THE CALIFOR}IIA

How Lumber Looks

Lumber production during the holiday rveek ended December 28, l9m. rvas 32 per cent less than in the previous week; shipments rvere 32 per cent less; new business 16 per cent less; according to reports (incomplete due to the holidays) to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association from regional associations covering the operations of representative hardwood and softwood mills. Shipments were 23 per cent and new orders 27 per cent above produc- tion. Compared with the corresponding week of 1939, production was 12 per cent greater, shipments 7 per cent greater, and nerv business 6 per cent greater. The industry stood at 90 per cent of the seasonal rveekly average ol 1929 production and94 percent of average 1929 shipments.

Reported production for the 52 weeks ol L94O to date was 6.4 per cent above corresponding weeks of 1939; shipments rn'ere 8 per cent above the shipments and ner,r' orders were 10 per cent above the orders of the 1939 period. For the 52 weeks of 194O to date, new business wis 9 per cent above production, and shipments r,vere 7 per cent abo'ue production.

During the rveek ended December 28, I9m, 454 mills produced I47,06If/|/l_ feet of softrvoods and hardr,voods combined; shipped 180,938,000 feet; booked orders of 185,114,000 feet. Revised figures for the preceding week rvere mills, 465, production 216.819,000 feet; shipments 264,690,W feet; orders 220,579,0ffi feet.

Lumber orders reported for the rveek ended December 28, 1940, by 387 softrvood mills totalle d l77,slZ,W feet ; or 27 per cent above the production o{ the same mills. Shipments as reported for the same week werc 173,724,000 feet, or 24 p& cent above production. Production was 139,843,@O feet. Reports from 79 hardwood mills give new business as 8,602,000 feet, or 19 per cent above production. Shipments as reported for the same u,eek were 7,214,W {eet, or .1 per cent belon' production. Production was 7,218,000 feet.

Seattle, Wasl-rington, January 8, 1941.-The weekly average of West Coast lumber production in December (4 rveeks) was 133.6O8.000 board feet, or 83.9 per cent of present installed capacity, according to tl-re West Coast Lumbermen's Association in its monthlv survev of the industry. Orders averaged 137,912,W 6oard feet; shipments, 146.133.CU0. Weekly averages for November were: production, 134,361.000 board feet (68.2 per cent of the l92Gl9D average) ; orders, 143,57I,W0; shipments, 132,438,000.

52 u'eeks of 1940. cumulative production. 7.086.865.000 board feet ; same period. 1939-4.426,951.000; 1938,-5.182.328,000.

Orders fior 52 weeks of 1940 break dorvn as follows : rail. 3.699,807,000 board feet; domestic cargo, 2.499,550,000; export, 386,895.000 ; local, 98,220,000.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at 692,748,W board feet at the end of December; gross stocks, at 851,000,000.

December brought no marked change in the situation of West Coast lumber. The usual midwinter lull in the industry's normal commercial trade came on, but it was measurably offset by the continued though decreasing volume of national defense buying. Defense lumber remains the major factor of the market but with steadily lessening dominance as the cantonment construction program swings toward the finishing line. Shortage in intercoastal space is again a serious probem for the industry. With active demand from the Atlantic Coast for West Coast lumber, the space shortage is accumulating business which will probably flow over into rail movement.

The feature of tl-re past year for West Coast lumber was the sudden influx of orders for national defense. This turned 1940 from an ordinary lumber year into a good lumber year. Residential building and other private construction lvas well sustained throughout the twelve months. In the last six months the Government bought about two billion feet of'lumber, with from 600 to 65O million feet being taken from the West Coast. This new business came out of a clear sky, and the industry was unable to increase production rapidly enough to meet fully the suddenly auqmented volume of lumber demand. In the final half of the year production was short 501 million feet against intake of new orders.

With procluction rising to 7,O86,000,000 board feet on the bulge of defense buying, 194O was the largest year for West Coast lumber since 1930, when production was 7,638,000,000 feet. The sudden flood of defense business left the industrl' with an exceptional volume of unfilled orders, 692,7A8.W feet, and with unusually low stocks.

While the peak of defense business has been passed, probably 4O per cent of its total requirements remains to be met. This will represent many smaller shipments for many different purposes. from defense housing to shipyard construction. On this basis, the 1941 lumber billu'ill carrl a greater diversitl'of items than in past periods.

The Western Pine Association for the lveek ended January 4,93 mills reporting, gave ,orders as 62,509,000 feet, shipments &,192,W feet, and production 39.933,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the rveek totaled 290.566.000 feet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended January 4, ll2 mills reporting, gave orders as 25,814,000 feet, shipments D,4OZ000 feet, and production 28,764,ffi feet. Orders on hand at the encl of the lr'eek totaled 86,615.000 feet.