John D. Lelond Elecred President Of Long-Bell Lumber Compony

Washington, where Leland has taken an active interest in comnrunity affairs. He has been a director of the Longview Chamber of Commerce and of the Longview Community Chest. He is a member of the Kirvanis Club and has l^reen chairman o{ the Red Cross annual membership campaigu.

In addition to his Long-Bell responsibilities, the new l.resicient is a director of two banks, the state-wide National Bank of Commerce of Seattle, Seattle, Washington, and the Commerce Trust Company, Kansas City, Missouri, one of the Midrvest's largest banks, and of the Longview Fibre Company, Longvie'iv, Washington, a major paper :nanufacturer in the Pacific Northwest.

J. N[. \ Ihite's career in the lumber business began in 1906 rvhen he went to work as a young man for the Weed Lumber Company at Weed, California. In 1918 he was 1ilade general manager of this former subsidiary of LongBell, a position he held for the next thirty years. In 1947 he was elected a vice president and member of the board of Long-Bell and the {ollowing year he'ivas named president.

Kansas City, Missouri, April ZZ.-John D. Leland r,t'as yesterday elected president by the board of directors of The Long-Bell Lumber Company. He succeeds J. IvI. White, who is retiring from active duty under the company's retirement plan. White will remain as a member of the board of directors.

Har'ry G. Kelsey, since 1951 general manager of LongBell's Vaughn Division, Vaughn, Oregon, was elected a vice president. He will move to the company's western headquarters in Longview, Washington. Julian M. White, Jr., w-i11 succeed Kelsey as general manag'er.

Leland, 50, fifth president of the pioneer lumber company, now in its 79th year, came to the organization from Massachusetts in 1946. He is married to one of the granddaughters of the late R. A. Long, founder of the company.

After being graduated from Wesleyan lJniversity, Middletown, Connecticut, Leland attended the Harvard Schooi of Business Administration. He spent 2A years in the investment and commercial banking fields in Massachusetts before joining The Long-Bell Lumber Company as assistant to the vice president in charge of financial affairs.

The Lelands, who have three children, live in Longvierv,

Kelsey, a graduate of Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oregon, was engaged in public utility work in western Washington before moving to Longview, in 1940, as manrLger of the Cowlitz County Public Utility District. In 1946, he joined the engineering staff of The Long-Bell Lumber Company. Next he was promoted to assistar.rt vice president and was placed in charge of several u'estern subsidiaries of the company. On January 1, 1951, he became general manager of the Vaughn Division of LongBell with headquarters at Vaughn, Oregon.

Julian M. White, Jr., rvas named general manager of the Vaughn Division succeeding Kelsey. At the beginning of this year, White moved to Vaughn from \\reed, California, rvhere he had been assistant general manager of the company's operations there. He is a graduate of the University of California and the Stanford Universitv School of Business and has been with the company during l-ris entire business experience, with the exception of four and one-half lear in the United States military service, during Worlcl War II.

At the annual siockholders' meeting yesterday, the follorving directors lvere re-elected: Jesse Andre'ivs, of Houston, Texas; R. P. Combs, R. A. L. Ellis, L. G. Everitt, C. E. Lombardi, L. C. Stith and Joseph C. Williams, of Kansas

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Dodge Repoils on Mcrrch Construction In Eqstern Stqtes

Los Angeles, April 10Dodge Reports of contract awards in March for future constru'ction in the months ahead smashed all records, F. W. Dodge Corporation announced today in stating final details of the Dodge figures previously announced in a general way by the White IIouse and by George Cline Smith, Dodge economist. The reports cover the 37 states east of the Rockies.

1. March contract awards reported were the highest for March in Dodge's 63-year history.

2. March rounded out the highest first quarter ln Dodge history.

3. Nerv highs were set for March and for the first quarter in each basic Dodge category: non-residential, residential, and public works and utilities.

Also, March was the seventh month out of the past 12 to set ner,v high records for the respective months.

"It became clear to economists last fall that the strength of Dodge Reports totals during that period foreshadowed a great height of construction activity during the first quarter of 1954 as reported April 6 by the Department of Commerce," said Thomas S. Holden, Dodge vice chairman.

"It may now be said likewise that the record-breaking total of tl-re Dodge figures for the first quarter of this year foreshadorv some very bright and booming records of construction activity in the months ahead as the contracts reported are carried out and the construction is put in place.

"The dollar that is paid to the bricklayer next June on a contract that Dodge reported in March will be in the hands of his wife's hairdresser the day before July 4. The dollar that is paid to the steelworker or the railroad man for making and hauling a girder in May will pass thru the hands of many people before June is gone. And construction's pay-out is in terms of billions per quarter."

Of twelve basic percentage changes that Dodge states to its statistical clients each month and which this month are being openly published, all twelve for March and for the cumulative months of the year are plus. This event did not occur in any month of 1953 which was the biggest year of Dodge totals.

It was not true in January and February 1954 in the Dodge figures which set new highs for those respective months in the Dodge records, and which set also a new January-February two-month high.

Mr. Holden stated that the March record and the record for the quarter were not produced by any one or t'ew iarge contracts, but are 'n'e11 spread and obviously express widespread confidence in the future.

The basic totals and percentages were, for March:

The total of Dodge Reports was $1,527,517,W0, up 25 per cent over February and 13 per cent over March 1953 which was the highest previous March 'in Dodge history. Non-residential: $532,060,000, up 14 per cent over February and 18 per cent over March 1953. Residential: W67,737,0(fi, up 31 per cent over February and 10 per cent over March 1953. Public.works and utilities: $327,72O,000, up 34 per cent over February and 1,2 per cent over March 1953.

The basic totals and percentages were, for the first quarter 1954: to San Jose April 7, the surrounding ter-

The total of Dodge Reports was $3,900,7&,M, up 13 per cent over the first quarter 1953 which was only a fraction of a percentage point behind 1951 as the top first quarter in Dodge history. Non-residential was $1,473,849,000, up 20 per cent over the first quarter 1953. Residential 'n'as $1,638,992,Ufi, up 10 per cent. Public works and trtilities was $787,923,000, up 8 per cent.

Scott Gould, Travco, Inc., returned after a one week trip to Eureka and ritory.

Elecfed President long-Bell lumber Co.

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City, Missouri; L. L. Chipman, E. H. Houston, J. D. LelanC, S. M. Morris and J. M. White, of Longview, Washington.

The following officers 'ivere elected at the directors' meeting foliowing annual stockholders' meeting: Jesse Andrews, Chairman of the Board; J. D. Leland, President; D. R. Bodwell, L. G. Everitt, T. E. Heppenstall, E. H. Houston. H. G. Kelsey, and L. C. Stith, Vice Presidents; G. M. Callaway and Geo. F. Ruth, Assistant Vice Presidents; R. A. L. Ellis, Secretary and Treasurer; G. W. McGaw, Comptroller; G. E. Easton and R. T. Frost, Assistant Secretaries; and K. G. Hanson, Assistant Secretarl' and Assistant Treasurer.