We buy it rightYou can sell it right

Sounds simple but you know it takes persistance, knowledge, talent. lt's a full time job for Mel Montierth and 7 buyers. Each working day they scout the market to find the right product, at the right price, at the right time.

This is why 35,000 items or more are always in stock and your order is filled promptly, accurately. This is why you can be most competitive without sacrificing prof its.

And, it's one more reason why Mallco is the Southwest's largest distributor of Lumber, Building Materials and Sporting Goods. Call for a Mallco man now. &

Save Housing Day

Home builders across the country hit the streets April 9, to participate in a national "Save Housing Day."

To dramatize the plight of the ailing home building industry and millions of families priced out of the market by lTVo mortgage rates, parades of idled construction equipment and rallies in shopping malis were held by builder associations affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders.

"We can't hold on much longer," said Menill Butler, a Southern Cali- fornia home builder and president of NAHB. "Many of our members have already gone under. Most are laying off w6rR-ers; paying l9vo, 2o%o"and 22Vo interest on construction loans on homes they can't sell; and hoping to wait out the storm."

Pleas for relief scrawled on 10" lengths of "2 x 4" were mailed to government leaders in Washington by the thousands. A truck left Mount Vernon, Wa., April 17, stopping at state capitals along the way to collect even more "2 x 4" letters for delivery to the nation's capital.

Builders seek reactivation of the Brooke-Cranston emergency mortgage assistance program which provided loans with below market interest rates to 190,000 middle and moderate income families during the 1974-75 recession at a very low cost to the government.

"Save Housing Day" was the continuation of an effort begun March 25-26 when nearly 2,000 home builders converged on Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress and the Administration for relief from high mortgage interest rates which have brousht new home construction to a stanfstill in many areas of the country.

"We only expect to start I million housing units this year." said Butler. "That's a decline of 50Va from the 2 million level of 1977 and 1978. A decline of this magnitude is expected to add 1.6 million workers to the unemployment rolls and result in a revenue loss of $7 .5 billion for federal, state and local sovernments. In March, unemploy-ment in the construction field stood at l3%o compared with 6.2Vo overall.

Horatio Alger Award

(Continued from previous page) chief executive officer, Tonr Haggai and Associates. Inc.: Morris L. Hite, chairman and president, Tracy-Locke Co.: Richard R. Lesher, president. Chantber of Comnrerce of the United States: Gilbert F. Richards. chairnran and chief executive officer.'The Budd Co.l Robert G. Sanrpson, special assistant to the chairnran. United Airlines; Beurt R. servaas. chairman of the board, Transcon Lines: and Jackson T. Stephens, president. Stevens. Inc.

The quality skylight that lightens up your customers'homes, saves energy. . and becomes a pleasant profit maker for you.

Pfeiffer skylights meet all state code requirements and are trouble-free to install by the Do-It-Yourselfer

FRED CARUSO executive secretary

UR RECENT seminar series featured seven schools, reaching 199 students and 105 participating firms.

Four retail selling skills workshops were attended by 105 persons from 38 companies including Albuquerque, N.M., 28 students; Denver, Co.,32, and Salt Lake Citv. Ut..2l.

Two basic estimating and blue print take-off schools drew 69 students from 46 companies.

A three-day advanced management seminar held in Denver attracted 25 owners and managers from 2l companies in the region.

The selling skills workshops were conducted by the reqional sales staff of the Armitrone Cbrk Co. Ceiline Division. Instrudtors included Frei W. Huffman, Southwest Reg. Mgr., Dallas, Tx., assisted by David M. Walker and Buddy Watkins at the Albuquerque seminar; Jim Richards, Assist. mgr., Central Region, for Pueblo and Denver, and John Wanser, reg. rep., Salt Lake City, for the Salt Lake seminar.

Harold S. Olson, Armstrons building products rep., Littleton', Co., served as assistant instructor at three of the four workshops.

O.K. Stookesberiv. a well-known expert in materials" estimating and former instructor at the University of Denver, was instructor at the two-day estimating schools.

Craig J. Stearn, mgr. for market- ing and customer training and development for Armstrong Cork, Lancaster, Pa., was key instructor at the advanced manasement seminar. He was assisted by Dict Rippey, reg. mgr., Kansas City, Ks.

