education course, give it careful consideration. Both ventures will pay good dividends and profit is the reason each store opens its doors every day.