How Ltumber Lrooks

Seattle, Washington, May L4, 1943-The weekly average of West Coast lumber,production in April (4 weeks) was 164,497,000 board feet, or 108.3 per cent of 7939-1942 averag'e, according to the West Coast Lumbermen's Association in its monthly survey of the industry. Orders averaged 177,757,000 board feet ; shirpments, 167,110,000. Weekly averages for March were: Productign, I49,449W board feet (98.4 per cent of the 1939-1942 average) ; orders, 143,467,M ; shipments, 151,362,ffi

The industry's unfil.led order file stood at 1,048,321,000 board feet at the end of April; gross stocks, at 503,782,W.

Continued gain in production remained the feature of the West Coast lumber picture in April, with the weekly average 108.5 per cent of the 1939-1942 average, against 98.4 per cent in March and 83.3 in February. Gain is due to the fact that the manpower situation has somewlal im,proved, with practically all logging operations running 48 hours per week, while all mills that can get logs are on a 48-hour basis.

The industry has made this record in the face of necessity to produce specific and changing kinds of lumber to meet emergency war requirements. The need for a tremendous volume of boards for boxes and crates brought an order from the Western Log and Lumber Administrator of the War Production Board for West Coast mills to treble production of these particular items. The response has been complete-so much so trhat 26 million feet of board orders have been transferred from the South to the West Coast.

April brought signs that war'plant construction is over the peak. This signifies that more lumber may gradually be made available for commercial trade, particularly to meet farm and railroad requirements.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended May 15, 101 mills reporting, gave orders as 79,090,000 feet, shipments 75,742,m feet, and production 82,568,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 436,232,ffi feet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended May 15, 144 mills reporting, gave orders as 19,192,000 feet, shipments 23,832,0m feet, and production 20,883,0O feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 126,719,W feet.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ended May 8 reported orders as 124,502,W feet, shipments 120,363,000 feet, and production 117,612,O$ f.eet.

For the week ended May 15, orders were reported .as 137,386,000 feet, shipments 117,591,000 feet, and production 121,156,000 feet.

California Douglar Fir Price Ruling \?hite Fir Exempted From

California producers of Douglas fir lumler today were authorized by the Office of Price Administration to price their lumber on the same basis as mills producing the same species in Oregon and Washington west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains.

This action also formalizes the industry's practice of a single level of prices for all Douglas fir lumber delivered in California, which means that California mills may sell their lumber for the same price obtained for lumber delivered from Oregon and Washington.

The moves were contained in amendment No. 15 to maximum price regulation No. 26 (Douglas fir) which was expanded in scope to include California, since the mills in that state grade and sell most of their Douglas fir, hemlock and true fir in competition with northern mills.

At the same time, OPA excluded from regulation No. 26 cross ties and switch ties, which are being trairsferred to maximum price regulation No. 284 (Western primary forest products) for coverage.

LOG AND "BOLT" BUYING PLANTS

Conditions under which log and "bolt" buying plants may obtain suspension of ceiling prices for more than 45 days while they prepare area-pricing petitions are announced by OPA (MPR 348, Amendment 3), efiective May 19.

!7PB Restrictions

White fir lumber produced west of the crest of the Cascade Mountain range was exempted by the War Production Board today from restrictions imposed by limitation order L-D0, which became effective last Thursday. The volume of production of this excepted lumber is very small and is generally mixed with hemlock lumber, produced in the same mills, and sold as hemlock. Most of the white fir is produced east of the range.

The mills which produce this white fir are governed by limitation order L-218 on their Douglas fir production and by order M-208 on their hemlock and white fir output. These two orders are considered sufficient controls for the very small amount of white fir produced.

All Mail to Merchant Must Be Marked to L. A. Zone 14

Effective immediately, all mail addressed to the Los Angeles office of The California Lumber Merchant must carry the delivery zone number "14" in compliance with new postal regulations. The correct address now is:

The California Lumber Merchant

508 Central Building

108 West Sixth Street

Los Angeles 14 California