Log Angeler Setg New Building Record in 1950

Los Angeles had its biggest building year in 1950 when new construction totaled $4f7,178,693. The unprecedented volume of building exceeded by $34,128,611 the previous high of $373,050,082 in 19,t8. Construction in 1949 totaled $29t,377,497.

This year's total is approximately twice the $200,133,181 set in 1923 during the city's building boom of the '20s. The figure f.or 1923 was the high mark for construction until 1947 rvhen the valuation was $258,422,266.

During 1950, Kl,444 permits were issued compared with

New Minute Mqn Progrron Getting Resultg

The new Minute Man Program of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association has achieved A-l results to date, judging by the hundreds of newspaper clippings already received from all parts of the country.

Under the program, which was planned and organized by the National's Public I{elations Department, press releases prepared by the National are sent out once a month to the 900 membcrs of the I'ublic Affairs or "I\[inute Man" Committee. These releases are keyed to win public support for the industry's viewpoint on government action, legislation, and other vital matters. In addition, they are designed to give the public a better understanding of the place of the retail materials dealer in the community and in the national economy. They point up the many valuable services the dealer performs and emphasize the need for protecting the private enterprise system.

More than 500 clippings from about 400 communities have been received following issuance of the first two Minute Man releases, and there have been hundreds of other instances in which releases have been published but clippings were not obtained.

The program is being carried out under the direction of C. B. Su'eet of the Long-Bell Lumber Company, Longview, Washington. Mr. Sweet is the past president of NRLDA during whose tenure the drive was initiated, and he has recently been appointed chairman of the Minute Man Committee.

The dealer members of the committee who receive the releases from the National re-type them on their own stationery and send them in their own names to the local newspapers within their trading area. The majority of smaller newspapers in particular welcome timely and interesting statements from well-known local businessmen. With the National's own releases and supplemented in this way, the net results add up to much better publi'c relations for the industry as a rvhole.

The Minute Men are, of course, free to make any revisions in the releases that seem appropriate to the local situation. Furthermore, if any member of the committee prefers not to issue a particular statement for one reason or another, he is quite free to withhold it.

Of the first three releases which have been sent to the press by the Minute Men, the first summarized the pros- pects for private construction in line with the rearmament program, stressing the fact that a large volume of construction could go forward unless the country became embroiled in an all-out war. The second explained the factors behind the temporary local shortages of building materials and indicated that the record rate of production gave promise that supply and demand would be equalized in a short time. The third release estimated that a new record in .home repair and improvement might very probably be set within the next year since restrictions on such work will undoubtedly be kept to a minimum because Federal officials realize that existing homes must be maintained in good condition whenever new building is necessarily curtailed.

56,962 permits in 1949.

Building permits issued by Los Angeles for the month of l)ecember totaled 5,060 with a valuation ol $42,131,24O. This compared with 4,48O permits in November valued at $42,87,439 and 4,239 permits in December 1949, which were valued at $20,183,783.

Home, duplex and apartment permits for December covered 2,036 dwelling units valued at $17,375,787 against 1,4(r5 dwelling units in December 1949 valued at $12,779,691.

The publication re'pords for these three releases that have been tabulated at the National have been exceptionally encouraging, and individual comments ttrat have been received from Committee members have been most favorable. Many newspapers have featured the stories on their front pages. Some dealers have succeeded in having the releases printed in as many as nine papers' and quite a few report that their statements were announced on local newscasts. In addition, a number of individual dealers, who have learned of the program through the early releases, have been volunteering to participate.

The membership of the Minute Man Committee is being enlarged so that, if possible, every county in the United States will be covered by the program. Lists of additional dealers who wish to cooperate in it are being compiled by the State and Regional Associations, and these men will shortly be added to the regular mailing list.

Northern Cqlifornia Lumbermen Attend Rose Bowl Gcmre

Northern California lumbermen who traveled to Pasadena to see the Rose Bowl game between California and Michigan on New Year's Day included the following: Frank G. Duttle of Sterling Lumber Co', Oakland, and Mrs. Duttle; Lewis A. Godard, Hobbs Wall Lumber Co., San Fran,cisco, and Mrs. Godard; Robert P. Smith, Rounds Trading Co., San Francisco, and Mrs. Smith, and Bob Reid and Bob Wright of Reid & Wright Co., Fresno, and their wives.

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