THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JackDionne,prbtkhu

How Lumber Looks

The California market showed very little change during the past two weeks and the demand continued light.- Production at the fir mills was very light over the holidays, and reports indicate that curtailment *ill continue heavy.'Unsold siocks 9n the public docks at San Pedro totaled jrtggr0OO feet on lanuary 13, the ptevious week 417431000 feet was reported. Cargo arrivals at this port for the week ended January 9 totaled 1115711000 feet, including eight cargoes of dr carrying 101588,000 feet and two cargoes of t.a*ood with 9g3,000 ieal 68 lumber vessels in the California service were laid up on Januaty-7, as-against 67 vessels for the previous weeL, and one vessel, the Missoula, was opetating off-sLore.

Dougas_ Fir-A total of 343 mills reporting to the West Coast Lumberments Association for the week en?ed lanaary 2 operated et 16.3 per cent of capacity, as compared ti V.Z pet cent of clpacitl, for the previous 'week ani z2.6Eo for ih" same week last year. For the 52 weeks of l93l thege mills have operated- at 36.8 per cent of capacity as compared to 52.9 per cent for the same period of f93b.

Production, ordets and shipments reported to the Association- !y 224 identical mills for the week inded January 2 vete as follows: Production 42r5lg,4l} feet; Shipmlnts 6ir65r65g feet; Orders 5511881493 feet. Cutrent new' business'for'the week was 29.8 per cent over production. This is the tenth successive week with orders.in excess of production and eguals in duration a similac period of orders g.-".t"t than produition during August-September of 1930. This is due to the current low pfoduction and a faidy regular fow, although small, of new business. During the 5i weJks of 1931 orders-receivei for t{rese mills have averaged approximately O.7 per cent over production.

Production of lumber reached the lowest point in years in the New Year holiday week. Orders for the week ended January 2 exceded the cut by approximately 42 per, cent, about a third less than last year, according to reports from 763 leading hardwood and softwood mills to the Natiotral Lumbet Manufacturers Association Shipments of these mills were 69 per cent above their production of. 7Eg73rOO0 feet. A week earlier 780 mills reported orders 47 pet cent above and ship. ments 39 per cent above a cut of 81r517r0fi) feet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended Janu. aty 2 tepofieA new business from 102 mills as 17r304pfl) feet (previous week 14,469,00O feet et 110 mitls); shipments 201832r0/JiO f.eet (previous week 12r180rfi)O feet); production ltrzzSr000 (previous week 1019391000 feet). Shipments were 58 per cent above productiton, and orders 31 per cent above production and, 17 per cent below shipments.

232 hardwood mills reported for the same week new business as lOrgTOrOOO feet, or 58 per cent above production; ehipments 12r826r0(X) feet, or 85 per cent above production; and production 619461000 feet.

In the western pine territory of Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon and Vashington, 123 mills reporting to the 'Western Pine Association for tfie week ended lanuery 2, which included the New Year's day chutdown, operated et 7.7 per cent of capacity as compared to E.l per cent the previous week. Of thesg22 mills wete opcrating et27.9 per cent of their capacity, and 101 mills were reportd down. The total production for the week wae 10t70r000 feeg while shipments totaled 24rtl0r0/l/O feet and orders 22A72rOOO fe.et.

Softwood lmports for November Sales Agency Opens L. A. Office

^ According to figures supplied by the Section of Customs Statistics of the Department of Commerce to the Lumber Division, softwood imports into the United States during November, 1931. were-as follows:

Sawed lumber of fir, hemlock, spruce, pine or larch, dutiable; from Canada, 31,385.000 boaid feetl from Soviei Russia in Europe, 2,835,000; from Poland, Z,Z9g,W: from Germany, 451,000; from Mexico, 74,000; and from Czechoslovakia, 27,Cf]l0.

. Boards, planks and deals in the rough or planed and dressejl on one_side; of fir, hemlock, sp.i.e, pine or larch; from Canada, 25,243,ffiO board feet: frie of dutv.

Other kinds of softu'ood lumber. free of <luty : from Canada, 2,A6l,OAO board feet.

The Seattle Sawmill Sales Agency has opened an office at 552 Chamber of Commer.ce Bldg;, Los Angeles, with Edgar W. Pack as California represenative. Ttre sawmills included in this group are the Bissell Lumber Co., Nettleton Lumber Co., Pankratz Lumber Co., Seattle Export Lumber Co., Stimson Mill Co., and West Waterway Lumber Co.,

Mr. Pack was connected with the wholesale and retail lumber business in Southern California for a long period before going to the Northwest several years ago. For the past seven years he has lteen located in Seattle where he spent five years as lumber buyer for the Hammond Lumber Company, and the past two years as buyer for the Chas. Nelson Company.