Southern Colifornio Lumber Deqlers qnd Suppliers Find Common Xleeting Ground of 4lst Annuql

There were many outstanding events at Association, a group of lumber dealers and for their outstanding meetings.

the 1958 convention of the Southern California Retail Lumber their associate wholesale rnembers who have long been known flal Brown Re-elected President

There -was the biggest attendance of any convention ye_t at the annual_ 9p"+ House when the dealers play host_ to their employres, families, contractor customers and architects and let them see the new products and product applicatlons on display at the handsome exhibit booths of the manufacturers andsuppliers.

There was, also, the unusual business sessions in whicl-r, this. year, top men from the lumber associations personally told the Southern California dealers of new plans to push and promote their retail sales of lumber and building products. On hand were Bob MahalTay from the West- Coast Lumbermen's Assn., Joe Sherar from the Western Pine Assn., Philip T. Farnsworth and Owen Stebbins from the California Redwood Assn., and Dan Sedgrvick from the Douglas Fir Plywood Assn.

These far-sighted lumber association executives all told the California dealers in person the words the retailers have been reading in every issue of The CALIFORNIA LUNIBER MERCHANT for many months now-how the associations are spending thousands of dollars in consumer advertising, horne plans, mailing pieces and unusual promotions to boom the dealer's share of the homeowner's building dollar.

The 41st annual SCRLA convention opened at 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 8, with the Directors breakfast. Following official business, Hal A. Brown of the Woodhead Lumber Co., Los Angeles, was ie-elected to a second term as presi- in the morning after the most gratifying pre-registration the association has ever had. The excellent exhibits of the suppliers in both the Embassy and Colonial rooms were thrown open at 10:30 a.m.

Outstanding Products on Display

The manufacturers and wholesalers demonstrated their wares as outstandingly as ever this year, and they were generously patronized by the retailers, who have come to learn (to their greater profit) that their suppliers and the salesmen who man these annual exhibit booths can help them cut the corners to a better use of their evervdav materials, and put the sing in Merchandising.

Homer H. Burnaby of the Sun Lumber Co., Wilmington, presided at the Kiclioff luncheon. Dr. Paul F. Huebn6r of the First Methodist church, Inglewood, gave the invocation. First speaker was Joseph R. Jones of the SecurityFirst National lJank of Los Angeles, rvhose talk on "The Current Mortgage Money Market" opened many eyes.

dent as his just reward for an outstanding 1957-58 administration that included the rousing membership meetings at Santa Barbara last Fall and in the Ambassador hotel this February.

The 1958-59 officers will be: Homer Burnabv. Stuart Harris, vice-presidents; Orrie W. Hamilton, e*ecuiive vicepresident, and the directors-at-large and executive committeemen: Frode Kilstofte, Bob Sutton, Tom Fox, Wayne Mullin, Stanley lVlcDonald, Ralph Baker, Phil Stillwell, Bob Leishman.

The Registration opened at the Ambassador hotel early

"CIOSER-UPS" ol "Old-limeo" Heod toble. You'll probobly ind every mqn who tendance at showings of industry movies occupied the first atternoon.

L. A. (Andy) Beckstrom, Jr. of the Arcadia Lumber Co. presided at the successful Open House, Tuesday evening. Refreshments were served to the unusually large crowd and a refreshing entertainment program was served up by "The Singing Sons o' Guns," three rare minstrels, and Lucille and Eddie Roberts, whose own fault it will be if they don't come back to every convention, so great was the hit they made.

"Old-timers" Are Honored

The annual Old-timers' Breakfast started off the second convention day, April 9, and wasas uSual, the hit of the whole show. The unusual friendships that exist among Southern California lumbermen are nowhere better exemplified than in this annual get-togther when retailer and wholesaler and manufacturer sit down in mutual admiration and respect to break bread and honor their own.

