JACK DIONNE BIOGRAPHY

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He enjoyed the opportunity to travel to the West Coast where he could meet lumber manufacturers who might want to advertise their products in the Gulf States. During the summers he especially enjoyed traveling West to escape the heat and humidity of Houston. As he traveled the state many lumbermen urged him to start a lumber journal in California. The temperate California weather may have been all the persuasion he needed.

Promising to communicate news and ideas to every division of the lumber industry, to encourage industry cooperation, to show lumbermen how to create markets for their products, and generally to invest the industry with enthusiasm-The California Lumber Merchant distributed its first issue from Los Angeles on July | , 1922. One article in the issue, appearing under the headline, "What the California Lumber Merchant can do for California," stated emphatically that the new magazine would "wield a powerful influence for good" upon the industry because behind it are the vision and ability of Jack Dionne. The magazine promised to help demolish the "painful modesty that seems to mark the gentle lumber dealer for its own." That Painful modesty did not inflict Dionne.

It became Dionne's custom to summer on the West Coast, and usually his three daughters and wife would travel West with him. When he wanted to extend his magazine's coverage into Oregon and Washington, the family spent summers in Seattle and Portland. More commonly, they spent their summers in Hollywood. In the early 1920s, when orange groves still lined Sunset Boulevard, and the notables of the film colony still frequented the shops and cafes of Hollywood Boulevard, Dionne became acquainted with some of the biggest names. Movie stars like Clark Gable and comedians like Jimmy Durante were among his acquaintances. His name appeared occasionally in the Hollywood column written by Hedda Hopper. Each Friday morning Dionne played golf with his young, fabulously wealthy friend, Howard Hughes. He extended his friendships with Prominent people through his membershiPs in the Masters' Club of HollYwood and the Bohemian Club of San Francisco.

Dionne's lumber journals suffered when The Depression struck the country following the 1929 Stock Market crash. Determined to keeP both publications afloat despite the fact that so many of his advertisers were going out of business, Dionne decided to no longer PaY himself a salary. While continuing to shoulder his responsibilities as editor-publisher of both journals, he supported his family by working as a lobbyist for a group of Houston oil firms. Although the bound volumes of his magazines were strikingly slender during those years, both journals survived the 1930s.

During his fifty years as the editorpublisher of lumber trade journals Dionne most prided himself uPon two columns that he wrote, "Fun, Facts and Philosophy" and "Vagabond Editorials." As one old friend said of Dionne, "his life centered upon humor ," a fact reflected in his favorite columns.

During his lifetime of writing

Dionne wrote two books of his favorite stories and a briefbiography of John Henry Kirby, a famous lumberman from East Texas.

Although Dionne was a sentimental man, he was no temperamental genius. He pounded out his editorials on a battered old typewriter, working amid the noise of his magazine office with complete concentration. His best material continued to appear in the pages of both of his magazines long after Dionne had retired.

Jack Dionne died in Houston on January 14,1966. Even at his death he collected an impressive gathering of men. The mostprominentlumbermen of California wrote letters to the magazine expressing their grief. It was right for these men to so honor Jack Dionne because he had been an outstanding leader of the industry, a first-rate entertainer, and a friend to lumber people throughout the South and West.

Double the amount of theft a worker admits , advise the experts, to get a true figure of your loss. Thieves rarely confess the full extent of their thievery.

Improve cash flow by making copies of checks and using the duplicates for accounting while depositing the originals.

(Continued from page 52) facilities and equipment.

He urged dealers to keep close watch on the costs of holding items in inventory and to cope with declining sales through higher markups (where competition allows) to offset declining sales. Kincaid agreed that discounts were effective sales devices, but only if dealers were aware of what discounts did to profits.

Next day inspirational speaker Dr. Tom Haggai gave a stemwinder of a talk before an enthusiastic breakfast audience. He urged all to learn from life's experiences and to retain an appreciation of quality in all things.

John Pritchard, v.p., Lumbermen's Underwriting Alliance, described creativity in business as essential when, as now, conditions are poor.

While overall convention attendance was down from previous sessions, due to current business conditions and the smaller population base of Flagstaff, it was noted that attendance at working sessions was at very high levels. "The quality people of the industry continue to support their association," one observer noted.