Lumbermen from six allied associations in the western states met recently for a day-long information exchange at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City.

The group, known as the Western Lumbermen's Council, includes the elected president and the managing officer of allied lumber dealer associations.

MSLDA pres., K.D. Ker, Idaho

Falls. Id.. was host and chairman.

Attending the business session were John Entz, pres., and Frank Davis, m.o., Az. Lumber and Building Supply Association; Paul Orban, pres., and Wayne Gardner, m.o., Lumber Association of So. Ca.; Dan Coleman, pres., and Joe Butler, m.o., Lumbermen's Association of Tx.

Clyde Strouss, pres., and Harry Mendenhall. m.o.. Lumber Merchants Association of No. Ca.; Rudy Harms, pres., and R.V. Peterson, m.o., Mt. Building Material Dealers Association; K.D. Ker, pres., and Fred Caruso. m.o.. MSLDA: and Vic Camozzi, pres., and Chuck Link, m.o., Western Building Material Association.

Special guests were John M.Martin, executive v.p., National Lumber and Buildine Material Dealers Association, Walhington, D.C., and Dan Leaman, NLBMDA reg. v.p., Tx. Business discussions focused on

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A COALITION of forestry, home Fl building, retailing, labor, ranching, oil and gas, farming and recreational organizations has sent Congress a letter urging support and cosponsors for Rep. Thomas S. Foley's (D-Wa.) bill to resolve controversy over RARE II, the Forest Service's second Roadless Area Review and Evaluation.

H.R. 6070, the proposed National Forest Multiple Use Management

Act of 1980, introduced Dec. 10, 1979, directs that the 36 million acres recommended in RARE II for nonWilderness continue to be manaeed for non-Wilderness multiple use] It also sets a timetable for Congress and the President to decide whether to designate as Wilderness other lands studied in RARE II.

The letter sent to each member of the House describes the bill's aim and provisions and urges Congressmen "to support and co-sponsor" H.R. 6070. It also points out that the bill reaffirms President Carter's RARE II decisions on existing en-

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Prompt service, quality, and a desire to please is our business. Call us for your custom milling requirements.

HARRY MENDENHALL executive vice president

an*ome planft fiooriag, providec at idcal setting for any iaterior dcstgn. Its charming a@arancc can recaPture tlw favor of traditional early America as easily as the attractivenesc of an Old lforld pgged fr""r; Virgi*i.a llardwaod Qampany features the rlrost e*tewiuc sclection oI pla;nhlooring in the Westera Uaited States. If it's pfun*S*arirg ytu want ...yoa'll fiad it herc, We're the Bcst in the West.,.Call u!

Virginia lla{nrood Company

116 Raitroad Avcnuc Monrovia,CA 91016 (2f3) 858-4594

(?l{) 17l6t9o *holerle only

'rllS:t llmr Serscc 'fl*i!alx; trt*onr {d{*) 25t 6tr8

6 UDDENLY THERE is nruch talk g olthe inrpact ofa recession on the lunrber and building nraterial industry in California!

This situation has been building pressure lor several nronths. nruch the sanre as Mt. St. Ilelens has been building pressure. A great nunrber of lunrber and building nraterial dellers ignored the signs, hoping that the problenr would go away or would alfect everyone except thenl.

The attendance at the March Conference With Concress gave an indication of the lack of concern by nrany cleilers. At a tinre when survival of the industry was ntost critical ancl the housing nrarket was bearing the brunt of the econonric cuts, less than 300 dealers, wives and children attended the conference. This was an opportune tinte for the inclustry to tackle their congressional representatives and plead a case for the industry. The Congress was in the throes of budget cuts and balirncrng during our visit.

Now that the inrpact of the rapid fall in housing starts has hit, dealers are yelling for action. It's too late; the regulations have been nassed and are in effect. The fbds wanted to tig,hten up on the nroney supply and they are huving greirt success. They will nol renrove restrictions for another two or three nronths and by that tinle the housing industry is going to be in shambles.

