New Nntioncll Commqnder of Americqn Legion Operotes Lumberyord in New Mexico

Seaborn Collins, Jr., the new national commander of the American Legion, suggests that lumber dealers go all-out for "do-it-yourself" business and concentrate on marketing top quality materials. Collins, 41, said he has found thesc principles successful in the operation of a lumber and building supplies firm in Las Cruces, N.M.

Interviewed bv a representative of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, Washington, D. C., Collins advised dealers to develop ner,v ideas to service the honre handyman trade, which he predicted will continue to grour.

He said some dealers have arranged to put on special demonstrations of "do-it-yourself" materials and tecirniquc's at local American Legion posts, and suggested that there may be a demand for similar classes in other communities' Collins pointed out that by encouraging "do-it-yourself" activities, both the Legion and local lumber dealers wouid be contributing to community improvement.

"The need for dealers to stick to quality merchandise, backed by companies with good reputations, cannot be over-empha sized," Collins declared. "Dealers should be a"ble to attest to the quality of their materials and to give advice on wl-rich product is best for a particular job."

Collins' firm, the Southwestern Lumber and Buiiders' Supply Co., Inc., is one of about half-a-dozen yards in the Las Cruces area. The firm, according to Collins, grosses between $200,000 and $300,000 a year and is run mainly by his brother, a graduate engineer of lexas A&M. Hc explained that it is a combination retail-vrholesale colnparrv which sells to contractors and consumers, many of them "do-it-yourself" enthusiasts, in an area of about 18,000 population.

Collins, himself, is in the general contracting business, constructing 6O to 120 homes a year. Most of these have been of wood frame construction with stucco as the exterior siding material. They feature exposed beams and fiat roofs.

Collins, who served on the Legion's National Housing committee in 1948-49, predicted a demand for between a million and a million and a quarter nerv homes annually during the next ferv years. The Legion commander also declared that there is a "terrific need" for the constrttction of more new schools and for the remodeling of many old ones.

Fir-Tex Gets New S.F. Phone

Ernie Bacon, of Dant & Russell Sales Co.-Fir-Tex di'iision, reports that the Fir-Tex division at San Francisco recently installed additional telephone equipment, changing the old number. The new number is YUkon 6-5392 for the Fir-Tex division.

Fire Dqmqges Hqmmond Plonf

A fire at the Hammond Sash & Door Co., 6672 Lexington Ave., Hollywood, on the night oI October 5 caused an estimated damage of $25,000.