HowLumber Looks

' The National Lumber Manufacturers Association reports that lumber orders booked by 1f85 mills for the week ended January 2O wete 26 per cent higher than those of the preceding week. This is the first time in several weeks that orders exceeded production.

Production of the mills was given as t45r46lrOOO feet; shipments 135,E65,0q) feeg and orders 16916081000 feet.

New business reported to the Vest Coast Lumberments Association by 487 mills for the week ended January 20 totald 851095,810 feet as against a production of 7212151815 feet and shipments of 5816101892 f.eet. Shipments were under production by 18.8 per cent, and current sales were over production by 17.9 per cent. Orders booked during the week by this group of mills were over the preceding week by 2VTOOATOOO f,eet ot 37.3 per cent.

The increase in business for this week over the previous week is believed by lumbermen to be because of the publication on lanuary 12, to become efrective January 22, of. an amended minimum price list covering items of Douglas fir and Vest Coast hemlock, the Associatlon sltes. *

The Vestern Pine Association for the week reported new business from 133 mills as 3lr723,NO feet; shipments 2813501000 feet and production l8r474rOOO f.eet. Orders werc 71.7 per cent over production and 11.8 per cent above shipments. Shipments were 53.4 per cent above production.

Southern Calif. Code Authority

Meets at Los Angeles

The direct'ors of the Southern California Lumber Code Administrative Authority met at Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 23, 1934. A1l districts were represented at the meeting. Terms of sales, rules and regulations governing conditions of retail sales in Southern California were adopted and forwarded to Washington for approval.

The exe'cutive 'committee released the information that the modal overhead ,cost on lumber for selling and administrative expense in Southern Californii was fixed by the NRA at 23 per cent of cost at the yard plus a handling and delivery ,cost of $5.60 for the Los Angeles trade area and $5.20 or $4.80 in other areas depending on the population. The modal minimum on other building materials not sold on a b'oard foot basis was fixed at 42 oer cent of cost at the yard,

The California Redwood Association for the week ended January 20 reported production fuorh 22 mills as 611811000 feet; shipments 513051000 feet, and ordets 3r355r(/0o Leet Orders on hand at the mills at the end of the week were 321 zt5rOOO feet. Twelve identical mills repotted production 59 per cent greater and new business 9 per cent greater than for the same week last year.

353 hatdwood mills gave new business for the week ended January t3 as llr3TTrOOO feet, or 46 per cent below production, and shipments as 111195;00O feet, ot 47 pet cent below produc- tion. Production was 2110251000 Jeet.

_ The California cargo market is dull. The retail trade reports business quiet and spotty. The Lumber & Allied Products Institute issued a new retail lumber price list for the Loo Angeles district on January 24, which raisei the prices of No. 1 common Fir f4.00 per M feet, No. 2 common Fir f3.00 per M feet, and No. 3 common Fit $2.OO pet M feet. Uppers advanced f5.00 per_ M feet, excepting Douglas fir finish w-liich is raised ll0.0o. Redwood commons advanced 15.00 per M feet These advances follow the Code raises of the manufacturers.

Unsold lumber on the public docks at Los Angeles harbot totaled 742rOOO feet on lanuaty 22. Lumber receipts at Loc 4ng"ler hatbor for the week ended January 27 totaled 5,7o9poo feet as against 5r984r0OO feet for the preceding week. 57 ve-ssels were operating in the coastwise lumber service on January 22; 47 vessels were laid up.

John G. Ziel Organizes Own Hardwood lmporting Firm

John G. Ziel announces that effectiv-e January 1, following the liquidation of Barg, Ziel & Co., he organized his own firm under the name ol ZieI & Co. to carry on in the offices of the old company, Room 714, 16 California Street, San Francisco, the business of hardwood importers.

Mr. Ziel also announces that Ziel & Co. have been appointed exclusive representatives for the United States of Basilan Lumber Co., Inc., of. Zamboanga, P. f., one of the four largest Philippine mills, and also for the Asiatic (Gartner) Lumber Co., of Otaru, Japan, manufacturers of Japanese oak and bir'ch, thus continuing the principal hardwood activities of the old firm.

His concern also import other foreign woods such as spotted gum, ironbark, teak, etc., Mr. Ziel states.