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August Housing Storts Rise ro | 23,OOO

Nonfarm housing starts rose by 8,000 units to 123,000 in August, after an unusually large decrease in July, the U. S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics announced. August starts this year exceeded all previous totals for the month except for the record year 1950.

The 7/o increase between July and August reflected gains in all sections of the country. Many of the new homes started in August lvith Government-assisted loans were from the large backlog of applications for FHA mortgage insurance and VA appraisal requests on hand when the tightened credit regulations under the.se programs were introduced on July 30.

The total of I2I,700 privately orvned housing units started in August represents a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,304,000 units. This was well above the August rate last year (1,211,000) and slightly higher than the average for the previous three months this year.

During the first eight months of 1955 almost 928,000 new nonfarm (private and public) dwelling units were started as ,compared with a total of just 800,000 during the same months last year.

Rurol Oronge County Building Goins

Santa Ana, Calif.-Construction in rural Orange county in 1955's first eight months exceeded the same period of last year by more than 5'0/o at $92,701,725, compared to $60,102,898 in the same period of 1954.

Bcrrr lumber Gompony Yords in Four Southern Ccllifornio Communifies

Located in the heart of Orange county are the central offices and home yards of one of Southern California's leading lumber businesses. Over 50 years of service, tl-rrough two generations, is the record of the Barr Lumber Co., 1028 E. 4th St., Santa Ana, the Santa Ana Register recently reported in a spec,ial story.

The company was founded in 1903 in Nebraska by the present operator's father, O. H. Barr. With an eye toward western development, the elder Barr brought his company to Southern California in 1911. In 1921, he opened ofifices and yards in Santa Ana.

Throughout the "roaring twenties" and the ensuing de- pression, the Barr Co. proved itself sound business. It expanded slowly until during World War II it had seven yards in operation.

At present there are four yards distributing to the public. They are located in Costa Mesa, Ted Bolte, manager; Norwalk, Carl Coiner, manager; Artesia, Stan Skelton, manager, and Santa Ana, Jim Martindale, manager.

The Santa Ana yard, comprising several acres at 1028 East Fourth St., maintains a complete planing mill and cabinet shop where wood is shaped to any need by expert craftsmen. A drafting department, building advisory service, a hardware and paint store, and odds and ends section cater to the householder as does the remodel and repair unit which plans and executes home improvements under the guidance of Charles E. Vandervort.

The company's general office, also at 1028 East Fourth St., attends to purchasing, accounting, credits and direction of the yard managers. At the general office Jess George is in charge of accounting, Cy Cram in charge of purchasing and Robert Reed in charge of credits.

Officers of the company are: Wilbur Barr, presi'dent; Ralph Baker, vice-president and general manager; Horace Mickley, treasurer; D. W. Atherton, secretary.

As an interesting sidenote, Barr has sold enough redwood fencing to build a miniature "great wall" from Santa Ana to Redondo Beach.

During the War the Barr Lumber Co. utilized its resources to the utmost in lr'ar work. One of the most spectacular of its operations was the building of knockdown 78-foot barges or "floating warehouses" which rvere used as lighters in the Mediterranean campaigns. They also built 500 pre-fabricated houses for war workers.

Lumberyards have come and gone but the sound business procedures of the two Barrs has kept the local company one of the strongest in the area.

New Sisolkroft Promotionol Mqn

Paul E. Fair has joined the advertising department of American Sisalkraft Corporation, Attleboro, Mass., to specialize in sales promotion rn'ork. The manufacturer of waterproof re-enforced paper products plans to expand its advertising and sales promotion activities, particularly at the local level.