Peoples Lumber Co.; Harry B. Dahlen, Van Matre LumL9._ _9o. ; _Jack Dalton; D. C. Essley; Asa E. Fickling, Fickling Lumber Co.; John W. Fisher, Santa MonicJ; J. E. Fitzpatrick, Consolidated Lumber Co.; C. C. Ganahl, C. Ganahl Lumber Co.; Ernest Ganahl, Anaheim; George Geary, Sun Lumber Co.; Carl J. Hanson, John W. Fishir Lumber Co.; Fred Holmes, Holmes Eureka Lumber Co.: Roy Johnson, Sun Lumber Co.; Doug Jones, Sun Lumbbr Co.; F. L. Jordan, Jordan Sash & Door Co.; Frode B. Kilstofte, Rossman Mill & Lumber Co.; Chester Knight, San Fernando Lumber Co.; Steve Hathaway, Oceanside Lumber Co.; Herschell Larrick, Sr., Solana Lumber Co.; Andrew J. MacMillan, Consolidated Lumber Co.; Arthur M. Nelson, Gardena Valley Lumber Co. ; Everett C. Parker; Nate Parsons, Standard l-umber Co.; Art Penberthy, Tacoma Lumber Sales; Albert E. Rogers, Hyde Park Lumber Co.; LeRoy Stanton, Sr.; Scott Simmons, Anawalt l.umber Co.; Bill Stoner, Ed Stoner, Sawtelle Lumber Co.; John Strickland, Ward & Harringtpn; 'Emil Swanson, Eagle Rock Lumber Co., and llorace E. Wolfe, Marquart-Wolfe Lumber Co. Other pioneers introduced from their tables on the dining room floor included Bill Kuzner, Ed Holton, Guy Male and Andy Donovan.

Trade Associations Boosting Dealers

Robert E. IVlahaffay, advertising arrd promotion manager of the West Coast Lumbermen's Assn., Portland, was the frrst of the association men to take the floor. Mentioning the dealer aids the WCLA is providing retail yards, already long familiar to subscribers of this magaztne who have taken frequent advantage of the offers, he cited the literature available to every dealer without charge, the movies the WCLA has produced (five have already been shown 3,000 times on 'l'V channels), the sales helps to

Lathrop K. Leishmann of the Crown City Lumber & Mill Co. was the presiding genius at the 1958 event, and it is no more than "L^y" deserves to say that, thanks to him, this was probably the most outstanding of all the Oldtimers' Breakfasts. Salting the brief biographies of the lumber pioneers with rare good humor, Dealer Leishmann made it a sparkling, fast-moving and genuinely memorable event this year.

Taking their brief bou's their histories highlighted as their names were called and were :

Austin L. Batchelder, Rossman Mill & Lumber Co.; Ross Blanchard, Sr., Blanchard Lumber Co.; Jack Cline, fq

Owen T. Stebbins, personable young trade promotion manager of the California Redtvood Assn., came on next to list at least l0l powerful sales stimulants that farthinking group is providing dealers this year (and every year). He itemized the aids reported in the special Redwood promotion section of The CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT, January l, tl-ris year, and said the CRA's biggest 1958 increase would be in consumer advertising to inspire homeowners to rush right down to the riearest retail lumberyard.

J. W. Sherar, marlager of the super-specialized promotion department of the Western Pine Association, detailed the tremendous work it is doing to help the dealers handling its species. ALL the W.P.A. ads, he said, identify the dealer as the place to BUY the products mentioned in their advertising. 1958 will be this association's greatest year in parading an almost never-ending promotion series to get lumber back where it should be in tl-re retail lumberyard inventory, but every dealer who reads these pages knows wl-rat this and the other associations have in mincl for his aid. Mr. Sherar said one or the other of the W.P.A.'s two current movies are shown every day somewhere in the U.S., its field men make 10,000 calls a year, and of the l2/o increase in the association's 1958 promotion budget on lumber, "The Dealer will complete the sale !"

Farnsworth Sums Them Up

Philip T. Farnsworth, executive vice-president of the California Redlvood Association, an unscheduled speaker on the morning's prog'ram, was in the audience and was called upon to sum up the promotion work of the various associations for the breakfast crorvd. Mr. Farnsworth made his always excellent appearance and said, "Fir, pine and redwood are the 'old-timers' among your productsthe foundations of your businesses.

"ff ever it was true that lumber advertising suffered, it is true no longer ! But the promotion job is not finished till the lumber is delivered and the money is in the dealer's cash drawer.

