[!] EWSS B[.] !EFS

Some very cautious optimism about future business conditions is being expressed by an increasing number of lumber and building material people; reasons cited include declining interest rates, both long and short term, stock market and auto sales gains and a gut feeling that the worst is over construction contracts were up 14Vo in August as all major categories gained, reports F.W. Dodge Home Savings of America, the nation's largest s&l has cut its interest rate on adjustable home loans to 13 % Vo . .

"We continveta expect an upturn later this fall, " says Michael Sumichrast, chief economist, National Association of Home Builders . . . 45Vo of builders surveyed have "fair" expectotions for single-family sales in the next 6mo. 5090 of prospective buyers interviewed bythe Federal National Mortgage Assoc. won't buy a house unless they get a fixed monthly payment for the life of themortgage...

Unian Pacific's merger with the Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific has the blessing of the ICC trackage rights will be granted to So. Pacific, Rio Grande and Missouri-Kansas-Texas . . Timber Products Sales Co., Springfield, Or., has ICC approval for its trucking div. to be a common camer. .

Western International Forest Products, Beaverton, Or., has opened a new wholesale sales office in Laguna Hills, Ca., manned by Ken Vise and Larry Taylor AndersoniaForest Products, Phoenix, Or., hasopened a distribution div. in Chino, Ca., closing its Huntington Beach, Ca., sales office . .

Palmer G. Lewis Co., Auburn, Wa., has moved its lfth annual customer buy show to March 6 Evans Products Co., Portland, Or., plans to sell its 341 building materials retail stores . . Diamond International and Sir James Goldsmith have extended negotiations on their proposed mergeragreement...

The updated figure for the cost of asbestos litigation to Msnville Corp. is $5 billion . salaries have been frozen at Kaiser Cement Corp. with a reduction of salariedpersonnelstarted Lew MacDonald has founded Golden State Mouldirg in Rocklin, Ca. .. . the Alder and Maple Market Report is a new bi-weekly publication coming out of Portland, Or. Wickes chief Sanford Sigoloff has done 3 tv. commercials for Builders Emporium, "to convince the public that Wickes is alive and well" .

The Merchant Magazine

El Cerrito Lumber Co., Grffin LumberCo., Hill Lumber and Hardware, Albany, Ca., and Truitt ond White, Berkeley, Ca., have increased to 13 the total of lumber yards in Contra Costa and Alameda counties being picketed bv members of the Clerks and

Angelshx a new 36,000 sq. ft. store in Chandler, Az, . . . Orchard Supply has opened new stores in Clovis, San Jose and Stockton, Ca. . .84 Lumber Co. has opened its 36lst store in Damascus, Or., and #362 in Vallejo, Ca. . Diamond Internationol has closed a contractor store in Modesto, Ca. . . Internationsl Forest Products Co,, Fresno, Ca., is the victim of a $350,000 fire arsonists were blamed . Kerr Ace Hardware & BuitdingMaterials, Brookings, Or., celebrated its I st anniversary with a special sale and opened its new warehouse.

Laramie Lumber Co., Latamie,Wy., has moved into new quarters Pay'n Scve will open a mini-combo drug/home center in Soldotna, Ak., on the Kenai Peninsula . . . Jack C. Entz has purchased majority interest from founding father John C. Entz in Entz-White, Phoenix, Az.

Kaiser Cement, Gifford-Hill BuildersEmporiumhasopened Cement, Centex Corp.'s Nevada a Weekend Warehouse for damCement, Monolith Partland Ce- aged,discontinued,closeoutmerment, The Cement, Lime, Gyp- chandise next to its store in Van sum & Allied Workers union and Nuys, Ca. . . . Irked by planning the Stone, Glass & Clay Coor- commission requirements, Copedinating Committee of the AFL- Iand Lumber Yards Inc. has CIO have petitioned the U.S. canceled expansion of its BrentDept. of Commerce and the ITC wood, Ca., operations . for antidumping duties on Japanese and Australian cement im- ,,d^ r , A, port.outf""ifiih,s^ii^pii;l ^ ysR Lumber consuttants is ind stockton,-ca., pdiJ.

Ljfilil?:iil.jjllT,ll,Jlt;?i; Metriguard, Inc., Pullman, Wa., CopelandLumberlnc., Spring- De Los Snodgrass, Hal Carlson field,'Or., has no plans to r6UuilA and Arnold Zweig, principals that yard destroyid by fire . . . South Shore Forest Products is a Hom-e Lumber Co. is-openins a new wholesale operation in take store with yard in ttre tii Deiert Oswego, Or., Tom Blackwood, Plaza, Victorville, Ca. owner ....Sav-onDrug stores now have 17 of their stores in Ca. that are also home centers Chaps Lumber Co. has broken . Harutood Lumber Co. has ground for a new home improve- merged Fowler and Rocky Ford, ment centerinAnderson, Ca. . Co., operationsatRockyFord,