How Lumber Looks

Douglas Fit-Production at the mills continues at low levels. 342 mills reporting to the 'West Coast Lumbetments Association for the week ended March 28 operated at 42.07 per cent of capacity, as compared to 40.98 per cent of capacity for the preceding week and 72.74 per cent of capacity during the same week last year.

Current new birsin6ss repdrted by 222 identical mills to the Association for the week ended March 28 was 16.16 per cent over production and shipments wete 14.59 per cent over the output. New rail trade business received during the week was about 516o01000 feet more than the volume reported for the previous weekl decrease of about 610001000 feet in the domestic cargo trade and 310001000 feet in the local trade were reported; while export gained about 1r30Or0O0 ft.; making the total new business approximately 210001000 feet less than the week before and 161000'000 feet more than during the second week previous. Dudng the past 17 weeks orders have averaged 11.1e per cent over production at these mills due to the low level of cut. ting and fairly regular although low volume buying. Inventor. ies are being reduced weekly and are now lower than at this time last year.

Production at these 222 mills totaled 10915141556 feetl orders werc t27,216,211 f.eti and shipments 125,495,561 feet. Ordets decreased about 210001000 feet under the previous week, shipments gained approximately 1810001000 feet, while production increased about 2,(X)0rO00 feet over the preceding week.

Details of orders and shipments as reported by these 222 mills for the week ended March 28, follows: Orders-Rail 44,7161910 feet; Domestic Cargo 471683,917 feet; expott 2612291702 feet; Local 8,565,542 f.eet. Shipments-Rail 47,842,677 fieet; Domestic Cargo 461184179] feet; Export 2619021549 feet; Local E,565,542 feet.

fndustrial and building activities in California are showing a slight increase, and it is reported that the retail dealers are

Jack Fahs A California Visitor

Jack Fahs, of Buffalo, N. Y., is sojourning in Southern California for a month enjoying the California sunshine. He is visiting his brother, Bill Fahs, of Los Angeles, who represents the California Panel & Veneer Co., in the Southern California territorY.

Planing Mill Burns

The mill of the Bridgeford Planing Mill at Sebastapol was destroyed by fire April 5.

Srn Frrncirco (Oficr tlt Sutr Mariu Bldr. ll2 Mukct Sbct

Tclcphoc E $ro|r buying a little more freely. fn general, the feeling is much better with the trade. Fir prices remain about the same. [Jnsold stocks on the docks at San Pedro totaled 4,992,OOO feet on April 8, the lowest point reached in many years; Fir cargo arrivals at this port are low and for the week ended April 4 totaled 611541000 Leet. Building petmits in moct sections of the Sate for March showed an increase over the mo,nth of Februaty. The number of building petmits during March in the Los Angeles district, indicated the trend towards residental construction, and at least ternporaily, away from large buildings. 51 vessels in the California lumber'service are laid up. lJ {< {< **

California White and Sugar Pine sales continue to exceed production and prices are firm. The Redwood market has shown no material changes during the past few weeks and prices are reported firm.

Orders were again above the cut by approximately 7 per ceng it is indicated in reports from 785 leading hardwood and soft wood mills to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association for the week ended March 28. Shipments from these mills were 8 per cent above the cut which a,mounted to 2O9rO01rOfi) feet.

The current relationship of shipments and orders to production for the first 12 weeks of 1931, as reported by the regional associations to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, follows:

Vest Coast Lumberrnents Association-Production 1r198r1OO M feet: Shipments 112621848 M feet: Orders lr75gr045 M feet.

Vestern Pine Manufacturers Association-Production 234675 M feet; Shipments 328,445 M feet; Orders 707,791 M feet.

Southern Pine AssocialisnProduction 4541415 M feet; Shipments 490,308 M feet; Orders 507,633 M feet.

Totat HardwoodsProduction 27lr088 M feet; Shipments 282,310 M feet; Orders 301,564 M feet.

E. de REYNIER VISITS SAN FRANCISCO

E. de Reynier, of the Reynier Lumber Co., San Francisco, recently spent a few days in San Francisco. His many friends will be glad to hear that he is making verv satisfactory progress towards recovery at Colfax Hospital.

S. F. YARD DAMAGE $7500

Fire caused damage estimated at $7500 to a shed at the yard of the Christenson Lumber Co., San Francisco, Apfil 7.