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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



April 25, 1921 



■American Walnut 



We manufacture both lumber and veneers 

 from selected logs grown in the famous 

 Iowa walnut district. The result is our 

 product possesses unusual merit, being 

 favored by Nature with a most beautiful 

 grain and color. We will appreciate a list 

 of your needs in both lumber and veneers 

 of walnut. 



DES MOINES SAWMILL CO. 



10th and Murphy Streets Des Moines. Iowa 



Million Dollar Publicity Drive Begins 



Furniture Manufacturers and Distributers Form Bureau to Raise Funds and 



Direct Three -Year Campaign 



The raising of not less than $1,000,000 to finance a three-year 

 plan of national publicity, was undertaken by "The Furniture 

 Publicity Bureau," an organization that was perfected by members 

 of the National Council of Furniture Manufacturers and the Na- 

 tional Association of Retail Furniture Dealers at a joint meeting in 

 the Drake Hotel on Michigan avenue, Chicago, April 12. 



Subscriptions to this sum will be sought from retailers as well 

 as manufacturers. The money so raised w^ill be expended, accord- 

 ing to the by-laws of the newly organized bureau, to "emphasize 

 the essentialness of furniture." But the organizers specify that no 

 money shall be spent on general publicity until a minimum of a 

 million has been subscribed. 



The organization of this bureau is regarded as one of the most 

 important events that has taken place within the furniture in- 

 dustry in many years. It is believed to mark a distinct advance in 

 the merchandising wisdom of the manufacturers and distributers 

 of furniture. The promoters of the movement view^ the field for 

 increasing demand and developing better taste in furniture as 

 practically unlimited. One furniture manufacturer, Adolph 

 Karpen of S. Karpen & Bros., Chicago, expressed the opinion that 

 the three-year campaign would double and perhaps even treble the 

 sales of furniture, while the agreement was almost unanimous that 

 an enormous increase in the demand for good quality furniture 

 was certain to result. The gross sales of furniture manufacturers 

 last year are estimated at $250,000,000. 



The basic idea of the campaign is to turn the minds of the Amer- 



ican people back to the importance of their homes, point out to 

 them that they spend most of their lives in their homes, that the 

 home is the chief thing in civilized life and that it should by all 

 means be furnished in some degree of comfort and beauty. They 

 hope through their advertising data, which will be distributed to 

 the people through magazines, newspapers and in many other 

 w^ays, to educate the public to an understanding of what real com- 

 fort and beauty in home furnishings are. 



The bureau was organized following a report on the advisability 

 of the proposed campaign made by the temporary furniture pub- 

 licity bureau, an organization made up of equal nunibers of 

 retailers and manufacturers. W. B. Baker, the secretary of the 

 bureau, presented the report. 



P. E. Kroehler, of the Kroehler Manufacturing Company, 

 Naperville, 111., was elected president of the permanent bureau. 

 John Young, Young Furniture Company, Cleveland, O., was made 

 vice-president ; W. B. Baker, Chicago, secretary ; C. S. Dexter, 

 Grand Rapids Chair Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., treasurer. 



A further group of executives, three manufacturers and three 

 retailers, called the executive committee, Vk'as selected. The 

 menabers of this committee were elected for 1, 2 and 3 years, 

 respectively. They follow: 



Manufacturers — E. G. Simmons, Simmons Bed Company, 3 

 years; W. J. Wallace, Berkey & Gay Furniture Co., Grand Rapids, 

 Mich., 2 years; Ralph Taylor, Jamestown Table Company, James- 

 town, N. Y., I year. Retailers — M. Hubbard, Cleveland, O., 3 

 {(^ontinitril on ijnijc 4S) 



