U. S. Forest Products lmports From Heads Calilornia Simplifted Canada Exceed

Exports for 1930 Practice Committee

According to the United States official export and import figures for the calendar year 1930, the United States exported forest products to Canada totaling $25,500,550 while in return she imported from Canada $n4,876,977 value of forest products, states the Lumber Division of the Department of Commerce. In other words, United States imports from Canada during 1930 of forest products were nearly 8 times by value greater than her exports to Canada..

Of the total forest products exported from the United States to Canada in 1930, total wood unmanufactured, which includes logs, hewn'timber, railroad ties, piling and poles, and fuel wood, amounted to $2,091,487; total sawmill products, which includes sawed timber, boards, planks and scantlings, lath and shingles, totaled $6,582,714; total wood manufactured, which includes cooperage, box shooks, veneers, plywood, flooring, millwork, furniture of wood, handles, etc., amounted to $6,239,394; and pulp woods, wood pulp and total paper and manufactures amounted to $11,596,955.

On the other hand, United States imported from Canada a total of wood and manufactures, which includes logs, ties, poles, sawed boards, and lumber, lath, shingles, veneers, plywood, furniture oi wood, etc., amounting to $39,330,156; pulp woods and wood pulp amounting to V7,875,490 and of paper and manufactures a total of $II7,671,331.

According to official Canadian figures for the calendar year 1930 Canada exported a total ol $249,ffi,23l of. wood, wood products and paper, of which about 81 per cent or $n2,979,355 were exported to the United States, about 6 per cent or $18,578,797 to the United Kingdom and the balance exported to other countries.

The difterence of about one per cent between United States and Canadian official figures is doubtless explainable to the difference in time in the recording of exports and imports.

A Minute Man for Lumber

Ta,coma, Wash., Mar,ch 25.-In recognition of the efricient cooperation of J. E. Mackie (Northwestern representative of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association) with the Tacoma Lumbermen's Club and the Building Code Committee of that city, a copy of the following resolution was sent to the N. L. M. A.

"At a regular meeting of the Tacoma Lumbermen's Club, January 15th, a resolution was adopted unanimously to the effe,ct that the Club extends its thanks to the National Lumber Manufacturers Asso,ciation for the service of J. E. Mackie, your northwestern representative, rendered the club code committee, as well as the City of Tacoma Building Code Committee, in the preparation of a new building code the city is about to adopt. At the same time the club wishes to thank Mr. Mackie personally, and formally, for his able servi,ces, through the association he so ably represents."

The appointment of George M. Richardson, president of the National Association of Purchasing Agents, to head the statewide Simplified Practice Committee of the California State Chamber of Commerce was recently announced.

The Committee was appointed by the United States Department of Commerce to represent it in handling simplified practice matters within the state. Mr. Rlchardson is Purchase Engineer for Southern California Edison Company, Limited, Los Angeles, and has long been identified with standardization and simplification work in the utility field. His appointment is a recognition of the cooperation of the Association in the standardization and simplification movement carried on by the Government.

Wood Waste Checked

About 67,W carloads of wood waste are produced annually by the lumber and woodworking industries of Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, according to a statement made today by Dr. Wilson Compton, secretary-manager of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, Washington, D.C. Dr. Compton also is a member of the National Committee on Wood Utilization of the Department of Commerce, and has acted as a member of a special sub-committee which has completed a wood waste survey in Maryland.

His statement continues: "IJnder present conditions, large quantities of wood waste are neiessarily produced in connection with the primary processes of milling and fabrication. However, at most sawmills and wood-fabricating plants the use of improved machinery and equipment would considerably reduce the production of nonutilized wood."

It is also pointed out that although much of this wood is not used commercially at present, much of it represents potential raw material for the manufactur-e of such products as lath, small dimension stock, short-length lumber, box and crate stock, and novelties and turned wood products. The material which has been listed as a result of the Committee's surveys may also be converted into wood four, wall board and insulating materials, pulp and paper, and charcoal and distillation products.

Dr. Compton explained that the National Committee has been conducting wood waste surveys during the past five years as the result of requests received from the governors of the various states. Surveys have been completed in the three states previously mentioned, and a fourth study is now being carried on in New York. As a result of these investigations 33,000 carloads annually of nonutilized wood have been reported from North Carolina, 28,000 carloads from Virginia, and 6,000 carloads from Maryand. Bulletins have been published for each of these states, giving detailed information regarding the kind, quantity, type, and location of every carload of waste reported. These reports are now available for the guidance of those interested in the purchase and utilization of this

L. c. HAMMoND BACK FRoM EAsr material'

Dr. Compton beliewes that the non-utilized wood surveys

Leonard C. Hammond, vice-president of the Hammond are a valuable development in that they furnish the inforLumber Co., San Francisco, has returned from a six weeks' mation needed by a wide range of industries which use trip drrring which he visited the company's Chicago and wood as a raw material, and also because of the public and Ntew Yorli offices. and various Atlantic and Gulf Coast individual interest which is created in the efficient manucities. .-,.-..facture, aad..use,, of..lumber.and wood- ptgd$cts,,... -.,..."n.-

Russian Lumber on Argentine Market Sells at Record Low Prices

The cargo of some 3,000,000 feet of Russian spruce anil pine which entered Argentina during January is now reported to have been sold to Argentine dealers at record low prices, states a ccmmunication from American Trade Commissioner James G. Burke at Buenos Aires to the Lumber Division of the Department of Commerce.

The outlook for West Coast shippels is consid,ered by the local trade as unfavorable for the coming year. While Douglas fir is holding its place fairly well in face of strong competition from pitch pine, both woods are selling at low prices, due partly to record low freight rates. The Russian lumber is expected to affect principally West Coast hemlock, spruce and pine. It is expected that petroleum boxes will continue to be made from West Coast hemlock but that is said to be the only fairly sure business in sight. The local traCe feels that prices have reached bottom and as soon as prices show a firming tendency, that this, together with the fact that stocks are low, should encourage substantial buying.

The Russian pine and spruce which arrived in January is reported by the local trade as fourth grade and in short lengths, with lack of uniformity in dimensions. This, together with irregularity in Russian arrivals, precludes the possibilities of buyers placing orders until they have actually seen the lumber.

Bldg.-Loan League Reports Loans on Refinancing and Construction

In,creasing amounts lent for refinancing of homes and steadily decreasing amounts lent for new construction are reported by building and loan associations in tabulations, as of January 31, to the United States Building and l-oan League, it is reported by the California Building-Loan .League.

An estimate for the month projected on basis of .the reporting members and affiliated state leagues shou's total loans made approximately $55,000,000, of which some $41,000,000, or 77 per cent, was for re{inancing and purchase of existing homes.

William E. Best, Pittsburgh, Pa., president of the United States League, emphasizes that the refinancing operations of these local institutions in January are definite indications of where the real need for the funds of the proposed home loan bank system lies. A refinancing demand many times that actually filled by the associations is now represented by waiting lists, Mr. Best said. He pointed to straight mortgages'coming due in principal now and throughout the next six months which would demand large refinancing iunds.

"These figures are evidence of the real reason whv a federal system of home loan banks-is needed at this time and of what use would be made of funds released to local home financing units through this legislation. The neople rvho alread.y 9wl tromes are the object of the emergency angle of this bill's benefits.

"We know from waiting lists on the books of associations in all parts of the country that this 941,000,000 lent by associations to refinance homes in January was only that portion of the demand which building anrl loan assdciations could be expe'cted to take care of with their limited funds derived from small savers."