In other business a new slate of officers was named: Jim Stewart as president, Don Hossack, lst v.p., John Wyss, 2nd v.p., treasurer, Jim Killen. Frank Davis was re-elected exec. v.p. Next year's convention is tentatively set for the Doubletree Inn, Tucson, May 5-7.

The annual banquet, May 22, noted the fine efforts of convention chairman Dave Runyon, saluted outgoing president Bob Ramsey and honored Robert Silvey and Martin Wist for their contributions in making AL&BSA the dominant organization it is today.

TOP tEll in United Wholesale Lumber Co., Montebello , Ca., and its parent company gathered to honor Bill Buettner (conbr) who retired as vice president ol purchasing after more than 50 years in lhe lumber business. (lelt to dght, top) Roy Utke, former pres. of Sunkist Growers, Tim Lindgren, pres. Fruit Growers Supply, Buettner, Dave Steinmetz, former owner, United and Standard Lumber Co., Miles Butterfield, pres., United Wholesale Lumber Co. Bill (below lelt)entertains the group under the watchful eye (right) of his wife, Jo.

"If a store moves from three to four turns on the same volume, the retailer will have the net effect of l09o increase in gross margin."

Information such as this is being taught to salesmen for Budrow & Co., wholesale hardware, Santa Fe Springs, Ca., in seminars training them as dealer service representatives. As part of the firm's change in thrust to dealer service, Bill Kugler, v.p. of PRO Hardware, has conducted the sessions.

Arizona Pacific Wood Preserving Corp. recently opened a facility in Eloy, Az., that is designed to be the ultimate in an environmentally safe plant.

Basing the design on the rules and regulations in force at present, they tried to second guess any restrictions that may come in the future, according to G. Lynn Shurtliff, general manager. He adds "Our plan, since its conception, has been to have one of the most modern and also the cleanest plants in the West, if not in the United States."

The facility, which is a Koppers licensee, will treat with CCA-C (Wolman Salts) with Outdoor Wood products and Cedartone stain available as well as All Weather Wood Foundation materials. In addition to CCA-C, they will use heavy oil and pentachlorophenol and Duratreat, a waterborne pentachlorophenol. These two chemicals are planned to give the facility a well rounded ability to service almost any needs from dimension lumber to utility poles, Shurtliff explains. Fire retardants will be added in the future.

An IBM computer is available for inventory and T.S.O. (treating service only) control. The plant operates on a totally automatic console for consistant quality control.

APWP is affiliated with the American Wood Preservers Association, Western Wood Preservers Institute and the American Wood Preservers Institute.

(Continued from page 3I ) lamette Industries, attests to the problem of too many rates, saying "it's very difficult to keep up." Before, carriers would go through the tariff bureaus for rate information. Now, many carriers have their own tariff publications and "we only see what they want us to see," Senner pointed out.

He believes that two things are happening because of deregulation which are helping Willamette Industries: First, the industry and traffic managers are engaging in direct dialogue which establishes a level of comfort between carrier and shipper on specifics of a shipment. Second, carriers, especially railroads, are trying to react to deregulation by initiating discussions with shippers.

Senner believes this is an "encouraging environment" for discussion of matters of specific concern and, he concludes, "right now we're getting the information we need."

Carriers are being forced to operate like a business. Each feeling the need to be competitive. This condition has created another opportunitv in that carriers must have current shipment cost data to stay competitive. Eight of the big ten accounting firms are rushing to provide carriers with pertinent cost information.

Deregulation is here to stay. It will reward those who adapt and adjust and expel those who wait.

When it comes to computer systems and a salesman's boast of when it'll be operational, double the amount of time to be safe. Delays in installation and training, along with hardware and software problems, may make any estimate an inaccurate one.

The number of failures is not important for salespeople. What is important is that the sales people keep trying to turn the failures into successes.

We are cutting Douglas fir posts and timbers from 6x8 through l2xl2 to lengths of I' to 40' with dapping, drilling and angle cuts. Utility through #l & Btr. We can offer surfacing as well with our Stetson Ross Timber Sizer (14" x 28" maximum).

Give us a call on your cut-tolength or custom surfacing inquiries.

Offrce 707-822-3@8

Jerry Guin

Denny Hess