Selling Time /s Here Again

Bv Jack Dionne

Once upon a time (and it was only a year or so ago) we folks in the lumber industry had mighty little to sell to our clamorous and desirous customers. The war had taken over mostly all worthwhile building materials such as lumber, shingles, wallboard, plywood, cement, and doors, windows, mouldings, and almost everything else that the average builder needs when he wants to build or rePair.

So we stocked what we could get. And sorry stufi a lot of it was. We sold our customers boards that we were ashamed to'take the money for; but it was all we could get and we told them so, and we all did the best we could, the lumber folks and the would-be builders both. But we went through a long siege of building material famine that none of us will ever forget; nor will the builders who had to use trash in' stead of lumber.

But one thing was certain; we saw to it that the building trade limew what the trouble was. We told them in no uncertain terms that there was a war on and we couldn't get proper things to build with and we were sorry but good materials in decent volume were not to be had at any orice. We told them that, and let there be no doubt about it.

Now things have changed, and it's the other way round. We can get anything and everything we want in the way of building materials. There is nothing that the prospective builder could ask for that we can't get for him in volume, and of the finest quality he ever saw. No need to postpone building, or repairing, or remodeling any more. We've got everything, and what we haven't got we can get in a hurry.

And prices are much more reasonable than they were during the famine days. A11 the manufacturers are taking particular care with the manufacture and preparation of their materials, to the end that everything the builder buys is at least as good in quality and workmanship as it ever was, and lots of stuff is better because we learned things during the war. And now the question is, are we acquainting the builders and building prospects about the present situation as thoroughly and surely as we did during the times when materials were scarce? Are we? And if not, why not? Looks like this is a grand time to do some real selling of building materials. Looks like wetve really got something to talk about, to brag about, and that we should leave no ear turned away that might possibly be interested in buying building materials.

This country isn't broke. There is surplus money being thrown around in huge quantities all over the land, and it is the job of we building material folk to get out and get our share of it. And the first thing we must do is make sure that the trade and the public learns for sure that now for the first time in a long series of years they can get anything and everything their hearts desire in the line of quality building materials.

How do we know, it may be that there are still lots of people who don't know the facts, who do not realize that the lousy building materials we used to have to sell them during the famine, no longer exist, and that the days of plenty have come again. With all that we have to offer today, it looks like there is a wonderful chance to do a lot of high class and forceful salesmanship with buildings and building materials. There are thousands of things we can do in the highv,'ays and byways of this land to interest people in building materials. Maybe if they all knew that bright, well manufactured, quality lumber is in full supply, and that they can get all the shingles, doors, windows, mouldings, wall boards, roofings, plywood, and other items-all quality-they might come a-running to buy.

Sure, folks, the selling days are here again, and we should rejoice, rather than repine. Those weren't healthy or good times when every buyer was a beggar and we had to offer so little. If you told them the truth then, be sure and tell them the truth now, and who knows, perhaps the truth may set us free?

Salesmanship was gone for a long time on an enforced vacation. Lumber folks used to be mighty fine salesmen. Let's all get back in practice.

R. P. Hcuser to Sell For Budiger-Lcrng Co.

R. P. Hauser has been appointed sales representative for Roll-Away and TENSION-tite window screens in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys according to H. J. Rudiger, Rudiger-Lang Co., screen manufacturers in Berkeley, California.

Ifauser will succeed H. W. McGee who has been forced to discontinue work because of illness.

Recently Mr. Hauser has been selling lumber throughout California. He has a background of experience in the building materials field, and formerly was salesman for the trIill and Morton, Inc., wholesale lumber firm, of Oakland.

Sqles Tax Decision

Orrie Hamilton of the Southern California Retail Lumber Association in Los Angeles, was asked what the sales tax would be on materials sold in June but not invoiced or delivered until July. His reply in his bulletin was: "If the sale was made and paid for in June and entered on the books it is to be reported in the June sales although delivered in July, but if the sale was made in June and was not entered on the books until July, when the delivery was made, then you, as the seller, are responsible, and if you only collect the two and one-half per cent sales tax you will be the loser and have to pay the extra one-half of one per cent when you report your sales for July."

Takes Optimistic Look At Housing Situation

The Earl Hoffman Company "News" of July 13th takes an optimistic view of the housing situation, saying: "The government housing bill has been launched. 810,000 public-housing rental units in six years-about 50,000 the first year. That shouldn't hurt too much. We need about one million new low-cost houses a year for the next eight years (according to census figures) and the government is only building ten per cent of them."