AME M0$ 6EFUL

Few facilities for transporting f reight were more f unctionally designed than the familiar box car. Even back in the Golden Spike days of 1869 they moved more goods, faster and at lower cost, than any means before.

But our Union Pacif ic box cars have also kept pace with progress. From not much more than covered wagon size they have grown to our new 175,000 lb. capacity 86 footers. And in an infinite variety of types to meet every shipping need.

With a fleet of over 70,000 freight cars, you can depend upon Union Pacific for thefinest equipment, facilities and service for another and even greater century of progress ahead.

BRIGIIT SPOTS FEW AND FAR, BETWEEN IN COMING YEAR

PRESENT INDUSTRY PROBLEMS TEMPER OUTLOOK FOR ?Os

BRISK, IF NOT BOOMING MARKET FOR SHINGLES, SHAKES

REDWOOD'S FORECAST SUNNY UNDER CLOUDY SINGLE-UNIT SKIES

NEAR TERNf OUTLOOK IS TIED TO THE RECENT PAST PLYWOOD INDUSTRY LOOKS FOR MARKET RECOVERY IN 1970

NEW LOCALE BRIGHTENS CLUB'S ANNUAL OUTING

FAR-SIGHTED OREGON RETAILER IN TOUGH MARKET

SPEAKER TELLS LUMBERMEN TO FISH OR CUT BAIT

HOO-HOO'S ANNUAL CONVENTION IS LIGHTLY ATTENDED

S.F. CLUB GETS IN-DEPTI{ CHECK-OUT ON REDWOOD

ALWAYS POPULAR VALLEY FROLIC HAS 22ND RUN THROUGH NATIONAL DEALER CONVENTION MEET IN PHOENIX

SOME BACKGROUND ON REDWOOD MARKETING PRACTICES

L.A. CLUB HAS ANNUAL CONCAT, PAST PREXY NITE

Jr,

BEPBESENTATIVES

NORTHERN CAI,IFORIIIA & PACIFIC NONTIIWDST

Cal Uyood, advertlsing and news, 5 Genoa Place, San Francisco, Calif. 94133. Phone (415) 391-0913. San Froncisco BUllng Offlco. 2O3O Union St., San Francisco, Calif. 94123. Phone (415) 346-6006.

SOIITTIIIIIN CALIFOIiNIA

l'ed TlsB, advertlslng and new8, 573 So. Lake Ave.. Pasadena. Callforni& 91101, Phone (213) 792-362;J or (213) 792-40p4.

MIDWDST

Jerry Crabbe, advertislng and news, P. O. Box B, Xenla, Ohlo 45385. Phone (513) 372-64?1.

NDITOIiIAL OFFICETI

WESTERN LUMBER & BUILDING

MATERIALS MERCITANT Is pub. llshed monthly at 6?3 So. Iako Avo.. Pasadeno, Collf. 91101. Phono (21$) 702-3628 or (213) 702-4008 b.y Californla Lumber Merchant, fnc. Please address all coxrespondence to Edltorlal Offices. Secondclass Dostase rates pald at Pasadena, - Calif,, and addltlonal of- fices. Advertlsing rates upon request.

Subscdiptions

Cft&ngo ol AddreB6-Send subscrlp- tion orders and address changes to Circulatlon Department, Western Lrrmber & Building Materlals Merchant. 573 So. Lake Ave.. Pasadena. Calif. 91101. Include address label from recent lsaue ll posslble. plus new address and zip code.

Subscriptlon Rates-U.S., Canada, Mexlco- and Latin America: S4one year; $? - two years; $9 - three years. Overseas: $5 - one year; $8 two years, Single copies 50r. Back copies 75d when available.

TIlo Merchont Magazlno aerves the members of the: Arlzona Retall Lumber & Builders Supply Asso- clatlon. Phoenlx: Lumber Mer- chants Associatlon of Northern Callfornla, Los Altos; Montana Bullding Materlals Dealers Asso- clatlon, Helena; Mountaln States Lumber Dealera Assoclatlon, Salt Lake City and Denver; Lumber Assoclation of southern Calllor- nla, Los Anseles; Western Bulld- lng Materlaf Assoclatlon, Seattle.

TITE MERCHAI{T ts 6n inilepenilent magazina published monthlg for those rnernberl of the lumber' and build.ing ma.terials inilustries utho need and want factual, accurate neus and an objectioe analgsis of eoents and, products of concern to them in business.

Your New Product and Source Information Book ls readY for delivery. lt's f ull of descriptions and,prices on every item offered by Fountain. In addition, it is jammed with ideas on various uses of lumber, technical details on specifying and selling laminated timbers, codes on decking and hundreds of other useful bits of information. You'll find this handy, tabbed reference saves hours of hunting. and once you make selections, it takes just one stop to pick up practically any lumber products you need. Call for your lree copy now!

Toking o Look ot the 1970s

p)ERHAPS morc than in recent I runs hieh about uhat busint'ss the first year of the new decade.

)eaIS, an\let\' rvill be like irr

Little wondt--r. Indicators of present Lrusiness conditions often secm to point in all different directions. Some say the worst is yet to come, some feel the opposite, lVlany businessmen say that no matter what the economist's charLs seem to predict, they think 1970 will be a pretty good year. Often, these usually precise men attribute their attitude to something sounding suspiciously like a hunch. Some economists and forecasters say the numbers look good, others say they look bad. Take your pick.

We'll go with the hunch artists. V'e can't sce any level in the industry really hurting from an earnings standpoint. Sales may decline, housing starts may stay slack, but as we have said before, those now in business survived the 1966-67 crunch, learned their lessons and will apply them. The bottom line of the P&L statement a year frorn now won't record any disasters. It probably won't set any new records, t:ither, except perhaps {or the widelv diversified.

Early this year, apparently soaring housing start figures 'rvere widely thought to mean a good year. Starts then began the long seven month decline. Yet most now find that the year has been a pretty good one. It seems reasonable that 1970 could well be essentially a replay.

One comforting aspect of the economist's prognostications is the almost universal agreernent that the decade of the 1970s will be a boom period for our indnstry. Extensive changes in manufacturilrg and marketing are forecast, but the general thrust appears to carr-y ample good for all. So the question for the first year of the decade seems to be as to l'hen the boom of the 70s will actually begin. Some. er-eing manufactured home starts, think they have already seen the first notches upward towards the lroom registered this ycar.

V'ith a turn oI the page, the reader can delve into the most comprehensive selection of professionally prepared business forecasts we have yet presented in these special December issues. The cast of contributors is indeed impressive: Western W'ood Products Assn., National Forest Products Assn., Calif. Redwood Assn., American Plywood Assn., Red Cedar Shingle and Hand Split Shake Bureau. and the National-American Wholesale Lumber Assn. As before, a number of shorter forecasts from other experts are presented in news story form throughout the issue. In all these, you will find some of the rnost interesting nuggets by reading between the lines.

To all our customers and friends, we send our' very best wishes and hopes for the neu. year and the new decade.