Business Outlook For 1936

R. F. PRAY, Sales Manager, The Red River Lumber Company, Westwood

The prospects for next year's business, from a statistical stanclpoint are generally encouraging. The stocks on hancl at the mills are below the average normal supply. Lower than at this time last year which was also below normal.

The order files of most of the manufa'cturers show a verlcomfortable condition. There are only a few items on which any considerable reduction of price would seem necessary or advisable.

The demand for low priced and medium priced residences, in which lumber is an important item in constru,ction, is becoming more insistent tb meet present conditions. By spring there should be very little unsold dry lumber in the hands of the manufacturers.

If the government's long pending building program actually takes place the lumbermen should be in the best position they have held since 1929.

At Westwood, during the past year we have been operating our sawmill on two 4o-hour shifts a week and our plyu'oocl factor,v on three 40-hour shiits. At this time u'e have logs decked at the plant in suffr'cient quantity to assure continuous production through the period of deep snow rvhen logging is suspended. We will continue to favor mixed car shipments.

Our log cut for 1935 r,vas one-third more than in 1934 and our shipments 4O per cent in excess of 1934.

E. T. ROBIE, Au'burn Lumber Company, Auburn

I am unable to predict rvhat 1936 has in store for our section. 'We are quite certain there rvill be but little business for the next three months at least. We are in hopes of having fair spring and summer business.

Our fruit g'rowers have made no monev for several years. If they have a change for the better in 1936, we can expect a better fall business.

Hardware Outlook Bright For 1936

The year-end in hardware has been a period of pleasing contrast with even the favorable records,set at the end of 1934, says }fardware Age. A year ago conditions had started to look up. Now the upsrving of the betterment s€ems so much more securely established that repetition of this fact is becoming monotonous. At present business is accepting more as a matter of fact a widespread improvement, which last year at this time seemed doubtful as to its extent of duration. Hardware stores have really been busy, and some merchants have had to put on extra help.

HARRY T. KENDALL, Vice-Pres. & Gen'I. Manager, Weyerhaeuser Sales Company, Saint Paul

We think that 1936 rvill see a marked increase in the consumption of lumber but, nnless serious labor troubles interfere with the production and transportation of lumber, 'we do not think the demand will be broad enough to produce any large increase in lumber prices. Modest increases are necessary, due to the increased costs of operation, but there is still ample capacity at mills norv running to take care of any increase in demand that we nolv foresee.

JOHN C. LrGHT

Light Lumber Co., Miami, Arizona probably 1500 men, the same l'age they

1\{y observation is that business has not been n.hat dealers expected in the final wind up of 1935.

Generally speaking, business has picked up throughout the State. Yes, but it has been mostly Federal money.

Although the federal better housing agencies have rvorked hard to put the big deal over, people hesitate and clo not want to go farther in debt until lve have a more substantial basis than the PWA and Federal iobs.

The thinking man in business orrvorking at labor says the job is too uncertain, the wage too low considering the high cost of living to justify further indebtedness. What we must have to bring back permanent prosperity is real production.

Our mining camp is now employing 6 days a week, 8-hour shift, full time at paid at the shut-down.

This is real production-cooperation money. No ERA, PWA or Federal .money used in this mining business. They have bought lumber for their mining needs lavishly in the past 60 or 9O days but this is bought direct. The retailer has to get his in an indirect'way. So far mighty little has come our way.

M. L. EUPHRAT.

Wendling-Nathan Company, San Francisco

We are of the opinion that there is going to be a very satisfactory volume of business during the year 1936. The last half of 1935 shorved a very considerable ancl uniform improvement, continued right up to the end of the year, and seems to have marched right into 1936.

Furnituire Trade Increase Forecast

New York, Jan. S.-Housing constrnction plans and normal progress of recovery hold the promise lor a 25 per cent increase in business for the furniture industry in 1936, according to Frank E. Seiclman, trade authoritl, and statistician.