B. C. Waterborne Exports Show I tncrease

Total waterborne lumber exports from Vancouver Island, New Westminster and Vancouver during the first two months of. 1932 totaled 110,829,000 board feet compared with 90,576,00O feet the same period of 1931, an increase of 22 per cent, state reports from Consuls Nelson P. Meeks at Vancouver and Robert M. Newcomb at Victoria, made public by the Lumber Division of the Department of Commerce. Total February 1932 exports totaled 53,525,000 feet compared with 573A7,W feet in January, 7932, and 44,MW feet in February, 1931.

Total waterborne exports to the principal markets during the first two months as compared with the same period oJ 1931, were as follows, 1932 compared with 1931 respectively, in board feet: to the United States, 23,788,000, compared with 38,404,000, a decline of 38 per cent under 1931 ; to the United Kingdom and Continent, 13,625,000, compared 8,562,000, an increase of 58 per cent; and to the Orient (Japan and China), 60,990,000, compared with 35,099,000, an increase of.73 per cent.

Waterborne lumber shipments from the B. C. lower mainland to Canadian Atlantic ports during the first two rnonths period of this year amounted to 3,665,000 feet, compared with 4,661,000 feet during the 1931 period.

British Columbia sawmills continued to increase opera- tions during February and were reported to be operiting at 44.45 per cent of normal during the month, compared with 41.12 per cent of normal in January.

February logging operations were reported at about 30 per cent of normal, an increase of about 7l pet cent over January. Logs scaled in February totaled 80,085,778 board feet. On March 17 Vancouver log stocks were reported at 13,000,000 feet under February and more men are returning to B. C. logging camps.

British Columbia log exports to the United States during the first two months of L932 totaled 10,932,00O feet, rvhile to Japan totaled 10,273,000 feet.

Many Requests for Trade Assistance

Washington, D. C., March 3l.-Evidence that lumbermen are not taking the business depression lying down is furnished by the records of the Lumber Division of the Department of Commerce. They evince no lack of interest on the part of the lumber trade in the possibilities of foreign markets.

Actually the Division is receiving almost four times as many letters of inquiry for information and practical assistance as at this time in 1929. In the first eleven weeks of.1929 it received 816 requests for service, and in the same period of this year 1602.

Records of services rendered in respect to procuring agen,cy representation for foreign lumber importers in the United States and for American exporters abroad were incomplete in 1929 but for the first eleven weeks of 1932,224 such services were rendered, as compared with 111 in 1931. The number of re.cords made in regard to available agencies was 905 each in the eleven weeks periods of 1931 and 7932.

One interpretation put on the increased labors of the Lumber Division is that manufacturers and export dealers are using the time at their disposal because of the slowness of business to plan for the future and build up their selling organizations. Many of them would be at-a loss as to what to do about foreign contacts if they did not have the experience and knowledge of the Lumber Division at hand.