SoCol Wholesole Lumbermen fileet With Leoding Retoilers

The joint September-October meeting of the Wholesale Lumbermen's Association of Southern California brought out a record turnout of more than fifty wholesale lumbermen to listen to a panel discussion by a number of prominent retail lumbermen on the subject of "How Can the Wholesaler and Retailer Do a Better Job of Working Together."

Leading the panel exchange of views was Stanley G. "Sandy" McDonald, vice-president of Owens-Parks Lumber Company and president of the Southern California Retail Lumber Association. With him on the panel were C. Gilmore Ward, president of Ward & Harrington Lumber Company and immediate past president of the SCRLA; Ralph N. Baker, vice-president and general manager of the Barr Lumber Company and former president of the SCRLA and currently a SCRLA director, and A. L. Batchelder, secretary-treasurer of Rossman Mill & Lumber Co,, Ltd.

In addition to the officers and former officers of the retail (Continued on Page 92)

A SYMBOL OF PROGRESS Prefinrshed buiiding components for sale. Built,in quality at lower in'place cost. The Bell wood Company and Piywall Products Companyare cooperating to market matching doors, moldings and wall panels for the first time. Bellwood Laminex* prefinished doors with Poly-Clad" high-pressure Laminex "skins" by Plywall are now available in English Walnut or Rock Maple from any stocking wholesale distributor in the U.S. Moldings and panels are stockedbyover200Plywall distributors.THE BELLWOOD

lf You Don't Go to the Exposilion, This New Musicol Croze Will Serve You Righr!

Normally, the music and lumber dealer businesses don't have much in common.

Thanks to a new "musical" fad that is starting to sweep the country, however, a closer relationship may be in the offing. It could lead to increased Masonite hardboard sales for lumber dealers.

The fad is an "instmment" called the Wobble Board, used to "play" the rhythm accompaniment for a new song called "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport." Already the No. t hit in Australia, where the Hula Hoop craze started, and No. 6 in England, the song'is climbing rapidly in U.S. record popularity.

Radio disc jockeys are plugging it on their programs. TV programs such as the "Today" show have featured it, and even Time Magazine carried a two-column article on it.

The Wobble Board is simply a 22"x33" panel of Masonite hardboard, planned to specific thickness, which, when held at each end and wobbled, gives off a resonant twang similar to that of a bongo drum.

The new "instrument" was discovered accidentally by Rolf Harris, Australian singer, erstwhile composer, and aspiring painter. Painting on a Masonite panel one day, he propped the hardboard on top of an oil heater to dry. When it got too hot, he grabbed the panel and wobbled it to cool it off. Out came the bongo-like twang.

Harris decided the sound was just what he needed for the background rhythm for his new song, "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport." He recorded it, and within a few weeks the number was on top of the Australian best-seller list. Masonite Corporation of Australia turned out thousands of the boards for the "down-under" followers of Harris.

The song's rise and the popularity of the Wobble Board in Europe were just as meteoric, and now both have reached this country. Just in case the craze catches on, Masonite's fabricating plant at Elizabeth, N. J., already has set up a production line to turn out the kangaroo-stenciled Wobble Boards.

Masonits doesn't oxpect to make money on the boards, for lt lost 2 cents a board ln Australla. Ifowever, the free publlclty Masonlte recelves from the fail coultl result ln a, new aw&reness of thls versatlle materlal, with resultlng lncreosed sales for lumber doalers ha,ndllng Masonlte branil hardboards.

Wobble Boards are fabrlcated from /16" standard panels, a thickness sold only industrially.

Rudy Melesky R.elurns lo H,is

Former "Berth" qt O'Neill Lumber

Rudy Melesky, for the past year associated with Steiner Lumber Company in Sacramento, has returned to his former "berth" with O'NeiU Lumber Company, of San Carlos and Redwood City. Prior to joining Steiner last year, Rudy had been 10 ydars with the O'Neill organization.

A native of Oakland, Melesky ',vas raised in Oregon and originally entered the building materials field with the old Sunshine Building Materials Co. of Belmont. He was manager of that firm when he joined O'Neill Lumber back in 1949.

(Tell them Aou s&o it in The Cali.fornia Lumber Merchnnt)

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