"The ads in tl-re consumer magazines are YOUR ads. The products Russ Fritchey sells at the Palm Avenue Lumber Co. are mentioned 11 times in one magazine, the products Andy Beckstrom sells at Arcadia Lumber Co.

reprerented the are mentioned l7 times in another issue, the products handled by the Blanchards at their North Hollywood yard are mentioned 19 times in another magazine." ih. .peik.t pointed out.

"This meeting with you dealers is a Planning Session in Sales Strategy and you will harvest what the Associations are reaping for you today," Mr. Farnsworth concluded for his fellow association officers.

Each of the association speakers used brilliant color slides to illustrate the many points of their fine talks, and if any dealer present had previous doubt that the associations were just talkingor that they weren't all masters of selling showmanshipthese superb slides rvere proof that the biggest pre-selling job is being done by the lumber trade associations today.

"Selling America to Americans"

Wayne Mullin, the immediate past president of the SCRLA and president of the Mullin Lumber Co. yards in Los Angeles, presided at the second-day luncheon with his expected polish. He presented President Brown for the annual SCRLA Association Reoort. and Hal Brown delivered in his friendly, forthright way,' calling the shots.

The featured speaker was Dr. Kenneth McFarland, who has been heard before at SCRLA conventions but who is always better than before. His short talk was pure delight and, like all good talks, an equal mixture of humor and common sense thinking. He put in speech what many know, that "Too many news, radio and TV 'analysts' today are answering questions that no one is l. Bob trtohoFoy {lett) or lhe WCLA'3 well-eto(ked boorh.

2. Ch*ter Knight drop: id ot the DFPA's exhibil.

L Forr$t Wilsq visited Don Comsto(k ol WPA boolh'

2. Rolph Russell <ouldn't Weyerhoeuser wore5. <ouldn'l posl up wey(

3. Gl&e Internotiondl hod it: plywood

5: ei.Li'iii"in"ri"n"t hoi it: ilvwood to displcv'

4. Deoler Knight olso row lhe Toylor millwork dirploy' asking," and declared, "It is to our. common interest to keep the ship afloatyou can't sink one-half a boat."

Pausing to reflect on the current, so-called "recession," Dr. McFirland said, "Let us not ASSUME anything, for when you break down that word, it becomes ass/u/me."

President Brown adjourned the luncheon after reading the 1958-59 offrcers and-paying tribute to Wayne Mullirl for his judgment, the time 'he devotes to SCRLA activities, and -thJgains made in his 1955-56, 1956-57 admirristrations of the rlealer associatiotr.

The president also acknowledged tlrg tremer.rdous rvork constantly being done by Executive Vice-President Orrie W. Hamilton ind the SCRLA officers and directors irr guiding the member retail yards through days of crisis ind great decision. for the gains they have won the mentberslhrough their diligence and far-sightedness.

The annial ban<1uet was held that evening -with P.411 J Stillwell of the Himmond Lumber Co' yards presiding' <: Iiwas the annual gala event of the convention and sparked by brilliant entertiinmer-rt headed by the famed Sportsmetr of the Jack Benny program.

Younger Generation Takes Over providing lumber dealers and builders in these precarious times.

The dealers who clidn't get up in time for the third day's morning busines. .esiiotl missed another highlight of -the conveirtion. C. R. (Bob) Sievers, young g,eneral manager of the John W. Fisher Lumber Co., Santa Monica, trainJd by no less an authority of this -business than Tom Fox himself, was the presidei' and did a bang-up job of marshaling his audience.

Nlerchancliser Sedgwick noted that 52/o of the total plywood production passes through lumber-dealer hands, itid tt-r"t S5% of U. S. lumber dealers participate in homebuilding today. So the Douglas Fir Plywood Assn. has develop"ed a -$ZOO,OOO merchindising program for retail yards'in 1958, and 650 (six-hundred and fifty) d9ql91s .iened for the DFPA's uew Home Plan Service (CLM, 4Il/58> in the first eight weeks' time.

