How Lumber Looks

The twelve monthg ending July first, 1923, is the healthie* twelve months market Claifornia has ever known.

Perhapr it would be no exaggeration to say that it har been'as hedthy a twelve month market as ANY territory has ever known.

The lumber market, during thoae twelve months, har been consistently prospe.rouE, active, and enthusiastic.

It is fair to state that California has been an anchoifo windward for the entire roftwood lumber market of the nation throughout the year. Several times dwing the twelve months that have just ended, the national lumber demand har fdtered.. There have been numerouE times when the rawmills of the Pacific Northwest would have been forced to dump their product into eartern territory at the mercy of the generd market, had it not been for the conrtant and conristent demand from California. Teke the early part of last fall, for inrtance, when for weekc both the northwestern millr and the Southern Pine millr cut much more than they could sell. It war the tremendour California demand that kept the northwestern mills from a revere break, and becaure the northwertern mills stood firm, Southern Pine held itr ovrn. This is an unquectioned fact.

At the prerent time the tonnage of water tranrportation hauling lumber from the northwert to Celifornia is by far the greatert in history, as is illurtrated by the huge arnormt of lumber rurloaded every month for twelve months at California portr.

The twelve months period we are reporting has ended in romething of an anti-climax, the market for the part four weekc being the weakest of the year in California.

It ir not at all likely that the nationally sluggirh market har had rnuch to do with this.. Many of the best rtudents of lumber affahs in California believe it her had nothing to do with it, particularly in Southern California. The strike of ttre dockmen at San Pedro brought about a condition at the docks that tqrded to discourage purchares for tlre time being. And when the market price broke, ar it did to rome extent very quickly, the buyere drew back to get the beat pnices when they did have to buy.

But selling has gone right along in Southern California -in all of California so far aa we may judge-and thc fact that the trade is not buying much lumber at prerent, but k selling lumber freely as usual, meanr that tfie purcharing has only been delayed a little. This same rituation seemr to pertain t9 the entire country.

The national situation in lumber may be judged by the reports of the West Coart Lumberments Association and the Southern Pine Association, which comes to the California Lumber Merchant by wire ra we go to precs.

The northwestern organization reportr that for the wee& ending June 23rd their mills cut 112 million feet, rhipped 112 million feet, and sold 91 million feet. For the previour week the same millr cut 111 million, rhipped 111 million, and sold 91 million.

Southern Pine reports that for the week ending Jrme 23rd' their millr cut 18 per cent below normal, rhipmentr were 12 per cent below production" end raler wqe 2O per cent below production. For the previous week all three were slightly higher, and in about the eame proportion.

Reports from general territory rtate t{re market gencrdly is much improved. There har been little change in pricer in the part two weeks, the making of wild pricer in the effort to sell lumber to scared buyers, har ctopped, the wholeralerr are rhowing much more interest than they had for a month, bargain hunters are bruy picking up items, and the great bulk of trade ir buyrng quietly and carefully for their immediate requirements only. But the rcare ha.r gone, and with building running strong over the country, tfie market ir getting on its feet again.

The aame with hardwoodr. After'a rudden furry in which pricec were cut by the mills when the softwood rnarket went bad, things have rtraightened out, and with low stocks throughout the hardwood producing territory there is little reaEon to believe that anything unurual will happen to the hardwood market.

Helpful Hints For Hateful Habits

Always be as surly and impolite as possible. This will make people think your nerves have given way under the strain of the enormou,s amount of work you do, and will save you from the humili'ation of being taken for a gentleman.

When your telephone rings always answer, "Hello." There are only about 4,000 other people in the plac-e with that same name so the person calling knows at once that he has the proper individual.

In case t'he boss sends you after information never bring back the whole story the first time. If it is harder work getting you to do the job than it would be to do it himself, maybe he won't bother you with the next one.

Always be the first one at the time clock when the quitting whistle blows, even if vou have to knock several people doarn in your mad rush to get there. Prompt quitting is what saved the Germ.,an armv. and they're not a bit better than you.