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NRLDA Will Conduct Public Relations Construction Activity in October Contest for Dealers

A nerv type of Public Relations Contest for retail lumber and building materials dealers rvill be conducted by the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association.

Plans for the contest, which u'ill bring industry-rvide anrl nationwide recognition to constructive Public Relations activities condu-cted at the community level, have been developed by the National's Pul"rlic Relations Committee. -The deadline for entries is April 1 , 1952, and each entry should deal rvith an action taken after January 1, 1951.

The purpose rf the contest, {or n'hich all dealers rvho are members of the National are eligible, are outlined as follows:

1. To acknorvledge and corrrmend good Public Relations efforts.

2. To illustrate hou'dealer:..; can go about improving their Public Relations

3. To encourage more dealers to engage in constructive Public Relir.tions u'ork.

In order to rnake it possibie for any dealer to compete, ruo matter hou' small his business, each entry is to consist of a single example of Public Relations activity. Sets of single entries, helysvsl-5uch zls a series of ne.n'spaper statements, each eligible for a si;rgle at'r'ard-rvi11 also be entitlecl to consideration for a group au-ard. Brrt no grour) entry is to consist of more r.han fir'e single items t The panel of judges for th, contest u,ill be nracle u1t,,[ the editors of the h-rdustry's trade pul>lications. l3oth 1>rir.ate ar.rd prrblic' outlays for nelr' construction dropped in October. Total private outlays amounting to $1,789 nrillion u'ere 5 per cent less than in September an<l prrblic expenclitures of $903 million n.ere off by (r per cent. ])rivate construction n'as 12 per cent under a vear ago n'lrile lrublic construction sholved an increase of 2l oer (:ent over the year.

Jir.rtries must consist of visual evidence of thinss saicl or done or published or printed .lvhich meet one or both o[ the follou'ing tests: (1) Thev must be er,.idence of actiorrs in the public interest. or (2) thev must reflect creclit orr the services performed by thc retail lumber irr<lustry, thc buildir-rg industry, or the indir.idual company coucerned.

\risual evidence, hon.er.er, 611, s611sist oi a copy of a speech or radio talk or a typeu'ritten summary of activities rvhich did not involve printing or publication. Thus, a great variety of entries, in acl<litiorr 1o such oltvious items as consiructive ne\vsl)aper aclvertisements, pamphlets, or posters. is possible.

Descriptive brochtrres announcing the contest, orrtlirrine the rules, and offering examples of the sort of Public Relations efforts that can nterit rrn'ards, tosether u,ith the oflicial entry blanks, n'ill be distributed bv the Federaterl Associations to their members.

Au'ards u'ill be nracle on a geographic and Association basis. In aclclition, grand prizrs n'ill be siven for the best single and grouo entries from the countrv as a rr.hole. Tlre arl'ards nill be presented to ttie contest r,r,inners at the Mav nreeting of the .National's Board of Directors in \\rashington. D C.

Phil Creden of the Edu'ard l-Iines Lumber Companv, C'hi_ c:rgo. Illinois, is the chairman of the National's public lleIetions Committee which gave final approval to the contest plans. Other mernbers of the Committee are: John \\,.. Dain, Mahopac, Nerv York; A. J. Huddleston, Osrveg.o, Oregon ; John T. Holmstrom, Rockford, Illinois; ancl \\r. J. Hor,vard, Missoula. N[ontana.

Shortages of materials retarded almost all types of construction during October resulting in a more than seasonal decline in zrctivity, the U. S. Labor Department's Bureau oi Labor Statistics and the Building Materials Division, [I. S. Department of Commerce reported jointly today. Delays in construction projects extend even to the basic steel lnd electric polver expansion programs.

The total value of nel' construction put in place durirrg October amounted to altout $2.7 billion, off 5 per cent from the September total and 3 per cent less than the total for October 1950. While most types of construction activity usually l>egin a seasonal decline from Septeml>er to Octcber, the drop this year was larger than usual. Nerv homebrrilding activity u'hich increased slightly in C)ctober, rvas a notable exception to tl,e general trend. Nf ilitarl' ancl defense plant construction shorved furtl.rer moderate increases.

Construction came completely uncler the Controlled N{aterials Plan beginning Octol>er 1, 1951. \\rhen supplies of ccrntrolled materials on har.rd before that date are used up, the amounts of r.arious t1'pes of constructiotr that can ltc cr.rried on rvill depend largely on allotments of steel, copper, and aluminum. Structural steel n,as the principal limiting factor during October and probably rvill continue as the lcev material throughout the balance of this vear. \\/ithin a short time, hcin'ever, the availability of copper itenrs may be expected to supersede structural steel as the determining factor in the volume of construction actir-ity, particularly for those types of construction in u,hich structural steel is relatively unimportant.

During the first 10 months of this lear, ne\\' constructiorr u'ith a total value of nrore than 25 billion rvas put in place. This rvas $2 billion more th:rn the total for the sam,; pg1l61l in 1950. Indications :rre that total neu' construction outlays in 19.51 r.r'ill exceed $29 billion compared u'ith a little less than $28 billion, for all of 1950. Larger public expendiiures particularly for housing, defense plants. and militar.r, iacilities l'ill account for the increase.

Riverside Hoo-Hoo Club Holds Dinner Meeting qnd Conccrt

The Riverside Hoo-Hoo Club helcl a clinner rleetins rur<l conc:rt at Phil's Charcoal Broiler, Redlands, Friday everring. November 9. Follorving the cocktail hotrr a delicious steak <linner was enjoyed by the group. A fine class of Kittens vr,er-c initiatecl. Jim Tipton is \riceregent Snark of the Riversi<lc Ciour.rty FIoo-Hoo <listrict.

Decorations for Christmas trees originally were foodstuffs or. rurodels of heavy foods such as hams and sicles of bacon.