Most any recent issue of this lumber -t31f9 jo-ur1al will fill vou in on many another strong DFPA dealer-plus orosru- as outlined by Master-mirid Sedgwick himself it fi" SCRLA conventi,on (it was his l3th such national appearance before lumber dealers)'

Donald Shaffer, u'estern regional manager of the Hyster Company (CLM, 4/t/58), was the other speaker at the final^ morning business session and began, by saying' "Mechanical handling in lumberyards was born on the west coast and it is hard to talk to experts'"

56to llonico'i Sieverr w6 recstly nmed "Yowg ilo of the Yeor" by his locol Juniq r Chmber of Cmmerte

Like the young retailers before him at recent Palm Springs and Santa Barbara conference meetings of the SCRLA, Bob Sievers also personifies the oncoming younger generation of the Southern California retail lumber industry. And we may now all rest assured that our future will be in most capable hands.

Since every issue of The CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT carries one or more lengthy helpful articles on what the Douglas Fir Plywood Assn. is doing..for dealers today, to go into detail on Dan Sedgwick's-excellent talk would be repeating ourself. But Mr. D. B. Sedgwick, the merchandising director of the very merchandising-minded DFPA (ai everyone now knows unless he's deaf, dumb and blind), gave an enormously enlightening. suTmary of the many and varied aids that association is

Nevertheless, the young and handsome Shaffer (with young and handsome Sievers, Sedgwick and Shaffer all inreel Orrie Hamilton really should have thrown THIS session wide open to the ladies of the convention for a peak attendance; d;a talk to the. experts and talked very ivell. His short.talk was so well blueprinted and full of potent pointers that it will be reported in its eutirety. in in early issue for its maximum importance on mechanical handling in retail yards.

Hoo-Hoo Produce the Crowd

It remained, as usual, for the Southern California HooHoo clubs to round up the largest attendance of any of the convention sessions. More than 400 filled and overflowed the Enrbassy room for the April 10 luncheon honorins Los Anseles -Hoo-Hoo Club 2, San Diego Club 3, Rii'erside Cointv Club 117 and L. A. Hqo-Hoo-Ette Club No. 1 and San Diego Hoo-Hoo-Ette Club 4.

Sharing the podium with SCRLA President Brown was

Heiperio Oeoler Don Ookes repre5enled Riverside County Hoo-Hoo, of which he is president. Mrs. Ookes, there, is olso the doughfer ofd lumber deoler

Hoo-Hoo clrrb 2 l)resi<lerrt Ilarrv 13oa.cl, hi'rself a Southlancl lumber <lr':rler lrt thr ltt.,airl-l)aly retail yarc1. .fhe atrnrral lttncheorr's nou fanr,-,trs faslrion ,h,-rro, r,rai enlir-enerl this I'ear b.,r'. -\lphonse_,13erge, clralte artist, ancl Janicc, NIur<lr.rcli's Ill'e I.lrrk ll.rlel,s. The lacliesa'rr '"r.".rred-bloo<lc<1 lrrnrberrnanlovecl it.

\\Iayrre llrrllin introrlrrce<1 the session's speaker, ,f :rck Schr,r'artz, "A'erica's (]reatest Telepl-rone Sales*arr,,' il,h' f{ave a high-p<iu,erecl, 90-rtrinrrte brieling on ,.Horv to Get \1,re Ilrrsi'ess b1' 1'elePhore." Sch*lartz cle'.'str:rterl l)roof (.)f his poi'ts b1' phoning clirect to l)rosl)ective retail Irrrnber customers in tl're Santi trIonica IJiv area.

..1)uring his clemotrstration, Schu-artz als,r yrlacerl a lorrg- (listance call to a beilfast irr'alid irr Salt I.ake citv rvho is earning o\-er $250 a nrotlth solicitina. busir.ress ior local fir'rs tl'rere 'ia the telePh"e. I' his br.arlcast r)hore collversation, the invalicl, f)orrglas \-ou'les, {ta\.e creclit for his success a'cl li'elih<)()(l t() the lrri'ciPles of telePho'eti-

(luette arlvocaterl b1' lIr. Scl-ru'artz irr a book lishe<1 ()r'r the srrbject. This sltou.nranshilr ilrpressive ancl substantiate<l Schu'artz's claini hr: lras prrb\\r:ls Vef!. tlrat " 1,-\'er\

