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REfNG complacent will get you in" to a mess of trouble. Activity in the lumber industry is at an all time il high. A great percentage of this activity is in the field of legislation and a great percentage of this legislation will be injurious to your business if passed.

Both at the national and state Ievel, legislative bodies are entrvined in masses of bills that are seemingly insurmountable: bills that are not investigated to the fullest extent prior to passage because of the volume of additional legislation pushing from behind like a moving glacier.

The response both pro and con to those biils affecting the lumber and building materials industry is far short of what it should be. Legislators will frequently react to constituent influence, but with a lack of influence they will react in a mannero, that".will *most favor their goals.

There is movement at the present to obtain passage of a bill that will permit up to $1,000 deduction on federal income tax for home repairs. This bill is beneficial to our industry. (See editorial, page four). Support from our area is weak. There is also a bill before the state assembly which will require registration and licensing of locksmiths, to include the jack-of-all-trades in your firm that normally replaces the pins or adjusts the locks purchased by your customers, a service rvhich many of you have provided for years. There is also a disclosure bill pending that will require you to provide a financial disclosure to the federal government if you have contact more than two or three times a year with your Senator or Congressman in an attempt to persuade him to vote your way for a bill. This bill could have far-reaching effect since it would require you to register as a lobbyist in order to protect your interests.

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Mini Screen wire rolls in eqsy-fo-use disploy oorlons for consumer impulse soles. All ifems listed ore firsrl quolity ql discounled prices.

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100' Ro[Ls fibergloss sunshqde screen wire (white) widths: 36",48",54". All l8xl6 mesh.

Ve" Plywood Cut 0uts

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APPROXIMATE SIZE 2'x3' All Clean ond All New

A benign, cheerful weatherman

smiled at Glacier Park and provided beautiful weather for the occasion of the 35th Annual Convention of MBMDA. Timed just to precede the official opening of the park and the service facilities, the convention was headquartered at Glacier Park Lodge, East Glacier, with the lodge available for the exclusive use of our members. Attendance was up significantly from last year, with excellent representation from the ranks of both dealers and suppliers.

Featured among the speakers in an excellent program were Everett Yost, Paul Ely & Associates, Omaha, on the subject "Find Your Hat and Wear It," Paul Hollenbeck, exec. vp., West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau,

Portland, on "Pricing for Profit;" and Mark Schoknecht, Libby, resident manager, St. Regis Paper Co., discussing "Trends in Lumber Production." Round-table conferences with enthusiastic, attentive attendance included "Maximum Benefit and Utilization of Credit Cards" moderated by Denny Dumler, BankAmericard, Denver; "How to Stage Successful Sales in Lumber Yards," presented by Hal Adams, Paul Brooker Sales International; and "New Lumber Sizes, Grading Rules, and Span Tables" by Chet Cowan, Western Wood Products Association, Portland.

A separate conference for associate-member wholesalers and sup- pliers was ably moderated by S. M. "Van" Van Kirk, exec. vp., National

Building Material Distributors Association, assisted by panelists Roland Mahnke, VirI Wright and Paul Messer. Terry Radcliffe, College of Great Falls, gave a provocative analysis of today's younger generation in t'Children of Change."

On the business agenda, election of directors resulted in naming the following: L. Dexter Shaurette, for one year, to replace Emmett Madden, resigned; Arnold N. Nelson, for a second three-year term; Wilbur S. Weston, for a second three-year term; Gary Hindoien, Great Falls, three years, for District 2.

-The slate of association officers for the ensuing year: Harold E. Lorenz, United Building Centers, Inc., Sidney, president; Arnold N. Nelson, Montana Lumber & Hardware Co., Lewis' town, vice president; A. A. Kind, Linder - Kind Lumber Co., Helena, treasurer; H. G. White, NeifertWhite Co,, Townsend, asst. treasurer; R. V. Petersen, Helena, exec. secretary; A. A. Kind, Helena, national dealer-director.

Helena was selected as site for the 1972 convention, dures are proposed and adopted.

By R0SS KINCAID executive vice president

\f/E are joining with several other vv federated associations in a strong attempt to secure passag:e of legislation introduced by Congressman Seymour Halpern providing for an uP to $1,000 a year income tax deduction for a home owner's expenses in repairing and improving his residence. (see editorial, p. 4)

A copy of the bill and a petition form has been sent to our members' 'We have asked them to place it on their counter for customers to sign and when filled, send it in to Congressman Halpern,

There will be another task force of inspectors authorized by the Secretary of Labor to see that employers furnish employees with a safe place to work. There are thousands of standards, some listed, some yet to develop for retail. One is typical . . aisles shall be kept clear with no obstruction that could create a hazard.

There are penalties for violations

. . up to $10,000 and imprisonment. Programs are to be conducted by the Labor Department for the education of employers and employees and there will be more information as proce-

President Ike Parker and yours truly have met with Washington state administrator Bill Jacobs to review efrects of the new Workmen's Compensation legislation and are encouraged with the prospects. Though a three-way competitive law was not enacted and employet's costs will increase with higher benefits, these major changes may itnprove the situation:

(1) In addition to the State Fund, qualified employers may selfinsure. This wiII not affect many of our members.

(2) There is a very good ehance that WBMA will be able to group with the State Fund as we now do with Oregon. This could mean some major $ savings by dividend return.

(3) Employers will be classified according to risk exposure. This should put our members in a bettel position.