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Gytrrsum wallboard craftsmen know the importance of Blue Diamond uniformitg. Uniform clwracteristics aid in the fast production of smooth, ffre resistant walls and ceilings. Aniformitg is a result of quality control.

Blue Diamond quality conbol begins with the grading of gypsum rock at the mines. It carries through every step of gypsum wallboard manufacture to the ffnal placement of dunnage to safeguard its condition in transit.

Applicator craftsmanship and Blue Diamond uniformity join hands in producing smooth . sokil . fire resistant walls and ceilings.

Building materials prices, generally stable for the past year, may start to rise again in 1958, according to House & Home, professional magazine of the home building industry. After a survey of major materials manufacturers, lumbermen and builders across the country, the magazine reports in its February issue that producers fear higher labor and freight rates, rising raw materials costs and dwindling profits will force many firms to increase prices despite the weak housing market.

H. R. Berlin, Johns-Manville's general sales manager, says: "'We are faced with increased freight rates, raw materials costs and labor rates. Couple these with dwindling profits and it can only mean one thing -increased prices." Marvin Greenwood, Celotex's director of merchandising says: "There's every reason to expect an increase in costs." Several other firms, who do not predi_ct price increases, point nervously to uncertain profits as a goad toward price boosts, the magazine adds.

Until the price spiral starts up again, buildersand hence homebuyersshould be able to get more for their dollar, House & Home predicts. It notes that Col. E. H. Boeckh, Washington, D.C., cost analyst, reports widespread price-cutting at the builder-dealer level. He explains that many suppliers are overstocked and are selling cheap in fear of being caught with a big inventory if prices should slump.

Lumber Dealer Clarence Thompson of Champaign, Ill., predicts price-cutting will end as business gets tougher. His comment: "ft's difficult enough to make a profit when volume is down. When you lose volume you get pretty realistic."

Dave Slipher, president of Wehb & Knapp Communities, believes builders will get added services from manufacturers and suppliers this year if not lower prices. He predicts more producers will make sales oromotion aids availab-le to builders and ihat more builders will be influenced by merchandising aids offered as much as by the price of a product. i

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NRTDA Protests Freighr-Rqte Increose

An informal protest of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. to the requested increase in freight rates and services in Ex Parte 2I2, now pending before the Interstate Commerce Commission, has been filed. The NationalAmerican Wholesale Lumber Association has employed Byron Gray, the attorney who represented NRLDA and National-American in an earlier rate increase case, to protest the increase in charges for services such as reconsignment, diversion and similar charges.

The average rate increases requested are between 2 and 3/o above present rates. The increase in lumber rates requested is 2/o without a maximum or hold-down. The NRLDA protest reads: fnterstate Commerce Co,mmission

Washington, D. C.

Tn re X-212, the retail lumber dealers of the nation urge the Commission to suspend and order cancelled the increased rates and charges requested in "Tariff of Increased Rates and Charges X-272" and other tariffs or supplements thereto as they affect lumber and building materials. We further request that if the increased rates requested in X-ZIZ on lumbei and building materials a.e noi suspended or cancelled, then the Commission will provide a reasonable maximum rate or hold-down on such products so as not to penalize the long-haul shipper of such products. The Commission is further urged to carefully examine the request for increased charges for services such as reconsignment, diversion, stopping to partially unload and similar charges to determine the reasonableness of such increases and their impact upon the lumber industry and the distributors of such products.

H. R. Northup Executive Vice-President National Retail Lumber Dealers Association.

NGIC ro Srcge Lqdies Nighr

The Northwestern California Lumbermen's Club, under the capable direction of President R. H. Fleming, will hold its annual Ladies Night outing the evening of March 1, at Redwood Acres, in Eureka. NCLC Veep Bill Rogers is program chairman and has arranged for an imported showsupreme from San Francisco for an anticipated capacity crowd of some 500 people. The show wrll be preceded by dinner and the rest of the evening will be devoted to dancing and good fellowship.

Other officers of NCLC include H. W. "Hank" Dreckmann, secretary-treasurer, and Otho Davis, Sgt.-at-Arms. Directors are Alden E. Ball, J. H. "Jim" Berry, A. A. Emmerson, L. L. Farris, Jay F. Gamsby, B. J. Gilbert, H. R. Halvorsen. Don Metcalf and Toby Moehnke.