AND THEN THE HOO-HOO TOOK OVER

TOP ROW tqbwel md A(q3 the Boord-(Leftl: Club 2 Snqk Hg|rv,ond,.titr:: lT11 ;; i;. -J Otti" Hmiltm, repre.enling, tetPectiv€ly'- the. lo3 Angeler Hoo-]l@- od iiisiiliri"J'-c"iiiiii"-iiiu.i'a."li"rr. (Ce-nierl:'Jim Foisie (bock. qbo-ut .igltt cenlerfieldl iii-rrJ-l'-Ciri-i'iJt. inigttrl, Sme mqe Hoo-Ho-Etier (lhey're ALL the nicsl gillt you'd ever w6t to m4tl I

SECOND ROW-(Leftl: Don Philipr, Jr., Slcort Hqrrir, Ted- Roy.,- q! ng Foret-J'r-'ltt' i-rirlii UJlItiiU l-'ipv f-or'r'Anne Muroy od rme other H@-H@-Etler. (Cenlerl:i ii"-ro-q mq cqn lem q lot frcm ..ol'-hmd" [* Godcd. (Rightt: The H@HoeEttes in their imett millinery were iurl oll over the pl*e' lHllD ROW-(teftl: Dm Breley tleftl md Jock -Crwm-- were on hmd for U' 5' ii;;.d:-ia*il'i'ir Jto trcpplned to br lhe loih wedding-mivenov.dov. fo.r the Oi"rg; fr"J.ri.Ltw, Jt' of Wlycrhasa Sqls .6., od if Hoo-Hoo Club 4'r fmed Ouot-r.r hoaao ben there, lh.f wldo twg their !ong. {Righrl:- Fred Hofme.: qrd Dq Bufkin no doubt brqgging dout lheir retPective redw@d bmd!; gon t he Supreme Cwtocqtio of rhe- Suprme 9 thit yeq, you knryl

FOURTH ROW-(Leftl: Solermen qe nol ol oll bohful ob{r eirhs -pcing d- telling the unvmirhed trulh doul their productr. (Centerl: sorry, we didn't Gqtch. lhGi' nm when we intfluPted their coverotid' but Jhey l@ked likeg€d- exmplet ot i'tti y"-g* mm in the building moretiolr soler field to&y. (lighr) : You-, co. sPol (rc, nol-rpot3 before your eyal the lmber :oler twiE G@€e.(lelt,. we think) od Hmiy Myeir (il's iurt 'unconyi thtl'r qll) ond lee Stefta in lhit phoro'

Ihe CLUB NO. I HOO-HOO-EtlE9-(:eored, front, left lo tightlr Fomder Anna Muroy' time I lift the receiver off the hook I earn $5.60.,, The lumber .folks enjoyed his presentation to the utmost anJ got a ktck out of his delivery.

1957-58 Peidnt ldc Cmer, md Helen Pelerron of 5o Diego H@-HeEtte Club 4i irered o ms of divol r Agnei l{Glnfyte (lefl} 6d Helen Pore (right); (tlddiDg' left to righf , in reorl : Barie Slewct, Alvinc Boyle, Koy Pe, Dodie Poce, frd Bslty ildgo (olro uP ftd the No. 4 clubl.

Following the windup oi tt e SCRLA and Hoo_Hoo actlvrtres and awarding^ of the attendance prizes which ]lcomPanied every session this year to the pleasure oi rvlnners and losers alike, but just before adiourninr the annual conclave officially, prisident Hal dro*r, -r"Ji" informed the gatheri.ns of the death of Ed ,f,f"rtlr,-ini Iongtrme, beloved editor of The California Lumber 'Mer_ gh.?nt, word of which had just been receiv.a tf,"t-a".,, following hi-s passing in Florida the day before.- rvri. M"rtii, nao Deen a'tarnrllar hgure at SCRLA conventions for more than 35 yt.;T before lis retirement in 1954.

