Add Your Voice to Industry's Affoirs llhe -NAC

During the month of May, the Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California was pleased to welcome the following firms into Associate membership: .Paramino Lumber Company, San Francisco, Frank Paramino, president, and West Coast Timber Products, San Francisco, Hugh Pessner, owner. * >k *

H-E-A-R and there-

Foster Lumber of Vallejo has opened an attractive new yard in Fairfield. Erecting a yard from the "bottom-up" is iather a novelty these days, but certainly well warranted in many areas when one considers prime location values against remodeling costs in "hard-to-get-to" locations Will Baptist is the new owner of Woodlake Lumber in North Sacramento (formerly Scott Lumber). Many changes have been made by this new lumberman, and in a short time Woodlake will be a first-class retail yard with all the fixings. We join the Sacramento dealers in wishing the firm much success . Carl Dietz has purchased the Longfellow Lumber Company in Chico. It is inevitable that change begets change, and many can be expected by this enterprising dealer . A welcome addition to the growing_rants of remodeled stores is Kingsburg Lumber, where Dealer Carl Ny.strom has done a very l-randsome job Bob P"L".: son of Central Valley Lumber in St. Helena had over 700 people visit the yard during his recent boat-promotion open house. More merchandising innovations can be expected from this consumer-conscious lumberman in an area where many said "it could not be deng"-5tt66ess parallels flexibility . . . A. B. Wilson of the Frank G. Noyes Company, Napa, is enjoying a well-earned interlude in Europe . . The Sacramento Hoo-Hoo Club initiated some 16 Kittens at their May 2nd Concat and members turned out in force from near and far to participate in the festivities which the kittens will long remember And speaking of Hoo-Hoo activities, San Joaquin Club 31 had an informative sports evening }fay 9.

Fresno Meeting

The Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California will sponsor a meeting in Fresno, at the Hacienda Motel, on Tuesday, June 17, at 8:00 p.m. to review with dealers, lenders and contractors the activities of the Home Improvement Council. Dealers will learn of effective ways in which they can tie in with the national program of the Council at the local level to gain a larger share of the very promising and growing market for home improvementswhich last year nationally exceeded $14,000,000,000. Dealers from Merced, Hanford, Visalia and intermediate points are also invited to attend.

Better Living Exposition

Home Lumber Company of Yuba City, and Speckert Lumber Cpmpany of Marysville joined with 33 local allied merchants to present the second annual Yuba-Sutter County Better Living Exposition, May lst-3rd. Response? From a marketing population of approximately 25,000, more than 6,000 people visitgd the Exposition, which, in any man's language, is a "whale of a lot people"-and interest.

The goal of the Exposition was to dramatically acquaint local residents with merchandise offered by Yuba City and Marysville merchants-and certainly there was a wide assortment of merchandise to inspect: boats, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.-and in 'a very prominent position adjacent to one anotherrvere the displays of the two participating retail lumber dealers.

Loyal Tipton, managing partner of Home Lumber, displayed a Bilt-Well kitchen, while Dealer Armin Speckert exhibited a variety of merchandise with emphasis on Stanley tools, Consoweld items and Wright air coolers. All sources cooperated with the dealers in setting-up the displays, which were manned by source representatives. Certainly the very attractive dealer displays caught a considerable amount of the visitors' attention.

The Exposition was under the active manag'ement of personnel of the local televsion station, in conjunction with area associations. The bootl-r rental fee included nine one-minute TV announcements which the dealers divided u'ith participating sources, who in turn contributed to the cost of the program as part of their cooperative advertising program. Additionally, of course, all participating merchants supported the Exposition through their regular advertising. As an added attraction, prizes were awarded each evening, including a major appliance, which totaled more than $2,400 in retail value.

Do Expositions such as this pay? If one were to assume that /s of the 6,000 visitors to the Exposition were either'non-purchasers or members of the same family, identification with the remaining 2,000 would have cost the dealer approximately 3c each-certainly a modest sum when one considers direct Exposition sales and public relations value which will result in future sales.

Dealers Tipton and Speckert are both pleased with the results of the Exposition.

