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President Mullin started the last gathering by introducing the chairman of the afternoon session, Robert R. James, manager of the Macco Lumber Co., Paramount. Chairman James, in turn, introduced the dealer who was to lead the discussion in an entire Question-and-Answer p61urn"What, Why and How Do You Do? This was the inimitable Hal A. Bror,r'n, president of the Woodhead Lumber Co., Los Angeles, who would be equally at home on any platform, rvhether or not made of wood.

After starting his program by declaring a now wellknown "Reason for the SCRLA Conferences' success": "If we find a way to make a profit, we don't inind sharing it with our fellow lumbermen," Dealer Brown kicked off a lively and never-laggrng Q-and-A period wh'ich covered abciut everything in the dealer's book.

The topics covered in this unique session ranged from one dealer's praise of the 2-way Panel Saw in his yard operation to Ben Bartels' telling how the Peoples Lumber Co. now gives contributions to the Community .Chest for Christmas instead of the former individual, big customer gifts. You can guess at the variety of subjects covered in between.

Erik Flamer was asked to interrupt the steady flow of interesting questions and just-as-interesting answers from these alert dealers, to tell of his progress as an SCRLA field man in the new grade-names stamping promotion. To both his longtime friends and those hearing him for the first time, Mr. Flamer was one of the undisputed stars

Atbactirc TTRMS rhen derircd fhe

The bottom photo showr Bob Jomcr {seofed) as choirmqn of thc Dircu::ion session, while Hal Brown, who conduclcd the Question-ond-Anrwer progrom, rlondr or rhe mike (righr). of this Conference. He knows his business and he makes you just as familiar with it.

All during the "What, Why and How Do You Do?"

Q-and-A Forum, Discussion Leader Hal Brown had been projecting slides on the big screen and getting his dealer audience off on fascinating business tangents. As stated before, much of the discussion was private membership information, but non-member and non-attending member alike may glean from these questions an idea of what vital content he missed in the members' answers from the audience floor before the sun went dourn all too soon on the discussion, the day and the Conference:

1. Have you found that some of your suppliers are. now your competitors; that what you regard as exclusively retail customers are now solicited and treated by the supplier on the same basis as they do you?

2. What means have you found for best disposing of shorts, weathered and fall-down stock i

3. How many use piece-pricing? Is it successful? Is there resistance to this manner of pricing?

4. Do you give cash discounts on (a) Counter sales, (b) on charge sales regardless of amount, and (c) how closely do you adhere to discount rate?

5. What technical advances and mechanical innovations have you come across to cut operating costs ? What new time- and cost-saving techniques do you use in your sales and administrative processes ?

6. Can Self-Service be successful in typical existing retail operations?

7. We are confronted by very substantial additional costs in wages and pensions.

A). What do you plan for your office, clerical and administrative force, and

B). How do you expect to meet this problem costwise?

8. What is the basis of your cartage charge? If not charged, how is it reconciled?

9. What are your business hours? Are you open (a) Saturdays, (b) Sundays, (c) nights?

10. Do you collect, store, give away or sell your rvood waste? How?

11. What have you found to be the best means of obtaining and developing efficient office and yard help?

12. What is your policy in disciplining salaried employes who take excessive time off for sick leave or for various reasons ?

13. What do you do to compensate those employes who are loyal and take little or no time off?

14. What have you done to broaden your product line ? Have you added-power tools, metal building materials, hardware, paint, steel casements, etc. ?

At this point the sun went down, the light in the projection machine went out, three or four dealers were stand(Continued on Page 57)

from lilLAilD's trrdlr home

1957 marks the beginning.of Inland's llth year.

Ar you know, wa have recently noved inlo new general offices and have established modem planing mill f.cilitieg on a hugo 3o-.cre site, You and hundredr of other loyal dealers and suppliers heve made this rapid expansion possible.

Wc sincerely hope ihat the New Year will be a Happy end Prosperous one for you. The folks at Inland lumber will pot forrh every effort lo merif your continued confidence.