WEST OREGON I.UMBER GOMPANY

Manulcrcturers

Lumber Saving at Ports Nets Millions to U. S.

The Army Service Forces Transportation Corps is making a systematic effort to reclaim lumber and estiinates that savings in the last few months have been more than $1,000,@0 in value, according to a United Press report.

The salvage is done principally by Italian Service Units and German prisoners of 'q'ar at ports of embarkation, the article continues. Every type of lumber, from bomb racks and bulkheads on freight cars to dunnage goes into the woodpile for sorting and re-use.

There are four categories of salvaged lumber, utilities and repair, packing and crating, dunnage, and firewood. There is also an important indirect saving in shipping space. If the lumber were not salvaged, an equivalent amount would have to be shipped in.

At Boston 300,000 board feet of lumber is being reclaimed each week as dimension lumber for use on cargo ships. An equivalent amount of new lumber would cost $15,000.

The Los Angeles Port of Embarkation is saving $200 daily substituting salvaged lumber for dbnnage. Giant .wire cable spools are covered with salvaged slats. Salvaged waterproof plywood is used to make 16-foot rowboats.

At Seattle port battalions sah'age enough lumber monthly to build 34 modern S-room bungalows.

The San Francisco Port of Embarkation has salvagsd $33,000 worth of timber. Bomb racks are one of the principal items.

ISU workers have saved thq, Charleston Port of Em-

\fPB Estimates 1944 Lumber Production at 32.5 Billion

Lumber production in 1944 is estimated at 32,553,901,000 board feet, a six per cent decline from 1943 production of 34,621,972,0A0 board feet, the War Production Board reports. Production in 1942 was 36,332,248,000 board feet.

Softwood accounted for 25,224,971,000 board feet of total 1944 production, a decline of 7.5 per cent from 1943. Hardwoods made up 7,328,930,W board feet of 1944 production, a decline of 0.2 per cent from 1943.

For the month of December, 1944, production was 2,085,380,000 board feet, a decline of 15.5 per cent from November and 21.2 per cent from December, 1943. Normal seasonal decrease from November to December is about 10 per cent, WPB said. The greater-than-normal decrease shown by December, 1944, output accentuated the low-level trend that began in September and was due in part to extremely severe weather in all parts of the country except the North Pacific and the Northern Rocky Mountain regions. Other factors contributing to low December production were shutdowns during Christmas lveek, temporary closures for repairs, and accentuated manpower and equipment shortages.

barkation more than $625,000 in labor costs alone. Of the two companies r,rrorking there, the first since arrival in May salvaged 2,000,000 board feet of lumber rirorth $100,000. The second arrived in June.

New York and New Orleans are using Italian units. Hampton Roads uses German prisoners and plans to double the present number assigned to lumber salvage.