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by BOB McBRIEN exccutive vice presidenl of the

I S I write this column I am preparing to leave for Florida for the / f, annual meeting of the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers AssJiation. Unlike recent annual meetings oi this group, this one will not be accompanied by a trade show exposition. However, it will be a business.packed session of utmost importance.

It isn't often that I or anyone connected with the retail lumber business sits down and takes a look at the national picture. And this is unfortunate, for we are but a segment of this picture and if there is a blur, there is always the chance that it could cloud

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As many dealers know, The Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California is a federated association of NLBMDA.

{s sugh, it supports the national activities not only with membership dollars, but with important individual participation of key executives. LMA President Charlie Dart and National Dealer Director Frank Heard, for example, are joining me in Hollywood Beach to represent our interests.

One of the prime functions of the NLBMDA is legislative activity in Washingon. In recent months, the association has been most active in temporarily kiling the right-to-work issue which would have repealed the Taft-Hartley 14 (b). This important section permits states to enact right-to-work laws outlawins compulsory unionism.

Most Washington observers indicate that the issue will come up again in the next session of Congress-and again it will be op posed by our national association with support from our local association. Before it does come up, NLBMDA will continue to make its opposition known to senators and congressmen.

- Legislative activity is but one of the many important national functions which will be reviewed carefully at the Florida meeting. Others include research and education, marketing, industry stanjards, regional affairs, etc.

All of which brings to mind the fact thal no dealer, regardless of his. current _strength or importance in the industry, strould try to g9_r! alone. Membership in LMA brings automatic membership in I\LBMDA. It gives a retail firm direct roads and importani tools to improve business conditions and make our industrv a better one.

We frequently hear complaining about this and that and what should be done to solve a problem. Frankly, if more dealers would join,together and work constrirctively (as LMA,s current Market Study will show),'there would be fewer problems and more time to errioy the rewards produced by a profitable business.