Northern California Retailers Hold Successful Convention

lra Horton, South San Francisco, Elected President

Ira E. Horton, plesident of the South City Lumber & Suppll' Co., South San Francisco, w-as elected president of the Lumber. \{erchants Association of Northern California at the 12th Annual Convention of that organization, held in the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, April 23,24 and 25.

Russ Stevens, A. F. Stevens Lumber Co., Healdsburg, was re-elected vice president; Jack F. Pomeroy was re-elected execut:ve vice president, and Everett King, King Lumber Company, Bakersfield, was elected treasurer.

New directors elected were W. H. Besecker, Wilmars, Inc., San Jose; Ray Noble, Visalia Lumber Co., Visalia ; J. R. (Bob) Raymer, Yosernite Builders Supply Co., Merced, and J. O. Handley, Cirrmel Builders Supply Co., Carmel.

Attendance at the convention was a record. The exhibits were numerous and interesting to the retailers, including a:r they did many nationally advertised products. The speakers were well chosen, and they were rewarded by the close attention of their audiences at the various business sessions. Altogether the program reflected great credit on Jack Pomerov, the Association's executive president

Wednesday

Registration, in charge of Claire Zimmerman, of the Association, began at 9:00 a.m. The equipment and products exhibit started at the same time.

J H. I(irk, Kirk Lumber & Building Materials Co., Santa Maria, president of the Association, presided at the kick-off luncl,eon in the Gold Room.

H. R. "Cotton" Northup, executive vice pres:dent of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, \\-ashington, D.C., addressed the convention on the subject, "'Report Frora Washington." He expressed optimism about the construction industry's prospects for the rest of 1952. He guesscrl tlrat there would be about one rnillion starts of nen hor.ites in 1952, and that there will be no controls on business bv the firsi of next year. The speaker discussed the competition the clealer has to contend with in such materials as "aluminum lurnber," as manufactured by Reynolds Metals Co. These so-called substitutes will be handled by dealers in the future, if the public wants them, he said.

Mr. Northup commended the 30-day training schools. He said that yard managers need to know more about personnel, financing, collections, materials handling, ancl merchandis ng, and that the schools are teaching this needed knowledge.

Don A. Campbell, president of Boner-Campbell Lun.rber Co., Lebanon, Kentucky, spoke on "Where Do \\Ie Go From Here." -fhe speaker said that many retail lumber yards, the majoritv in fact, do not benefit by our present defense spencling, and unless they are apprehensive about what lies around the next curve, the brakes may be put on too late. He issued this u'arning:

"'What all of us in this country must deci<le is u'hether we are for or against a system which has given us the greatest country in the world. If we are for it, we must have the courage of our convictions and fight for its preservation. \\'e must

; have the willpower to turn our backs on federal-money wherl the purposes for which it is to be used are unsound and r1neconomica!. We must not compromise the principles of this great system for short-lived personal gains. We must not delude ourselves into believing we can get something for nothinq so long as it comes from the government. We must believe in individual freedom and the dignity of man as bequeathed to us by God. We must live by the principles of our God-given freedom and human rights, as recognized and guaranteed by our Constitution. We must intelligentlv read and interpret the signs around us so that we will know the road we are traveling.

"There is one thing all of us should remember each nlorninjl as we open our places of business-and that is, this preseltt boom is old. Many consumer needs have been met, and customers are not rushing into tal<e goods from us. Our cost of operation has increased, and our government is doing ever):thing in its power to curtail our business to the point where it may be the sickest industry of all.

"We are inclined to overlook entirely the number of items and the volume of sales by-passing us today in distribution. Our increased volume has blinded us to the tremendous amount of business we are losing to non-dealer competition."

Arthur S. Goldman, director of marketing and research of the Architectural Forum, gave a most interesting talk on "Long-Term Financing for Home Modernization." His discussion of this subject undoubtedly planted the idea in the minds of many dealers present that the modernization field holds many opportunities for present and future business.

Hoo-Hoo Concat

Nineteen Kittens were initiated into the mysteries of HooHoo at the Concat sponsored by San Francisco Hoo-Hoo Club No.9, and held at 5:39 Wednesday evening. There tvere three reinstatements; There was a very good attendance, and judging by their close attention they enjoyed the excellent work of the officiating Nine, and were much amused by the mannikin stunt which was originated at the Florida convention, and was used at the Concat.

The Nine was as follows: Snark, A. D. Bell, Jr.; Senior Hoo-lloo, Jack Butler i Junior lloo-Hoo, I-ewis A. Godard; Bojum, J. W. Paquette; Scrivenoter, Bovard Shibley; Jabberwock, Thos. Jacobsen; Custocatian, H.A. Collins; Arcanoper, Bob Bonner; Gurdon, Charlie Schmitt.

E. G. Davis was visiting officer, and C. D. LeMaster, Seer of the House of Ancients, Sacramento, gave a brief talk on Hoo-Hoo.

