THE CALIFORNIA How Lumber Looks

Developmentr of the last two weekr have provided no barir for expecting a lower price of lumber.

Thir appliea not only to Cdifornia but to the cormtry at large; but it ir particuhrly true in Catifornia.

Building operationr are far b€hind in every corner of the otate and the demand for lumber is goins to keep up. The larger commercial centerr have enough building work outlined right now to run t'hem well into the Spring; by that time ttere will be enough more to keep them going well toward the last of the year.

On the other hand, the rupply of lumber ir not growing any more plentiful; millr have been cloeed, firet by rtorm and then by food, althoush the period of vohmtary idleneer through the holiday season war cut rmurually short thir year. Every mill in the Northwect that ir phyeicdly able to opeate right now, and rhip itr lumber, ir rurrning; tte cargo millr particularly are keeping up to capacity.

The redwood indurFy ir runing full force after a brief holiday vacation.

Stormr along the northern coart have played havoc wth Cdifornia ehipmentr dnce t[e 6ret of tte year; one vecrel arriving in Lor Angeler harbor lart week had ber deck rwept of 2SO'OOO feet of lumber; anothcr had to iettiron a part of her cargo to enable her to make port. All verelr have becn ddaved account of tte weather, ro the receiptr probably will fall behind before the end of the rnonth.

Howerrer, up to the prercnt time, cargo arrivalr at bot[ the Bay di*rict and the South have been rrrnning clore to nomal; the fint ten dayr of tte month raw nearly 4Q(X)O,(X)0 feet comc in at Loc Angeler harbor; tihir volume went up to BO,(XX),(XX) feet by the middle of the month. The effecg of the rtorm will not be felt, however, if they are felt at a[ tmtil the lact half of the month, ro far ar cargo arrivals are concenred.

One of the dirtinc characterfutice in the prcs€nt rnarkct ig the rtrength of rhingler-all gradec, both dry and gleen; The intere* arotrred in the referendum elec{ion campaign last Fall har brought ehinglet prominently to the attention of the public-both as a roof and ddervall covering. The fringle folkr are going to reap a benefit from thir circum' stance for quite a while, although at the time tbe prorpectr appenred mort hopeleedy rmpromiring.

Moreover, tte present campaign in favor of ctained ehingler has etrengthened all branchel of t[e trade.

But the shingle rituation findr ready ryrnpathy if,tte tone of the lumber rnarket. Mill pricet have advanced---quite sharply in rome liner. In the centerc of the 6r trade of the Northwed there has been rome apprebenrion lelt there bc another "run-awaytt market. But it ir underrtood that thc tendency that prevailed in rome cbclec to shoot pricel up ar far and ar fart ar the trade would rtand war ovcrcone by tbe cornsel of wirer headr; while pricel have rtifrened, they have not riren abnonndlY.

California buyere are reported to be biddinc againrt each other at the millr.

The lath market ir firmcr end rupply tcaceMeanwhile, however, the retail trade in variour partr of tbe rtate has found iurtification to rervire the figrrra on t[eir quotation lirtr. Recemt dight advancs have not af' fected the demand, for the reaultrnt increare h ro rrnall ar not to be noticed.

While every rec{ion of the rtate ir trcmendoudy rhort of homel and peoplc are entturiastic in tbeh eagcf,ne$ to build, any rtubrtantid advance in price might have a correrpondingly adverse efiect on tfts a6rzing record of building activity that ha,r characterized the lirfe of the rtate in the lart two yearr.

Plan For 1923

PIan in advance your work for 1923.

. Dontt leave it to chance.

Dontt trust to luck.

Dontt wait for ttsometfring to turn up.tt

Success never came that way to anyone but a fool, arrd few of us want ruccest badly enough to be willing to qualify in that class.