Morl I exclu$l I o

OOOD Hr,USEKEEPINf. SEAL Helps You Sell More Marlite

Marlite and only Marlite in Planks, Blocks, and Panels has been tested and approved by Good Housekeeping Institute. It is the only pre6nished wallpanel that carries this famous seal which influences the purchases of one out of every two women in the United States.

Remember, this seal is giuen to no one, The product that has it, eartts it. And Marlite has earned this salesinfluencing seal by meeting every test for beauty, permanence, economy, ease of installation, easy maintenance. The GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL is another big Marlite PLUS that makes yorr selling iob easier!

llqrsh Woll Products, Inc.

Dcot. 508 Dovcr, Ohio Subridicry of rtloronile Co.pororior

Nonfarm housing starts increased by 33 per cent between February and March to 97,}Cf), according to preliminary estimates of the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rise from February resulted from a substantial spurt in private housebuilding, and reflected sizeable gains in all regions of the country. The increase was especially pronounced in the northeast and north central sections.

Privately owned housing starts increased by 24,4N units last month to 95,800, which was the largest February-March gain in 4 years. On a seasonally adjusted basis, private starts were at an annual rate of 1.161.@0 in March, about the same as a year ago and above the March rate in all previous years except in the record year 1950.

The total number of new dwelling units begun during the first quarter of. 1954 (236,000) was 8 per cent under the January-March 1953 figure, mostly because of the steep drop in public housing. Private activity thus far in 1954, totaling 232,3W new units, was slightly (about 2 per cent) under the year-ago estimate. Total public housing begun during the first quarter of. 1954 (3/n units) represented only about a fifth of 1953 volume for the same months.

Early reports from local building-permit officials indicate that all but a few of the reporting cities showed increases during March in the number of new dwelling units authorized for construction, with the greatest advances occurring in Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Los Angeles, Richmond (V".), and St. Louis.

Carl W. Watts, wholesale lumberman from Oakland, returned to the Bay Area April 26 after a one week business trip to Oregon. While in Oregon, Carl called on mill connections and visited business accuaintances.