314 SELLING LUMBER 



that a very small proportion goes to the consumer direct, and that 

 the major portion goes to certain concerns who specialize on shorts 

 and mill odds and ends and who are showing a nice margin of 

 profit on their operations. 



There are two conditions that make this possible: First, the 

 fact that the personnel of these concerns are men who have studied 

 closely the requirements of the industrial plants and who, by know- 

 ing the proper use and requirements are able to fill their orders 

 at a small reduction under what the manufacturer is asking for 

 his regular lengths; second, their ability at all times to buy these 

 items at a greatly reduced price from the manufacturer, which goes 

 to show that they are keenly alive to the situation as a result of a 

 close study of factory requirements. You have no doubt seen the 

 report made by a committee made up of retailers and the secretaries 

 Short Lengths ^ vai "i us retail dealers' associations after their visit to several 

 Worth As plants which pertained to crooked stock, and the adoption of their 

 recommendation to the manufacturer will mean an increased pro- 

 duction of short lengths. There can be no good reason why lengths 

 under 10 feet, even or uneven, should bring a less price than staple 

 lengths, as long as there can be made a demand for this stock. 

 Unquestionably the demand is increasing and it is the duty of every 

 salesman to study every condition that presents itself with the view 

 of further increasing this very important demand, and I hope the 

 time is not far distant when we can bring the price of short lengths 

 up to very close to the price of staple lengths, thereby very ma- 

 terially increasing the mill average for the manufacturers. As 

 before stated, to me this seems of sufficient importance to be given 

 a place in our general discussion, or better still, to be made an as- 

 signment at some later meeting. 



