Make Yourself Heard In Washington On Postal Increases

The United States Postal Service has started a series of second class postage rate increases that over a five-year period will increase the postage bills of magazines by an average of 127%. Anticipated increased Postal Service labor costs and continued infation could make the final increase much higher. Some magazines could have increases of over two hundred percent, and many may cease publishing. The inflationary effect of these abrupt and enormous rate increases on readers, publications, and advertisers alike, are obvious. It is our feeling the only way to cushion its effect would be through giving the magazine industry a reasonable period of time in which to adjust to these increases.

Certainly the speed of these increases should be removed from the sudden death category which has now put many of our worthiest publications in real jeopardy.

The rapid escalation of these rates is actually counter to the original intent of Congress in the Postal Reorganization Act of l9?0, which presaged a "gradualt' increase. These increases are about as gradual as a guillotine. Only you, the reader, can do anything to prevent this. You can only act through Congress. In the House oI Representatives, Congressman James M. Hanlev has introduced a bill that will, in addition to some special relief for non-profit and small circulation publications, spread the second class rate increases over a ten-year period instead of five to give the magazine industry as a whole time to adjust to this heavy new burden. Senators Edward Kennedy and Barry Goldwater plan to introduce similar legislation, and Senator Gale W. McGee, Chairman of the Committee on Post Office & Civil Service, has shown his interest by introducing legislation.

If you agree with them and with us-that this is a fair and reasonable request to make of Congress, fill in and sign the ballot below and mail it to me. I will send it on, in duplicate, to your Congressman and Senators so the force of your opinion will be felt in both Houses. Or, of course, you can write them direct. But time is of the essence since both these bills will come up in this Congressional session. So we respectfully urge you to do one or the other now, since only you can do anything about this at all.

David Cutler, Editor.manager

The Merchant Magazine

573 So. Lake Ave. Pasadena. Ca. 9110I

I agree!

I agreg the postal bills of Senators Kennedy and Goldwater and Congressman Hanley are urgently needed to give relief to second class postage rates.

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(Continued, lrorn Page 32) you're putting it right into lis store. When you speak to a man about his own store (or faetory or home or office), you can be sure you have his attention. Your circular talks about your product. It explains what your product will do for a buyer. But the printed piece still leaves him to figure out specifically how your product will help him with his problems. Your contribution as a salesman is to individualize the story.

Summarize points: One salesman, using a large booklet, remarks as he turns a page, "Tbere are two im. portant points here." Then he names them: "First, this , . . and second, this . ." He thus shows that he has his story organized. On some pages, he may have more or fewer points to make. Summarizing points by numbers always gives the prospect the impression that you know your presentation.

Say it with sell: The folder speaks about "features." Can't you call them t'advantagesnt or ttbenefitstt? Use words that show what your ofiering will do for him. You call that feature an ttexclusivet'? You mean he can get it only by buying your product. Tell it to him that way.

Stop talking.'You ask the prospect to read a paragraph. Now what do most salesmen do while he reads? They talk. But when you ask him to read, let him get the idea from his reading without disturbing him. Keep quiet. Do the same when he is looking at a picture. Wait until he asks a question that indicates what he is interested in.

Limit your uisual talk: The difference between the fight &nnouncers on radio and TV illustrates this point. One talks on and on, the other allows the visual to carry the story. Your booklet is visual, so let it do some of the speaking for you.

(Continued, Next Month)

G-P's Top Ft. Brogg Div. Men

Top executives for timbero lumber and particleboard operations of Georgia-Pacific's new Fort Bragg division have been announced by W. W. Wells, general manager of Western timber and building products manufacturing.

Mel Johnson moves up from plant manager at Fort Bragg to division lumber production manager. James A. Coon of Myrtle Creek, Ore., formerly staff forester for the North West Timber Assn.o is division resource manager in charge of timber harvesting and reforestation. Richard Krull continues as manager of the particleboard plant at Ukiah.

In a related expansion of duties, Armin Wehrle, manager of G-P's engineered board products manufacturing at Coos Bay, Ore., becomes 'Western fiberboard manager.

llAY t0. I for new HooHoo.Ette Club #16, (Ukiah, Ca.l formed recently in Santa Roca with over 80 attending. Black Bart Hoo-Hoo club per. formed the initiation; new officers plus 16 kittens. At top (ll Mr. and Mrs. Art Bond, Elise Lewis. O) Jack Powell, Betty and Ken Foster, and PaulTraba.6) Ruth Jane Wood. Mrs. Bond.

A BEd Doy On The Bcy

Friday, May 25, was a bad day in the life of two San Franeiseo East Bay lumber yards.

It is believed that a five alarm fire which started in the back of the dry shed of the Eastshore Mill and Lumber Co. was caused by a Molotov cocktail thrown by some youngsters who were seen running from the scene. Bill Tilsley, head of Eastshore, reports his complete dry shed was destroyed and that the lumber therein "is irreplace. abld'. Fortunately, there was a strong wind blowing parallel to the building which kept the fire out of tlre bplance of the plant.

The windn however, was right in the direction of Bill's neighbor, White Brothers Hardwood. Fortunateln dreir 26,000 sq, ft. warehouse was well sprinklered and the eontents received only water damage. The roof and walls, howeyer, suffered heavy damage and will heve to be rebuilt. Don White, president of White Brothere, reportg they were open at 8 a.m. the next morning for business. He had considerable praise for the Oalcland Fire Department for their highly professional action whidr contained the blaze.

Both companies are ssill in business. The Merclwnt is happy to nole tftat damage was not too heavy.

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