THE CALIFOR}-IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JackDiorrne,fublishu

How Lumber Looks

The National Lumber Manufacturers Association reported that lumber production for the week ended Feb. 15 stood at 149 per cent of the average of the corresponding week 1935-39 and shipments 132 percent. Production totaled 235,563,W feet, which was 2 per cent greater than the previous week, and22 per cent greater than the corresponding week a year ago.

Shipments aggregated 242,054,ffi feet, 2 per cent less than the previous week, and 23 per cent greater than last year's corresponding week.

Orders booked were 254,O91,000 feet, which was 2 per cent less than the previous week, and, 26 per cent greater than the corresponding week last year.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association reports: Seattle, Washington, February 12, l941-The weekly average of West Coast lumber production in January (5 weeks) was 150,095,000 board feet, or 94.2 per cent of present installed capacity. Orders averaged 147,930,W board feet; shipments, 151,365,000. Weekly averages for December were: production, 133,608,000 board feet (67.8 per cent of the 19261929 average) ; orders, L37,912,ffi; shipments, 146,133,000.

5 weeks of 1941, cumulative production, 75O,476,W board feet; same period, 194[,617,767,000; 1939, 554,418,000. Orders for 5 weeks of 1941 break down as follows: rail, 376,470,W board feet; domestic cargo, 247,798,m; export, 25,226,W ; local, 90,158,000.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at 675,576,m board feet at the end of January; gross stocks at 854,793,000.

January saw West Coast mills operating within 5 per cent of their machine capacity, after the midwinter shut- down period. This was held to a minimum because of continuing Government needs. However, the difference between January aand December production figures is due mainly to shutdowns in the latter month.

The West Coast lumber market situation remained practically unchanged during January. Early in December the upward price movement was checked, with the ending of rush purchases by the Government for immediate delivery, and ii continued to level off through January. Production capacity was crowded hard to catch up on the heavy volume of unfinished orders and to make ready for normal spring trade.

The scarcity of intercoastal tonnage remains an unfavorable factor in the West Coast lumber situation. ft compels shipments of lumber by rail that would normally go by water, through the Panama Canal to the Atlantic Coast. Offshore trade showed a marked decline in January, dropping close to the disappearing point.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended February 15, 1O1 mills reporting, gave orders as 72,550,000 feet, shipments 69,&3,W feet, and production 54,889,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 3@,I44,m feet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended February 15, 130 mills reporting, gave orders as 31,066,00O feet, shipments 37,702,000 feet, and production 36,235,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 116,4O8,000 feet.

Lumber cargo receipts at Los Angeles Harbor for the week ended February 22, totaled, 13,195,000 feet as compared with 25,@1,000 feet the previous week.

Sudden t Ghristenson

Here

Is A Quiet Place Where

one may dream hours away and be content. It shines With many a shadow spot and golden gleam, Under the murmur of those priestly pines.

The

* * *-Author lJnknown.

If you want knowledge, you must toil for it. Toil is the law. When one gets to love work, his life is happy.John Ruskin.

When a man or a motor knocks, it is a sign of weakness.

A speaker at one of the recent retail lumber conventions said that there are three ways to get ahead in the retail lumber business. First: By doing what others are unable to do. Second: By doing what others are unwilling to do. Third: By doing what others are intending to do, but doing it first. ***

Ray Saberson, speaking at a retail lumber convention, offered some interesting information concerning the retail lumber business today, and a generation ago. He said that from 1900 to 1920 retail lumber dealers sold 19 to 2l/e of. all the material that went into buildings. Now, he said, they get S/"Vo, because "instead of the other yard down the street we now have competition with truckers, local mills, cash and carry yards, mail order houses, wholesalers who sell direct on larger jobs, house wrecking yards which do both old and new business, cut price yards at every strategic point, cooperative yards, and 'bath tub' yards which sell first and buy afterwards."

***

The opportunity and privilege of aiding in the national defense movement was highlighted by speakers at every one of the recent retail lumber conventions whose programs we read. Lumbermen generally are among the most patriotic citizens of this nation, and there is no better audience before which to wave the fag of loyalty, than a lumber bunch. They really respond and enthuse.

*,F*

We hear much of "bottle-necks" nowadays, in discussions of the defense program, a bottle-neck meaning a narrow point in the fow of production that cuts down the speed of production or distribution. In the lumber manu- facturing business the bottle-neck is the seasoning and drying department. Most mills can arrange to speed up and increase their green lumber production in various ways. Some mills today, for instance, run three shifts. But it is physically impossible for a mill to increase its drying capacity in any such fashion. Yard drying is a slow process, and in much of the lumber producing area of the country this has been a wet winter that slowed air drying down very sadly. And most dry kilns are used to their greatest capacity during normal times. To double the output of a dry kiln built to fit the normal production of the mill it serves, is seldom possible. And dry kilns are not built in a great hurry. So the drying and seasoning department of almost every mill is the bottle-neck that must be reckoned with when greater production is desired. *>t*

When the defense program rush is over, whenever that may be, it is a certainty that it will be found that the lumber drying ability and capacity of the entire lumber industry has been greatly advanced and increased. t<**

Retail service. A rural lumber dealer I know cooperated with the agricultural extension department of a state college and gave the farm women of his territory a demonstration right in his own office of how women can do their own wall papering in their homes. He got a large attendance by writing a list of personal letters, and the $romen came and watched with interest while they were shown how to prepare the walls, make the paste, cut the paper, put on the paste, and put the paper on the wall. Some jobs of papering on the farm are impractical except as home work. This dealer showed them how to do it.

The report of Manager \AI. W. Woodbridge to the annual meeting of the Red Cedar Shingle Bureau, splendidly illustrates the efficient workings of that very successful institution. The report shows that they spent 46.4 per cent of their total budget for advertising; inserted a total of 58,0o0,0fi) advertising messages in home, farm, trade, and other publications; circulated its house organ to 27,N0 dealers; made ten thousand contacts over the nation through its field men; reached a quarter of a million deal. ers, carpenters, and contractors with its Handbook; and (Continued on Page 8)