3 NEW WOOD PANETINGS STYTED FOR 'YIODERN HOMES

O Wood paneling is more popular than ever with consumers these days. These three panelings from Weyerhaeuser will help meet this demand. Each style is carefully manufactured, designed for customer appeal, and packaged for added dealer profits.

All three panelings come in special carrons which protect the wood from dust, dirt, and damage. Packages are easy to handle, easy to store, easy to inventory. Customers appreciate the way these panelings arrive on the job with their natural beauty unmarred, all ready for quick installation.

Investigate Loc-Wall, Gruve-Ply, Nu-WaIl, and the other fine Weyerhaeuser wood panelings. For full details, consult your nearest Weyerhaeuser 4-Square Sales Representative.

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'shared by industry and government housing leaders, members of the Board of Directors of the National Retail Lum- ber Dealers Association held their Spring meeting in Wash- ington, D. C., early in May.

President J. C. O'Malley reported that he had found no

All R.etcilers Toke Note!

'The following itern is relayed to The CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT by Andy. Donovan, who heard it told by Dealer Hal Brown of the Woodhead Lumber Co. and president of the Southern California Retail Lumber Assn.:

A bov about nine vears old came into the store to buy a sirew-eye. The'price would be about four for 5c.

"IIow many do you want?" asked the clerk.

"I only need one," the boy replied. "How much will that be?"

"Not anything, I guess," the clerk smiled.

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Pointing out that for the last 15 years, production and ' financing had been predominant in the business picture, ' Mr. O'Malley emphasized that merchandising now has come to the forefront and that merchandising quality . at a profit is a must for dealers in the months ahead.

' Evidence of the new importance being attached to mer-chandising is shown by the lumber manufacturers' plan for said the results to date had been most gratifying.

"Thanks very much,'i said the boy. "I hope you stay in business !"

Senator Barry Ggldwater of Arizona, a close friend and. fellow towrtsman of President O'Malley, deplored the fact that Congress rapidly is coming under the domination of union labor leaders and expressed the fear that Congress would be content with passing a weak labor bill so as to avoid any offense to labor and yet have something to wave before the public in an election year.

He told dealers that, if their country means something to them, they should get out and work actively for good government, even if it meant getting into politics.

NRLDA's Legislative Counsel John H. Else reviewed legislation now pending in Congress that would have an impact on the retail lumber business. He stated that the only additional major housing legislation necessary at this time is an increase in insurance authorization for existing FHA prbgrams, although he said strong efforts would probably be made in behalf of proposals for middle income housing, more public housing, and more direct lending,

Stuart S. Caves, Jr., chairman of the Committee on Materials Handling, said that increased interest among lumber manufacturers has given new impetus to the test car load- lmbcmm' a $1,250,000 promotional program, IVIr. O'Malley said, ancl he characteti2ed that development as "most encouraging."

'He said it had been a grCat privilege to meet so many hard-working, able, and sincere lumber dealers in his travels and reported that the industry is showing steady progress qn every major front.

H. R. Northup, NRLDA's executive vice-president, reviewed a survey in which the association's directors and other key dealers said that the most important services the organization can render its members are: keeping them closely informed on federal legislation and regulations ; expediting mortgage. funds'for smaller communities and speeding up the processing of mortgage loan applications; helping on such problems as merchandising, personnel training, and business practices; developing new methods of cost reduction and improving construction statistics, and in, creasing association membership so as to strengthen the i overall standing of the industry.

Norman P. Mason, commissioner of the Federal Housing ,Administration and past president of NRLDA, said that the recession seemed to have bypassed the housing industry and that applications for FHA insured loans in March and April had shown a marked upturn.

C.B. Sweet, deputy commissioner of FHA and also a past president of the dealers, described the rapid expansion o{ -the new Certified Agency Program set up to expedite and simplify the processes of securing FHA loan insurance and ing program involving shipments of unitized lumber. He refoited' that 560 retiil dealers, 101 mills and 90 wholesalers already are participating, that reports on 220 test cars have been received, and that at least 1000 test cars have been shipped.

It already is apparent, he said, that the benefits of this and similar programs being conducted in the association's materials-handling program will come up to all expectations and will be of even greater benefit to sma,ller dealers than to large ones-particularly dealers