Wholesalers' hoedown

I I TARMED BY forecasts of two UU plus million housing starts per year in the 1980s, preceded by amercifully short and modest decline next year, not to mention the Palm Springs, Ca., sunshine, the second largest crowd in NAWLA history wrapped up the 86th annual meeting, at the Canyon Hotel, in late May.

Featured speaker Lawrence B. Simons, Under Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, did a good job of convincing North American Wholesale Lumber Association members that the federal govemment is sincere in wanting to ease wood supply problems so that lumber prices are "reasonable." "We want the same thing you want," Simons said.

He supported the current conventional wisdom that the Decline of '79 (if in fact there is one) would be brief and not as painful as earlier ups and downs in the housing market. Simons, who heads HUD's federal housing committee" said that he was convinced that the U.S. will experience a housing boom starting in 1980, and that the govemment wi$ concerned about spiraling lumber prices between 198085.

The convention also featured the popular Contact Sessions, that allow wholesalers to meet and renew acquaintances with other lumbermen in a relaxed atmosphere. In addition, a schedule of revolving seminan dealt with transportation, asset management, and the futures market.

At the transportation seminar, trucker Bill Seliski forecast that intercorporate hauling would probably be approved within a yeat, allowing corporations to do hauling for their subsidiaries. He foresaw no rate increases for the rest of 1978 on the Pacific Northwest Mid central states runs.

Mel Avord of the Union Pacifip RR noted that more lumber carrying can were being produced, despite an over- all decline in total cars. He felt the switch to regional markets would continue and that increased car utilization was an on-going trend.

Story at a Glance

Wide range of topics feature second best attended NAWLA convention . . rosy forecasts for housing boom beginning in 1980 David Kneeland elected new president

Lumberman Steve Snavely described the increasing regionalization of markets as due both to higher freight rates and increased competition within markets.

He felt trucks will gain a larger share of the business due to their efficiency: (a) can transport smaller quantities, (b) fewer customer dollars per load involved, with a resulting faster tumover, (c) customers can specify load makeup more easily than with a direct mill shipment, and (d) faster truck delivery to the buyer.

Another feature presentation of the convention was the address by Dr. Louis Stem on "Conflict and Power in Distribution." The Northwestem University professor defined power as the ability of A to get B to do what he would not otherwise do. He described the five relevant bases ofpower as coercion, reward, expertise, reference and legitimacy and related how they fit into and related to the distribution concept.

Using social terms to describe many of the distribution functions, he said the speech was a "new way to look at distribution." Dr. Stern stressed that "the world is a world of control and programmed, controlled distribution is the answer" to effective distribution.

The new president of NAWLA is David M. Kneeland, Bums Kneeland

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AT H0SPITAtITY SUITE (l) were Aaron Modansky, Balph Rundle, Dave Leland, Jim Bishop, "Stretch" Penberthy, Bob McMahon. (21 Bill and Jo Buettner. (3) Ed and Cathy 0uirk, Ken Thompson, John King. (4) Marlene and Earl Findahl. (5) Tillie and Jack Nudleman, Ruth and Joseph Galvin. (6) Bill Mitchell, 'Charley" Hes.

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