The Kittens were the following:

Donald W. Beggs. ...Roddiscraft, Inc., San Francisco

Edric E. Brown. .The Pacific Lumber Company, San Francisco

Philip J. DeVries ..Dant & Russell Sales Co., San Francisco

Stanley V. Dick. .Trinity River Lbr. Sales Co., San Francisco

Robert R. Fair ..Dicknsons Lumber Co., San Francisco

Arthur R. Grey. Davidson Plywood & Lbr. Co., San Francisco

Lawrence G. Hansen. Simpson Logging Co., San Francisco

William R. King. .Kimberly-Clark Corp, SanFrancisco

Robert E. Knox. M & M Wood Working Co., SanFrancisco

Qeorge A. Kreiss Simpson Logging Co., San Francisco

Russell Johnson. Union Lumber Company, San Francisco

Frank \\'. Niesen. ..Union Lumber Co., San Francisco

Tohn E. Prime, Jr.. Lumber Sales Company, San Francisco

Victor S. Roth .Triangle Lumber Co., Oakland

Joaquin S. Rubio. Louis Sovey & So., San Francisco

Wm. M. Thorning.So. City Lbr. & Sup. Co., So. San Francisco

Hubert F. Weidman .Dennis Lumber Co., San Francisco

Stanley W. Wray. .Hubbard & Johnson Lbr. Co., Sunnyvale

E. W. Yeates. .F. S. Buckley Door Co., San Francisco

Those who were reinstated were:

Thos. A. Douglass. So. City Lbr. & Sup. Co., So. San Francisco

John M. Myers. .The Long-Bell Lumber Co., SanFrancisco

Louis B. Nadeau ' Oakland

Thursday

The ladies were taken on a scenic tour at 10:30 a.m., followed by a luncheon at Trader Vic's.

Association members met for a business session at 10:00 a. m., in the Concert Room.

Vice President Russ R. Stevens presided at the afternoon session.

Russell Bjorn, manager director of the Woodwork Institute of California, San Francisco, lvho has l.rad many years' experience in the field of public relations, addressed the mceting on the subject, "Let's Stop Being Strangers." This talk is reproduced in full elsewhere in this issue.

Gates Ferguson, director of advertising, The Celotex Corporation, Chicago, who is famous for his helpful tallis on advertising and merchandising, took as his subject, "The Cus(Continued on Page 32) tomer Is King." This address also appears on another page irr full.

Jack Parshall, executive eclitor of Building Supply Nervs, Chicago, exhibited a fihn that hacl a good cleal of interest for lun-rber yard owners an<l operators, entiled "\Iechanize For Profit." This film shou'ed in detail the savings that can be n-rade bv the rrse of lift trucks and lun-rber carriers in a lumber yard.

Tl.re Dinner Party, hcld at 7:00 p.m. in the Rose Roonr, s'as follou,ed bv a very fine rnusical shou- uncler the clirection oi \\rilliarn Gar.in. The featured attraction rvas the X{ale Octette. rvhose singing w:ls an ur-rforgettable experience for manv rvho heard thern. l'hil llrovero's orchestra proviclecl the rlusical ntuttbers lnrl ;tt'conrpanirreuts.

Friday

The ladies l'r'ere tal<en bv bus on a visit to the Oaklantl Flou'er Shou-at 9:00 a.nr.'fhis u':rs foilow.ed bv luncheon at the Claremont Hotel, Berlieley.

The nerv Boarcl of Directors nret at 10:00 a.m. One of the important matters taken up b1' thern u,'as the election <l{ officers.

Luncheon was :rt noon in the Concert Roorn. This rvas follorved by The Profit Panel, at 'rvhich J. H. Kirk actecl as moderator. This rvas an open forum cliscussion of retail lumber merchant problems.

Sitting on the panel rvere Russ Stevens, vice president ; Larry King, King-Nfarshall Lumber Co., Bakersfielcl; Jo Shepard, Builders Emporiurn, El Cerrito; W. H. Ilesecker, \\'i1mars, Inc., San Jose; \\tendell Robie, Auburn Lunrber Co., Auburn; Forrest Peil, Hammond Lumber Company, San Francisco; Paul \'t. P. Nlerner, Nlerner Lumber Co., Palo Alto, and Charles Shepard, Friend & Terrv Lurnber Co., Sacramento. lixecutive \,-ice Presirlent Jack I'omeroy read questions from carcls. These lvere alls\l-ered by rnernbers of the panel. C)ther questions asked fron'r the floor lvere also answered and discussed by panel mernbers and others.

Those u'ho took part in the cliscrrssion includecl all the panei mernbers and Steve l{oss, Central l-umber Co., Hanford; John Hulphers, Homer T. Hayward Lumber Co., Salinas; Jacli Quatrnan, California Ruilders Supply Co., Oakland; Ilomer Derr, J. N[. Derr Lun"rber Co., Elk Grove; Ilarle D. Ber.rder, Oakland; Kerrnan Crolr,., Crou'-Harr I-umber Co., Fresno.

Regional reports on business conditions were made by Johrr Hulphers, Salinas ; Bernie Barber, Jr., Fresno; \\r. S. Besecker, San Jose; I-arry King, Bakersfield ; Wendell Robie, Auburn; Torn Branson, X,Ielrose Lumber & Supply Co., Oakland; Crosby Shevlin, \Iarin County Lumber Co., San Rafael; Hamilton H. Knott, Yosemite Lumber Co., Fresno, antl Nat Edrvards, \Voocl Products Co., Oakland.

Dinner Dance

The annual inforn.ral dinner dance and lloor show was hclci in the Rose Room. The entertainment u'as outstanding. Russ Byrd u'as master of ceremonies. Dancing was enjoyed to a late hour to the music of Phil Bovero and his orchestra. The entertainment lvas by Larry A1len, Inc.

Door prizes given by trvo frrms rvere alvarded after dinner to the following: Jarnes A. McNall1', Sequoia Lumber Company, N aclera, \\'on a prize of two weeks' vacation, given by Olympic Stained Products Company of Seattle. Lee

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