It is fortunate that nlany lunrber and builcling nraterial dealers have a goocl retail consunrer tracle which has showr-r an increase and is helping to pay the bills while contractor trlde hils conre to ir hirll

It is regrettable that so nrany dealers clicl not attend the conlerence and take the opportunity lo speak for their industry. One thing that was a donrinirting issue in Washington was a balanced budget, but Congress l'eels there is little they can do. since they clainr to have conlrol over only 271\' <tf the budget. The other 73rl' is in fixecl progranrs such as Meclicare and Social Security. Our conrnrent was that if Congress nracle the laws setting fixed anrounts for these wellare progrants, they can certainly anrend their laws. Congress silys that if they nrake all the cuts they can in the 2Tt\, they control, it would anrount to no nrore than a .005(l' reduction in the inflation rate.

You can have an inrpact on legislation through your vote in Novenrber. ll our present Congress can't control the budget and legislation. perhaps we can find persons to fill their seats that can exercise fiscal responsibility. Business is gaining in inrportance. Many Dentocratic Congressnren. including Senator Cranston, are sounding like conservative Republicans. Sonre are beginning to recognize that. during the past decade of our liberal wellare society, they have given away too nruch and have nrade welfare life style too attraclive. It is going to be difficult to get out of the nress thev have created.

In the nreantinle, we can yell and conrplain: we can hold nreetings and we can put pressure on Congress, but the nrechanisnr for grinding inflation to a halt is in effect and the results will show in nridsunrnrer.

Most of us will find out what the bullet tastes like because we will all have a chance to take a bite of it.

YESI lwrnt lo recelve THE MERCHANT MAGAZ|NE.v.ry month. Plcrlc cnlcr my rubecrlptlon rl shown bclow.

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Streel

(Continued from page 27) vironmental laws, and does not preclude future Congresses, Presidents or the Forest Service from recommending any of the RARE II land for Wilderness under the periodic land use planning required by the 1970 Resources Planning Act. As of Feb. 25, Rep. Foley reported that 60 Congressmen had joined him as co-sponsors of H.R. 6070. The National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association is one of the coalition members.

Senate Bill 2153, introduced Dec. 19. 1979. would promote continued improvements of industry's own workplace safety efforts by exempting from routine safety inspections business firms that can document good safety records. Known as the Occupational Safety and Health Improvements Act of 1980. this bill would relieve safe business firms from needless routine inspections, and would begin to change the adversarial posture and policies of an agency that has become a symbol of costly, yet ineffective bureaucracy.

This is legislation in the right directron.

Write your senator and representative now in support of Senate Bilr 2r53.

The wood industry got a go-ahead recently from the Dept. of Housing and Urban "Developmen't (HUD) to-seek expansion of the joint industry-government program for rural low-cost housing beyond the demonstration stage and into as many states as possible. The National Forest Products Association (NFPA) and the National Lumber and Buildins Material Dealers Association t-Nt-SN4Onl and their affiliates have been the prime movers in combining the industry Leadership Housing Package Program with HUD's own Rural Initiative Prosram of assisted housins in N.C. and-eastern Wa.

HUD's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single-Family Housing and Mortgage Activities told wood industry representatives at a meeting in Washington, D.C. that he will encourage HUD area offices to cooperate with regional and local industry teams in areas chosen bv the industrv for expansion of the iural housing effort. Area offices have been asked to raise their mortgage limits on Section 235 assisted housing to the maximum as an incentive to home builders.

Mountain States

(Continued from page 27) the management of effective associations for lumber dealers. Topics included educational programs and speakers; convention program ideas; planning meetings for association officers; the value of directories; dues structures; organizational programs for young lumbermen; the development of association headquarters operations; group insurance programs; membership development and the activities of the national federation.

The Mountain States Lumber Dealers Association welcomes seven new members this month, four dealers and three suppliers.

The new dealers include: Edward J. Kluesner, White Rock Builders Supply, Inc., White Rock, N.M.; Dennis Firkins, Monte Vista Lumber Co., Monte Vista, Co.; Glen R. Carlson, B-Mart, Inc., Sheridan, Wy.; and Charles R. Zeollick, Valley Lumber Co., Inc., Basalt, Co.

The new suppliers are: Skip Schenck, Celotex Corp., Loveland, Co.; Dan A. Green, Reed Mill and Lumber Co., Inc., Denver; and Clyde Greenwood, G and L Woodworks, Ft. Collins. Co.

The Starboard System was designed to solve the r problems facing the tumber industry. We give i lumber give you the tools to control inventory and sales costs. Stock status and credit information is immediately available... and accurate.