Lumber lndustry's Status

Washington, D. C., Jan. 2'_Wilson Conlpton. general manager of ttt. National Lumber Manufacturers Association, iaicl today of the lumber industry in retrospect and pr'ospect:

"lumber production in the United States in 1934 is estimated by the Statistical Department of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association at about 15,500,000,000 feet. It rvas 14,000,000,000 feet in 1933, 10,000,000,000 feet in 1932,-which was the lowest in 65'year.s,-a5 qernp4lgd with 37,000,000,0m h D29. The most, however, was made that could be made out of this relatively small product' It was so handled by sawmills and r'emanufacturing industries that it gave employment on the average to about 406,000 persons. The largest average number of employes in the industries which fall under the Lumber Code was 690,000 in 1923. (Several hundred thousand forest products workers are outside the code). As the 1934 lumber cut is only two-fifths of that of 1923 the industry has done well to take care of 406,000 people. This would not have been dorre without reducing the number of hours worked by each person.

"The outlook for 1935 is ttncertain. It is impossible to say whether there will be a pronounced building recovery this year or not. So far thq gradual revival of the lumber industry has been without the support of a buiiding, and particulaqly a residential building, tevival. What-