THE CALIFOR}IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JackDionne, futtdnu

Subrcription Price, 92.00 per Yecr Singlc Copiea,25 ceuts each.

How Lumber Looks

the week ended December 16,523 mills produced 2L8,268.,W feet of hardwoods and softwoods combined, shipped 194,946,W feet, and booked orders of 204,559,000 feet, according to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. Revised figures for the preceding week, 549 mills re^porting',- rvere: production 237,475,ffi- feet, ship- ments 205,630,000 feet, and orders 185,912,000 feet.

Seattle, Washington, December 7, 1939.-The weekly averag'e of West Coast lumber production in November (5 weeks) was 733,492,000 feet, or 67.8 p€r cent of the weekiv average for l92Gl9D, the industry's-1'ears of highest capi- city realization, the West Coast Lumbermen,s Associatjon tgporlg. Orders averaged LO2,675,W feet; shipments, 119,?ql,gq. Weekly-averages for October were i production, 138,495,000 feet (70.3 per cent of the highest capacity realizalion index) ; orders, 128,521,W; shipments, i4O,6ZI,W.

First 48 weeks of 1939, cumulative production, S,gS4,?79-,W feet; same period, I939-4,26JO5,000; lg37_4:,_ o49,7lt,wo.

Orders for € weeks of 1939 break down as follows: rail. 2_,96-927,qO feet; domestic cargo, 2,32I,249,W; export. 370,593,000 ; local, 927,3Cf.,}CfJ..

The industry's unfilled order file stoocl at 443,636.000 feet at the end of November; gross stocks at 908,000,b00.

The market for West Coast-lumber in November continued to settle in the wake of the September buying wave.

In October the_drop in average weekly orders *.s 23.6 pe, cent from the September average. The November *..klv ayerag'e is down 20.1_ per cent from October, 38.9 per cent from September. Considering the usual s,easonal contracti,on in building at this time of the year, particularly in the colder sections of the country, the cbntinued letdown i_n buying represents a return to the normal course of West Coast business.

There has been a resumption of building in California since the defeat of the "ham and eggs" proposal at the polls. Lumber movement to California, however, has been adversely affected by waterfront strikes in the San Francisco Bay area. West Coast business on the Atlantic Coast in future w-eeks depends largely upon available intercoastal sPace and the outcome of present labor issues in Pacific shipping.

In any event, the seasonal lag in lumber orders will probably extend into January, L940, and will be reflected in production and shipments. Dodge estimates a 14 per cent increase for residential building in 19,1O over 1939. There are also prospects of a large increase in factory and commercial buildi,ngs next year.

Meanwhile. the West Coast lumber industry marks time through the winter days.

The Western cember 16, 110 feet, shipmentsfeet. Orders on 966,000 feet.

Pine Association for the week ended Demills reporting, gave orders as 55,357,000 54,851,000 feet, and production 58,901,000 hand at the end of the week totaled 18O.-

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended December 16, 131 mills reporting, gave orders as 27,378,W feet, shipments 28,995,000 feet, and production 33,127,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 70A62,000 feet.

The California Redrvood Associatio,n for the month of November reported production of 13 mills as 30,889,000 feet, shipments 27,7%,W feet, and orders received 2I,783,W feet. Orders on hand at the end of the month totaled 31,127,W feet.