R. G. ROBBINS IUMBDN GOMPNNY

PACtFtC COAST SATES OFFTCES

319 S.W. Woshington Street PORTTAND ,I, OREGON sAN FRANctsco II, cALtF. SRoodvoy l27{-Teletype PD 53 DOuglo: 25010.Teletypa SF 6i3

DIVISION PACIFIC WESTERN LUMBER COMPANY

Merged Firm !7ill Handle Retail Lumber Associations' Advertising

Announcement is made of the formation of Lunke-Portman & Associates, with offices at 625 N{arket Street, San Francisco, as a result of a merger of Il. C. Portman & Company and James R. Lunke & Associates.

The latter organization is acting as advertising and public relations counselor to the Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California and Southern California Retail Lum_ ber Association and these activities will continue lvith the new firm.

James R. Lunke & Associates of Seattle are also advertising counselors to the \\restern Retail Lumber Association.

The p:incipals in the new setup are E. C. (Ted) Portman, r,r,ell-known in advertising and marketing circles in Northern California during the past twenty-five years.

James R. Lunke has long been recognized as an outstanding personality in the advertising and merchandising fields in Seattle.

The new firm Lunke-Portman & Associates will continue in the advertising, marketing and public relations fields.

partner in Servente Hardwood Company, now calling on the trade.

New Dwelling Units Started in April Under FHA Inspection Sets New Record

A nerv all-time record of new drvelling units started in any one month under FHA inspection rvas established in Ap:il rvith a total of 35,555 units, Federal Housing Commissioner Franklin D. Richards announced.

This exceeds the March volume of 30,122 units by 18 per cent, and the previous high record of 30,386 started last October by 17 per cent. Also, it represents about 40 per cent of all non-farm dr,velling units started during April, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The volume of neu' residential construction started under FHA inspection for the first four months of 1948 was rc4,698 units, considerably more than trvice the 42,032 units started during the same period of 1947.

Mr. Richards said that eight out of nine dwelling units started under FHA inspection so far during this year are being financed and built under the veterans emergency housing provisions of the National Housing Act (Title VI). More than 34,000 of the new units are located in rental housing projects while a considerable proportion of the other units are being built for rent.

E. L. (Ham) Payne and Stu Smith of Products, Pasadena, returned May 22 from fish fishing at La Paz, Mexico.

Sierra Lumber a rveek of sword-