THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JackDionne,fultbttu

How Lumber Looks

Renewed peace negotiations in the Pacific Coast maritime strike between the shipowners' committee and representatives of the Masters, Mates and Pilots were disrupted on Decem'ber D over the question of preferential hiring. The deck officers demanded the right to select, through a rotation system, the men who will fill the captains' and mates' position on deep-sea vessels. The shipowners announced that they would not con'cede this point.

A shipowners' committee met representatives of the Marine Cooks and Stevvtards on December 29 in an effort to formulate a working agreement, but the conferen,ce ended without an agreement being reached.

The Sailors' Union of the Pacific and the Marine Firemen, Oilers, Wipers and Watertenders' association have reached tentative agreements affecting off-shore and coastwise lines. The agreements were subject to ratification by the members of the two unions. The agreements as yet have not been ratified.

Cost of the strike, now in its ninth week, has reached over $450,000,000. Nearly 40,000 marine workers are on strike and 233 ships are tied up in Pacific Coast ports.

For the seventh consecutive week reports of 202 down and operating mills in Washington and Oregon to the West Coasf Lumbermen's Association show serious losses in both produ'ction and shipments due to the marine closure. The industry produ,ced &326,202 board feet of lumber in the week ended December 19. This is at the rate of 53.7 per cent of its average weekly cut during 1926-29. New business reported taken by these mills for the week ended Decembeilg was 121,928,816 feet; shipments were 72,7n,M feet.

Production, which was 115,000,000 board feet in the week ended October 31, or just prior to the strike, decreased to approximately 70,0@,000 board feet during the second week of the strike. Sin'ce that time, with the exception of the Thanksgiving Holiday week, production and orders have increased, the gains being the result of unusual buying for rail trade delivery, a movement r,l.hich started shortly after the marine shutdown became fully efiective.

For three consecutive weeks the volume of rail trade orders taken by the industry has been greater than in any time since t9D. Rail stocks are low and badly broken and buying for such delivery is rep.orted as increasingly difficuit. Straight cargo mills, or mills normally shipping most of their production tiy water, continue either closed or on reduced operations.

At these plants and dependent logging camps the Association estimates an unemployment, either totally or partially, due to the marine shutdown of at least 17,5n people. Lumber industry payroll losses for the eight weeks (to December 26) since the beginning of the strike are estimated at approximately $2,800,000.

The total loss in water production and shipm,ents in the same period is estimated by the Association at approximately 325,000,000 board feet.

Details of orders and shipments as reported by tl:'e 2O2 mills for the week ended December 19 are: Orders-Rail 87,ffi4,L26 feet; Domestic Cargo 23,832,818 feet; Export 2,7&,7ffi feet; Local 8,247,172 feet. Shipments-Rail 64,472,828 feet; Local 8,247,172 f.eet.***

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended December 19, 106 mills reporting, gave orders as 42,223,W feet; shipments 35,363,000 feet; produ,ction 29,822,000 feet. Orders were 41.58 per cent above produ,ction, and 19.4 per cent above shipments. Shipments were 18.58 per cent above produ'ction. Orders on hand yet to be filled at these 106 mills, on De,cember 19, totaled 109,190,000 feet, equivalent to 5,200 cars.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended December 19, lO2 mills reporting, gave orders as 83,578,00 feet; shipments 64,824,000 feet; production 55,670,000 feet. Orders were 50.1 per cent above production, and' 89 per cent above shipments. Shipments were 16.4 per cent above production. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 293,633,000 feet.

The California Redwood Association for the week ended December 12 reported production of 13 mills as 8,586,000 feet, shipments 7,223,Offi feet, and new business 10,703,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 48,- 119,000feet.

The lumber industry is entering the new year in a strong position. The Fir, Ponderosa and Sugar Pine, aqd Redwood mills report good order files and prices firm. Ponderosa and Sugal Pine stocks at the mills are badly broken. Redwood mills report a shortage of dry uppers.

Owing to the shipping tie-up, considerable lumber from the Northwest is mbving into all sections of California by rail. Fir dimension and boards are coming mostly from points in Oregon, Portland and South. Uppelg and shingles ire coming in from as far north as Puget Sound.

Los Angeles Ranlcs Second Among Citi€s Calaveras Manufiacturing New Type ol of Nation in Buildins

Los Angeles continues to hold second place in building among cities of the nation for the first eleven months of 1936 with a total of $58,2D,257 according to figures compiled by Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. San Francisco ranks ninth with a total of $16,845,389, and Oakland eighteenth with $8,200,959. New York holds first place with a total of 195,5r7.507.

Building permit valuations for the twenty leading cities follows:

Months-

1936 1935

Cement--Building New Precipitator

San Francisco, Dec. lO.-Calaveras Cement Company begins work this week on construction of a $110,000 Cottrell precipitator or dust arrester, at the San Andreas plant, according to announcement made yesterday by William Wallace Mein, president.

The new installation will collect approximately 95 per cent of the dust arising from the company's two large kilns.

I\{r. Mein also announces that the company is manufacturing a new type of cement, known as Calaveras pumicite cement. This Portland-Puzzolan cement, developed after years of experimentation and research, is a combination of portland cement with true pumicite and is designed especially for canal linings, sea water piers, dams, and massive foundations.

Business Good Says "Ty" Cobb

Cobb, who entered business for himself July this year as a wholesaler of sash, doors, frames, Cali- fornia pine lumber and mouldings, reports that his business has shown a gradual increase each month, and that he forward with confidence to a good

Avenue, Los Angeles.

Salesman Visits Montana

R. R. Howells, salesman in Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys and Coast Counties for Pyramid Lumber Sales Co., Oakland, visited relatives in Butte, Montana over the holiday season. He made the trip by automobile.