November 23, 1917 







NSHIP CONGRESS, HELD AT BAY CITY. MICH., ON NOVEMBER 16-17. 



development of chemical by-products plants and accessory plants 

 is the one thing which has made possible the building up of a suc- 

 cessful business in these directions, as no one company would have 

 been able to maintain such accessory organizations. This spirit of 

 cooperation carries through all units of manufacturing in Cadillac 

 in the lumber, in the by-products and in the flooring plants. The 

 result is the successful defense of the Cadillac slogan, "The City 

 of Quality." 



Mr. Abbott said: "It has been said of Cadillac manufacturers 

 of lumber that they ask Iiiglier prices than some of their com- 

 petitors. To this we cannot agree. The people who buy our stock 

 would not pay us a premium just for the sake of doing business 

 with us. We desire to give to our customers just what they want, 

 and when they get just what they want, they are willing to pay 

 our price." 



He went on then to describe the workings of the Cadillac Lum- 

 ber Exchange, telling of the different committees, and of the inter- 

 change of stock information wliicli makes it possible at all times 

 to meet any prospective customer 's requirements as if one man 

 does not have it, another will, and will furnish it. 



Wh-^t the Retailer Thinks of the Makuf.^cturer 



C. D. Burritt, of the Cadillac Lumber Company, Cadillac, Mich., 

 was particularly apt in his handling of a discussion of merchandis- 

 ing, past, present and future. 



He contrasted past methods in the retailing of lumber with the 

 present methods, la.ying particular emphasis on the loose connec- 

 tion between the retail lumberman and the ultimate purchaser. 

 He told of the haphazard method of designing and constructing 

 houses that prevailed years ago, emphasizing that the only interest 

 that the lumber manufacturer, the jobber, the retailer and so on 

 down the line, had in the man who bought from him, was the money 

 he was to get. 



This condition began to change about fifteen years ago, accord- 

 ing to the speaker; the change in the beginning taking the form 

 more of improved ethics than of modern salesmanship. The retailer 

 also began to analyze house construction, which in its turn showed 

 signs of improvement. But still there was lacking any founda- 

 tion of good merchandising or of real service. 



Then came the inspiration for the big change, the big awaken- 

 ing. That was the introduction of the substitute. Those in charge 

 of marketing the substitutes had selling and service ideas before 

 they started, and have put these ideas into effect and developed 

 them ever since. 



Looking at it from the retailer's standpoint, tliis example seems 

 to have been an inspiration to the lumber manufacturer, for Mr. 

 Burritt says of the situation: "I think an apparent change has 

 taken place, both in distribution and assistance offered by the 

 manufacturer." . 



He criticized, however, the form of information which tlie 

 manufacturers are getting out, saying that it is not complete 

 enough so that tlie retailer can use it to drive home the idea to the 

 ultimate buyer. He said: 



"Of course, many yards have house building books, but they do 

 not show why six-inch D. & M. stock at $38 is better than 8-iii 

 sliiplap at $35." He contrasted this more general information 

 with the specific data offered by the substitute people. 



Mr. Burritt said that as a consequence of lack of material, of tell- 

 ing points and selling data, the lumber salesman will have to ex- 

 pend more energy than ever to get back the business, and the delay 

 in doing it will make the substitute man all the more successful. 



Mr. Burritt, however, offered hope for the future, saying that he 

 has noted a radical difference in selling talk. He said that the 

 salesman seems to know something about his product, and how and 

 when it can be used with the best result. He said though that 

 there seems to be an inclination in lumber literature to let quality 

 of paper and artistic effect take the place of hard facts and con- 

 vincing argument, but he said further that this will be remedied 

 when the men at the head really get together. 



He dwelt then more in detail on the need of assimilating and 

 tabulating technical and trade information on the physical qualities 

 and the adaptability of wood in its various forms, and of getting 

 this information broadly and as convincingly as possible before the 

 public at large in order that the public may have a complete 

 knowledge of the many purposes to which lumber exclusively is 

 suited. He dosed by saying that when the manufacturers have 

 established their right to retailers' co-operation, they will find the 

 retailer ready, but if the manufacturers do not make good, the re- 

 tailer must look for his livelihood to the sale of substitutes. 



The congress was here fortunate in being able to listen to a short 

 but pointed talk by WiUiam Woodward, of the Curtis Publish- 

 ing Company. Mr. Woodward gave an impromptu talk as he just 

 liappened to be in Ba.y City on the day of the meeting and accepted 

 an invitation to address the congress only about a half hour before 

 it was time for him to appear. The thought he left • with his 

 listeners was that the future of their business is up to them. That 

 the first essential in properly merchandising any commodity is a 

 full and general understanding of just what the commodity is and 

 what it is good for. That when the merchandisers have this 

 knowledge tliey can spread their propaganda with it as a basis, 

 but that if a merchandising campaign is attempted without specific 

 knowledge of the product to bo sold, that campaign is fore- 

 doomed to failure. 



J. B. Crosby, of Chicago, talked on "Moulding tlie Demand," 

 liis talk being a general analysis of the fundamentals wliich con- 

 stitute salesmanship. 



THE CAMP PARTIALLY FINISHED. SHOWING THE TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION. 



-39— 



