Lumber Merchantg Aggociction of Northern California Holdg llth Annual Convention in San Francigco

The llth Annual Convention of the Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California was held at the I'alace Hotel, San Francisco, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, April 18, 19, ancl 20. The total attendance was approximately .500. Members were present from all parts of Northerrt California.

during the rest of this year. New private construction will bc less, and commercial building will be held down by the reduced supply of strategic metals to some extent. Lumber production will be at a high level. He praised the work of his Association's National Afrairs Committee, ancl said it is important that its public relations program be continued.

J. H. IIrL Ro-oloctcd Proridcnt

The convention lvas said to llc one of thc bcst ever hcld by tht: Associati<ltt, and oltc of the tnost enjoyable. The vari<ltts sessions u'ere well atterrded. Therc was a wcll-chosen list of speakers, some of whonr are trationally knolvn, who discussc<l subjects of topical interest to the clealers.

The most popular single feature on the program was the Panel I)iscussion on h'riday afternoon, when eight men, well informed in their line answered the questions pttt to thenl by the Moderator, President J. H. Kirk. lt is likely that a special Association meeting may be held in the fall, with a panel discussion as the main featttre. The subjects most discussecl rvere inventory cclntrol, credits, and employee relations.

Wednesday Morning

The Erluipurent and Products llxhibits in the Gold Ballr()onl opened at 9:00 a.m., and rvere open on Thursday and Friday at the same time.

Registration, in charge of Claire Zimmeruran of the Association, began at 9:50 a.m. Particularly interesting to the dealers was the redwood desk used for this purpose. This desk and its fittings were designed by the California Redwood Association as a demonstration of the utility of common grades in short lengths and narrow widths of redrvood lumber. South City Lumber & Supply Co., South San Francisco, was the fabricator.

There was a ladies' luncheon and fashion shorv in the Venetian Room of the Fairmont Hotel.

President J. H. Kirk presided at the "Kick-Off" luncheon. He welcomed the large gathering, and introduced Ray B. Cox of the Built-In-Fixture Co., Berkeley, who missed the last convention as a result of illness.

Wednesday Afternoon

H. R. "Cotton" Northup, executive vice president of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, Washington, D. C., whose topice was "A Report From Washington," was the first speaker. He declared that he is an optimist about the future of the industry, the construction industry, and America. He gave as his reasons the good volume of business in the first quarter, and indications for good volume

"Cold \\/ar-Hot Controls" u'as the subject chosen by 'l'honras S, llolden, president of the I,'. W. l)odge Corpor:rtion, New York, construction news publishers in leading cities. Mr. Holden said that the coming squeeze on constrtrction will proballly not be much nr()re severc than a normal nrarket rear:tion from last year's boonr. "llegttlation X, linriting real cstate credit, and Regulatiorr W curlring (:()nsunlcr crc<lit, u'trukl have been necessary cven if thcre had been no Kore:rn crisis," the speaker said. He stated that in his opinion the tapering oft of home building to {t50,000 units, anrl the limiting of recreational and colnmercial building rvill be offset by large increases in military construction projects, clefense manufactttring plants and power projects, which rvill continue until late 1952.

Frank E. Cox, Berkeley, sales and research departrnent of thc Karvneer Company, spoke on "Main Street and Monkey Glands." He said that many shabby stores and other business places on nrany Main Streets should be rejuvenated, and modernized and increased customer parking be provided to compete with new outlying shopping districts. "I-umber nrerchants can help other merchants by serving as a source of infornration al>out new modernization facilities, and lumber dealers should nrodernize their own places of business," Mr. Cox stated. He shou'ed a nttmber of "before and after" photographs of stores that had been modernized, and gave rnany instances of ll'here greatly increased business had followed modernization.

A Hoo-Hoo Concat was held in the California Room at 5:D p.m. Thirty-five kittens were initiated and there were four reinstatements. Full particulars of the concat will be found elsewhere in this issue

Thursday Morning

There lvas a business meeting for Associatiou members in the Concert Room at 10:00 a.m.

Luncheon was served in the Concert ltoom. Vice president Russ Stevens, A. F. Stevens Lumber Co., Healdsburg, Calif., presided.

Thursday Afternoon

Dr. W. H. Alexander, pastor of the First Christian Church, Oklahoma City, delivered an address entitled "Faith and Freedom." fn his inspirational talk he urged the need of more intelligent thinking to cure the world of the results of poor leadership. "Stop saying politics is dirty, and get good people in there, and return some basic Christian principles to democracy. Stop wishful thinking," the speaker said.

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