Vagabond Editoriafs

(Continued from Page 7) will exert a terrific drag to bring the public dollar in building directions. A high tide of prosperity will then follow. There should be several years of buyers' markets, with exceptionally heavy consumption of all important building materials. **+

Of course, competition in building materials is going to be very keen-perhaps more so than ever before. And as soon as the suction, created by the great vacuum in building of the past six years, begins to run its course, the great competitive day will come again, and from that time on the best salesman will get the most orders. By that time, however, there will be an enormous reduction in the Pine production of the South. Hundreds of big mills will pass out of the picture in the next five years in the Southern states. And the question of how much business the remainder of the lumber industry is going to do from that time on is going to depend very larlely on the amount of improvement the lumber industry makes in its methods of doing business. There will still be huge possible lumber production from the Pacific Coast.

**>k

But that is looking a long time ahead. What have we to smile about in our intelligent anticipations for the next few years, other than the fact that the world has gone without buildings for six years, and must one day try and catch up? One very monumental thing, I would say; DECENTRALIZATION. That's the thing! For a long generation the people of this country have been steadily moving in, moving in, from the farm and rural districts to the city. And now the swing back has begun-definitely and proveably begun. The things that made the city attractive to the rural folks, now belong to country and city alike. And people are going back; back to the farm; back to the middle-sections between city and farm; back to the territory where there is room, and fresh air, and economy, and opportunity not found in the restricted clty. We went from the farm to the city because we found in the city comforts, conveniences, entertainment, luxury, happiness, satisfaction not then known in the country.

Now all these thing, ": : alail"ute on the farm as in the city, Good roads, electric lights and power, radio, innumerable household conveniences, luxuries of all sorts, and plenty of room at economical rates, have done the trick. In the old days industry crowded into the cities. Now industry is pushing and will continue to push-OUT. Everything that the city alone could furnish a few years ago, is now available equally in the country, with numerous assets that the city never had. Lights, power, transportation, and labor are all available today to better advantage twenty or thirty miles out of town than tiley are fN.

Yes, folks, we're going back out, away from the crowded congestion of the city. We're going to scatter our population. And that means that we're going to rebuild this whole country. Yes, sir, the whole blamed country is going to have to be'rebuilt to meet this new order of things. That will mehn a world of building materials in addition to those of our present definite needs. It will mean an opportunity for wise planning and wise merchandising and intelligent building assistance to this rebuilding country. It means everything to the prostrate lumber industry. ft is something to begin getting ready for. It is a promise that we must make the most of. Yes, I would say that the prospect for the lumber industry in the next few years is an enviable one. There should be prosperity enough for all.

And the farmer. no, tio |.rlr".,oo, he has been rushing from the farm to the city-from the corn field to the professions. Now he is going to rush back. And he won't confine himself to simply cotton, fruit, small grain, or some other cash crop that has to be shipped and marketed. He will diversify, supply his own needs first, and then raise enough salable crops to exchange for those things that cannot be secured by barter. That was the condition of the farmer originally. That is the way he is going to return. And he, too, should have a period of peace and happiness in store.

Heads Colusa Rotary Club

Roy Grenfell, owner and manager of the Grenfell Lumber Company, at Colusa, Calif., was recently elected president of the Colusa Rotary Club.

Adams-Schumacher

George r\dams, well known Northern California retail lumberman and son of Noah Adams, of the Noah Adams Lumber Co., Oakland, was married on April 15 to Kera Schumacher, of Walnut Grove, Calif. Mr. Adams has charge of the Adams yards at Walnut Grove, Isleton, Rio Vista, Clarksburg and Fairfield. They will make their home at Walnut Grove.