Mills Expected to Take Vacation

June Shutdown Held Needed to Keep Up Prices Winter Work Factor Production When

i

Building Was at Standstill Unbalanced Market

By C.C. CROW

are again sawing six days, placing the market in the weakestconditionthatithasbeenatanytimethisyear.

The unfortunate feature at present is that the consumption of lumber is heavy and the downward tendqncy of Said to Have prices is caused only by over-zealous sales methodi 6f Pacific coast lumbermen and the wisdom of the retail buyers in deferring purchases and taking advantage of the sltuatlon. i i.

Thrown out of balance by the production of too much lumber during the winter, when building was at a standstill .in the consuming fields, the control of the market has rernained in the hands of the buyers up to the present.

In February and March many mills throughout the north;west dropped to a four and five-day week in an effort to ,allolv the demand to catch up with the supply. The cur:tailment, though only a small percentage of the normal out:put, had the effect of holding prices on a {airly level basis. .Wheh the few mills that had been sawing only four days a iweek decided to go to five, the tracle gained the erroneous that the curtailment movement had collapsed. iThe resuJt of this was a temporary slowing up in buying, had been none too lively at the best.

Prices Are Softening

ff,. last three weeks have seen prices gradually soften- and a number of mills that were operating short shifts lfowever, recent developments indicate that the slunip will reach bottom before the middle of Tune. Many of the larger logging camps in both Oregon and Washington havi laid off their fallers preparatory to closing for from fortr ili eight weeks as soon as the down timber can be cleaned up.

Mills to Take Holiday

In sympathy with,this movement a number of mills have already announced their intentions of shutting down aborit June 15 to remain idle until after July 4.

A survey just made shorvs that there is but little diffe,rence between supply and dernand today, and it is the cjpiii. ion of a majority of the ltimbermen that if enough of thd mills take a three 'weeks' holiday over the Fourth of July. the tetail yards, which for the most part have unusqally low stocks, will come into the market heavily and a foundar tion will be put under the fall business which will make the last half of this year profitable to the manufacturers, som'ething that cannot be said of the months just passed.-Port* land "Oregonian," May 25., :

.Metnber Mills:

Alblon Lumber Company

Caspar Lumber Company

Dolbeer & Careol Lumber Co.

Glen Blalr Redwood Q9.

Hammond Lumber Company

J. R. Hantfy Gompbny - "'l','

Hobbe, Wall & Company

Holmes Eureka Lumber Co.

Llttle Rtver Redwood Co.

Mendoclno Lumber Co.

Northwestern Redwood Co.

Redwood Manufacturere Co.

The Paclftc Lumber Co.

Unlon Lumber Company