How Lrumber Lrooks

Approximately 130,0@,000 feet of Fir and Pine lumber was purchased by the office of the chief of Army engineers at Portland in a four day session that started April 1.

The auction was in charge of Major James C. Stowers. Robert Bratsch was chief auctioneer and he was assisted by Michael Hyman, James T. Flewharty and Earl L. Marlor,r'. There were about 16O bidders.

All the lumber was to be delivered within 45 davs.

Seattle, Washington, April lO, 1942.--:The weekly average of West Coast lumber production in March (4 weeks) was 170,487,W board feet, or 93.3 per cent of estimated capacity, according to the West Coast Lumbermen's Association in its monthly survey of the industry. Orders averaged 189,713,0n board feet; shipments, 185,590,000. Weekly averag'es for February were: production, l&,495,W board feet (83.5 per cent of the I976-I9D average); orders, 177,517,W; shipmpnts, 173,005,000.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at 891,482,0CI board feet at the end of March; gross stocks, at9D,7Z2,Offi.

The key to the West Coast lumber situation is the total war demand, which is growing week by week and is overtaxing ihe industry's ability to ,produce. Continuing war requirements for highest grade and special lumber items. while increasing requirements for structural grades going into war construction in place of steel, form the bulk of demand. The concentrated effort of the industrv todav is to sustain the war burden placed upon it, in log and lumber production and the handling of priorities. Every other element of the West Coast lumber situation has become unimportant.

Lumber deliveries by water into California in February as reported by the Pacific Coast Lumber Carriers' Association, San Francisco, (seven companies reporting)., totaled 19,66,6,10O feet.

Deliveries to the I'arious ports were as follows:

The Western Pine Association for the week ended April 4, 96 mills reporting, gave orders as 95,825,0@ feet, shipments 77,n7,mO feet, and production 61 ,2@,W feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 380.101.000 feet.

The Southern Pine Association for the rveek ended April 4, 105 mills reporting, gave orders as 41,321,000 feet, shipments 34j97,m feet, and production 28,169,0O feet. Orders on hand at the end of the rveek totaled 181.788.000 feet.