a Lumber

James B. Overcast, manager of Strable Lumber Co., Oakland, has been invited to speak at the Pittsburg Rotary Club meeting December 18 in Antioch by Lewis W. Silvera, president of the Silvera Lumber Co., Antioch, who is chairman of the day. Overcast rvill speak on Hardwood Lumber to the club in the El Rio hotel. Jim holds the hard',tood lumber classification in his local Oakland Rotary, th,ird oldest club in the t,orld, and boasts seven years of IO0/o consecutive attendance.

john W. Rhoda, sales production coordinator for Simpson Redwood Co., returned to Arcata November 26 f.rom a 2-rveek business trip to the east, where he also conferred rvith Walter Parks, head of SR's Washington, D.C., office.

Don Coveney spent a November u'eek calling on mill connections in the Humboldt-Mendocino region for his California Lumber Sales, Oakland.

Baker P. Lee, manager of the United States Plywood Corp. branch in Santa Clara, is rounding out his fine family with the addition of a new son, Baker P. Lee, Jr., born Nov. 16.

Andy Anderson, formerly of Eastshore Lumber & Mill Co., Oakland, has joined the sales staff of Beaver Lumber Co., San Leandro.

Sontq Bqrbqro Building Spurt

Santa Barbara, Calif..-City building permits in October were $2,351 ,254, compared to $603,100 in last year'g same month. For 1956 to date, permits here are over the $10 millionmark, greatest in city history.

The LUMBER OUTTOOK lor 1957

(Continued from Page 2) or both, to take appropriate actions to assure a 1957 housing volume of at least one million units.

2. If the preferences voiced by homemakers at a federally sponsored Women's Housing Congress, held in Washington last spring, are heeded by the nation's builders, next year's homes will be even larger, less gadgetridden, and of higher quality. Paneling, flooring, kitchen cabinets, furniture, siding and framing lumber are among the host of u'ood items rvhich stand to benefit.

3. Hardwood flooring production, down approximately six percent this year, seems likely to increase in 1957 under the impetus of stepped-up sales 'promotion efforts and greater emphasis on research. Likewise, we may expect a recovery in shipments of U.S. hardwoods to the United Kingdom.

4. Almost certain to be approved by tl-re upcoming session of Congress is a mammoth federal-aid-to-education program designed to help the nation catch up on its need for more classrooms. The economic advantages of onestory wood schools have been recognized in many sections of the country. fn others, still greater effort must be put forth to update school construction standards.

5. Research progress during 1957 is expected to include further gains in the development of wood particle boards and better gluing techniques. Recent opening of a new, rvood particle board pilot plant by the Timber Engineering Company, lttrLMA's research affiliate, offers the lumber

Hundreds of lumber and building materiale dealers are cashing in on the popularity of Calaveras quality cements. Calaveras gives you a full line of cements under one brand name, from a single source of supply: l. Regulor

2. Plostir

3. White industry new opportunities to find profitable outlets for its residues.

Top quality Calaveras products give you another advantage-rapid delivery to all parts of Northern California (and in the case of Calaveras white, throughout the eleven Western states). Start stocking Calaveras today!

6. The prospect of more off-site prefabrication in home construction next year holds great promise for our industry. Indicative of the trend in this direction, leading home builders and housing officials, meeting recently in Washington, recommended greater use of tilt-up walls and prefabricated roof trusses as a means of reducing building .costs.

7. A key factor in the lumber picture for many years to come will be th.e new multi-billion-dollar, federal-state highrvay building program. First, this program, of itself, will consume a considerable portion of our industry's production. But, more important, it will pave the way for vast amounts of new construction-horhes, schools, churches, industrial plants, stores and commercial buildings-in which wood can play a leading role.

Many of the materials competitive to wood-steel and concrete are probably the best examples-may be hardpressed to meet demands of the highway program and the requirements of other new construction in the years immediately ahead. This would present new opportunities for the promotion of engineered timber construction in commercial and industrial building.

A number of related factors will figure in the lumber picture during 1957. To touch briefly on these elements:

Do-it-yourself activities promise to consume increasing quantities of our industry's production.

Farmers appear to be working their way out of recent economic setbacksa fact that should help lumber's markets in farm housing

Home lmprovement Big

Washington, D.C.-The Business and Defense Services Administration reports that spending for construction mhintenance and repairs reached a record high of $15.9 billion in 1955, up $1.3 billion from 1954.

The BSDA said more than half of the increase was in repairs to non-farm residential buildings. Homeowners and renters spent $6.5 billion for repairs and maintenance last year compared with $5.7 billion in 1954. No later figures are available.

and service buildings. . . Landscaping with wood should rvin more new friends as promotional efforts of the lumber industry expand the markets for outdoor use of woods.

The $15 billion-a-year home improvement market should continue strong, with wood a popular material. Lumber purchases by the Corps of Engineers are expected to decline about 25 percent below the normal peacetime rate of 500 million-to-600 million board feet annually-this due to Air Force withdrawal from the Corps' centralized procurement program. The dollar volume of total nerv construction during 1957 is expected to eclipse even the record level of 195Q now figured at more than $44 billion. How can the lumber industry capitalize on market opportunities in 1957?

The most important thing we need to do is intensify our selling efforts. This means, first, a larger 5alss f61ssmore men on the job selling.

Second, it means Harder Sell-more aggressive merchan-