THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JackDionne,futtdttu

LOS ANGELES, CAL., MAY I, I93I

How Lumber Looks

Douglas Fir-A total of 340 mills reporting to the Vest Coast Lumberments Association for the week ended April 18 operated at 45.67 pet cent of capacity, as compared to 44.48 pet cent of capacity for the pteceding week and 69.3O per cent of capacity during the same week last year.

Current new business reported by 221 identical mills for the week ended April 18 was 0.11 per cent over production and chipments were 0.68 per cent over the output. During the past 20 weeks orders for t{rese mills have averaged 12.86 per cent over production Inventories are now lowet than at this time last year, according to the Association.

Production, orders and shipments at 221 mills for the week i'trded April 18 were reported in board feet as follows: Production 118,154,886 feet; Shipments L18,963,32, feet; Orders 1181282,732 feet.

Details of orders and shipments as reported by these 221 mills follows: Orders-Rail 3914681311 feet; Domestic Catgo 46e708,617 feet; Export 23,637,826 feet; Local 8,467,978 feet Shipments-Rail 41,861,565 f.eet; Domestic Cargo 4017651085 feet; Export 27,868,695 feet; Local 8,467,978 f.eet.

San Francisco Bay District wholesalers report that cargo prices are better, low grade items are very closely picked up, and lath is firming up. They state that there is more inquiry for special items, particularly cutting. The Southern California market shows very little change and the demand is slow; prices remain about the same, excepting lath, which is reported scarce with an increase in price. Unsold stocks on the public docks

A. C. PENBERTHY ON NORTHWEST TRIP

A. C. Penberthy, I-os Angeles, is in the Northwest calling on his mill connections at Tacoma, Wash. Mr. Penberthy represents the Defiance Lumber Co., Clear Fir Lumber Co., Tacoma Harbor Lumber Co., Gange Lumber Co., and the Mountain Lumber Co. in the Southern California territory.

W. A. STIPPICH VISITS PACIFIC COAST

W.A. Stippich, Stippich Lumber Company, Wichita, Kansas, has just completed a three weeks' business trip to the Pacific Coast where he visited Vancouver, B. C., Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other lumber manufacturing points. The Stippich Lumber Company are well known Middle West wholesalers covering the Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle territories.

at San Pedro totaled 5p38,000 feet on Aptil 23; incotning Fir cargo amivals at this port for the week ended April 18 totaled 11r6O1r(X)0 feet. 40 vessels in the California lumber setvice are laid up. The Fir rail market shows very liale change.

Redwood prices are firm. The Redwood mills are operating at about 5Wo oL capacity and mill inventories are normal. California Vhite and Sugar Pine sales are well in advance of production. Prices are firm and stocks at the mills are well balanced. A good demand for White Fir dimension is reported in some sections'

Lumber production at 759 leading hardwood and softwood mills for tfie week ended April 18 totaled 226,489,000 feet as indicated in reports to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association.

The cument relationship of shipments and orders for the first 15 weeks of. t931, as reported by the regional associations to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, follows:

V'est Coast Lumbermen's Association-Production lr5t7rr47 M feet; Shipments 1,606605 M feet; Orders 1,736,624 M feet.

Vestern Pine Manufacturers Association-Production 333r521 M feet; Shipments 414,582 M feet; Orders 394,012 M feet.

Southern Pine Association-Production 5691210 M feet; Shipments 615,426 M f.eet; Orders 621,579 M feet.

Total Hardwoods-Production t36,538 M feet; Shipments ,54,768 M feet; Orders 367,928 M feet.

E. A. HORR RETURNS FROM EASTERN BUSINESS TRIP

E. A. Horr, Klamath Falls, Ore., sales manager of the Shaw Bertram I-umlrer Co., has returned from a business trip in the east where he called on the company's representatives and the lumber trade. He visited New York. Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and other lumber consuming points in the east and Southwestern states.

Ray Shannon Spends Two Weeks At Home Office

Ray Shannon, who is in charge of the lJnion Lumber Company's rail sales at Fort Bragg, is spending two weeks at the home office in San Francisco, handling the work of Sherman Bishop, who is absent on his honeymoon.