Management Conference Upcoming

tTtHE l9th annual Nlanagement Conferr ence of the Lumber Association of Southern California will be held at Palm Springs, Calif., November 20-22.

The headquarters hotel this year will be the El Mirador, once again under private management, and considerably refurbished.

The conference officially opens at 10:30 a.m., November 20, with a greeting to the members by president George Clough of Tacoma Lumber Sales, Inc.

Following Clough's remarks and his annual report, Conrad C. Jamison, vp. and economis! Security-Pacific National Bank, will talk on projected construction activity in the early 70's.

In the afternoon, a wholesale panel will discuss distribution and marketing, each from the standpoint of their particular type of operation. Participants will be:

Ed Fountain, Jr., Ed Fountain Lumber Co.

Rick Pratt, Weyerhaeuser Co.

James D. Rossman, Twin Harbor Sales, Inc.

William Sharp, Inland Lumber Co.

John Weston. Far West Fir Sales.

Thursday evening there will be a cocktail party in The Starlite Patio, followed by a dinner-dance in the main dining room.

Friday morning the eye-opener will be o'lumber and plywood futures." Dick Break and others from Merrill LynclL Pierer, Fenner & Smith will discuss the activity of the market to date and what might be expected in the future

Following this will be a presentation by Seymour Kroll of Seyrnour Kroll & Associates, Chicago. Kroll is an outstanding authority in the field of research on residential construction and the supply of materials to the construction industry. He has worked extensively with the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and other national associations in the building material field. He will talk on the changes necessary to meet the market needs of the years between 1969 and ]975.

At noon Friday, the big luncheon honoring the president will take place in a private dining room for association members and their wives. This year's luncheon will feature the president, rather than an outside speaker. And in deference to some, a delectable dish will be served, other than 'odesert owl", in spite of the fact that this might create poverty pockets in certain areas wherein, as legend goes, the teenagers make extra money catching these tough, speedy little creatures for the hotel menus.

Friday afternoon, a panel of retail lumbermen will discuss 'oThe market as I see it". Those participating will be:

Bill Bellmore, 'Ward & Harrington Lumber Co.

Hal Hamilton, United LumbelCo.

Kingston McKee, Forest Lumber Co.

Frank Purcell, City Lumber Co., Palm Springs.

Friday evening there is no planned function and everyone is free to enjoy dinner on the town.

On Saturdayo a golf tournament will be held at the new Desert Aire Country Club, Palm Desert, and tennis matches will be played on the e,ourts at the hotel.

Trophies for winners will be awarded at the "winners' circle" cocktail party at the hotel Saturday afternoon, immediately following the USC-UCLA football game.

Registrations are coming in daily for this meeting and attendance appears to be headed for a new record total. A good sign!

Construclion Conlrqcts Dip

The latest Dodge Index of contracts for new construction resumed its downward course in September, F. W. Dodge reports.

September construction contracts brought the seasonally-adjusted index to its low for the year. Compared with the same month last year, total contract value was down one percent.

ooThe month-to-month pattern of contracting so far this year has been highly erratic," noted George A. Christie, chief economist for F. W. Dodge. 'oNevertheless, the trend has been unmistakably downward since the beginning of the year," he noted.

Contracts for new residential structures in September fell eight percent below the year-ago total. The seasonally-adjusted resi' dential index dropped to 140, the lowest point since June, 1968, as tight credit continued to inhibit homebuilding.

In a reversal of the pattern set earlier in 1969, contracting for apartments de' clined more in September than ilid the value of one- and two-family housing. Until recently, most of the year's decline had been concentrated in one-familv homes.