Rare Ttibute Paid to California Lumber Merchant

The news was received with sadness by all pi"r""t u. Hal. Brown paid tribute to Ed Martin,s y."r.'of ""i"i.. to the west coast lumber industry and thinked The Cali_ fornia Lumber Merchant's publisher, Jack Dio;;;, ;l its -prese-nt staff for the services the ri,agazine .o"ir",r". to Jurnish a-ll segments of the industry. piesident gro*;;, krncl remarks about the particular serfice this magazine tries to give retail lumber- dealers throughout the weli are very gratefully received, as it strives to iraintain the ideals set by Jack Dionne at the start and Ed Martin.

The convention was concluded with the annual dinner_ dance, held again this year at the Moulin Rouge in Holiv_ wgod, Thursday night. The food and floor"show weie withou.t gqu1l, the members and their ladies agreed.

R. R.. (Bob) James of the Macco Lumber Co., param-ounl, presided at this. gathering.

Orrie Hamilton Gets the Bie. Red Rose

The 41st annual SCRLA conventioJi, like most of those before it, is another flower in Execuiive Vice-president Orrie W. Hamilton's buttonhole, and he can only h;;; ; greenhouse full of them by now.

A drunk stasseredliul

,!""tfi:ltll tnu ria"*alk,

He Wqs o Regulor

just in time to see a dainty, aloof-looking woman sweep proudly by, her head erect, her eyes forward. Not even a glance in his direction. He watched her go, then staggered back into the bar and ordered another drink.

"That's what makes a drunkard of me," he said to the bartender. "Women won't let me alone."

Ler Others Do Your Brogging

There was once a Dutch housewife wtro was unduly arrogant about her clean floor. One day she scrubbed right through the floor and fell into the basement and broke her leg. Pride came before her fall.

The loud speaker, used in our own behalf, fills the air with static for others. If we do a good job and someone catches us at it, we feel like Peary at the pole. But if we do a good job and then cackle like a hen, folks are more riled with the racket than they are pleased at the deed.

Even among the hens the greatest cacklers are greater liars than layers. They start by cackling after laying, as all respectable hens should, and later they cackle both before and after laying. StiU later they help other hens to cackle, and. soon they are devoting their lives to cackling.

People who cheer for themselves are pretty apt to give away to the same temptation; that is, they soon warble rather than work. A bird sings, but because you sing you are not necessarily a bird.

There is nothing less cheering than a self-cheering companion whose true worth is scarcely less than half of nothing at all. True worth is worth no less in sneakers.

To scrub floors right, you must get on your hands and knees, which is a humble position, and a ridiculoub one from which to indulge in loud talk.-C. H. Struble.

One Big Difierence

Teacher: "What do you know about nitrates?"

Pupil: "Onl5l that they're lower than day rates."

Ghincr

, China is a place where beauty appears unexpectedly. The proportions of a curving roof, a girl smiling sleepily in a doorway as she whisks the fies away, a child riding a black pig bareback, three women walking arm-in-arm through a rnist-laden field, the clean curve of a plow as it comes dropping from the earth-all these have the qualities of everlastingness. If you search fot' them you will never find them.-Robert Payne.

A pink elephant, and a yellow snake, and a green rat entered the bar together. "You're too early, boys," said the bartender, "he ain't here yet."

To Reporters

By Joel Chandler Harris

Life is shqlf-a fleeting vaporDon't you fill the whole blamed paper With a tale which-at a pinch Could be covered in an inch. Boil her down until she simmers, Polish her until she glimmers; When you've got a thing to saySay it. Don't take half-a-day.

Toll Hogs

A couple of Texas men went into Arkansas thinking about buying a farm. A real estate man showed them a fine tract near a river, with good soil and everything a farmer could desire.

It was low land and close to a creek. They noticed on the trees, about five feet from the ground, the marks of dark, rich mud.

"Looks like this land is overflowed in high-water time,', said one of the prospects.

"No, Sir," said the real estate man, "This land is never overfowed. Those marks are where the hogs come up from the bottoms and rub the mud off their backs.',

Said the prospects: "We've decided not to buy the land, but we sure would like to buy six carloads of those hogs."

"An egotist," said "-fgg?lerce, .,is a person of low taste, more interested in himself than in me."

Ladders

In days of yore the fathers told Their sons, when they were young, "The ladders of success are climbed Quite slowly, rung by rung." But youth today gives little heed, To precepts of their paters, And thinks the ladders of success Perform. like escalators.