THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT IackDiorrne,ptblislw

J.

LOS ANGELES, CAL, JULY l, 1942

How Lumber Lrooks

Lumber production during the week ended June 13, 1942, was one per cent greater than the previous week, shipments were 5 per cent greater, new business, 26 per cent greater, according to reports to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association from regional associations covering the operations of representative hardwood and softwood mills. Shipments were 8 per cent above production; new orders 29 per cent above production. Compared with the corresponding week of. 1941, production was 4 per cent greater, shipments 8 per cent greater, and new business 10 per cent greater. The industry stood at I4l per cent of the average of production in the corresponding week of 1935-39 and 163 per cent of average 1935-39 shipments in the same week.

Reported production for the first 23 weeks of. 1942 was 2 per cent below corresponding weeks of. I94I; shipments were 6 per cent above the shipments, and new orders 10 per cent above the orders of the 1941 period. For the 23 weeks of. 1942, new business was 26 per cent above pro'duction, and shipments were 15 per cent above production.

The ratio of unfilled orders to gross stocks was 67 per eent on June 13, 1942, compared with 43 per cent a year ago. Unfilled orders were 24 per cent greater than a year ago; gross stocks were 19 per cbnt less.

During the week 466 mills produced 269,271,000 feet of hardwoods and softwoods combined, shipped 290,858,000 feet, and booked orders of,348,140,000 feet.

Lumber orders for the week repolted by 377 softwood mills totaled 331,841,000 feet, shipments were n6,4n,W feet, and production was 258,315,000 feet. 104 hardwood mills for the week gave ments 14,418,000 feet, and orders as 16,299,4ffi feet, shipproduction 10,956,000 feet.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended June 13,96 mills reporting, gave orders as 94,274,0AO feet, shipments 84,087,000 feet, and production 96,101,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled,494,332,A0A f.eet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended June 13, 110 mills reporting, gave orders as 34,572,0ffi feet, shipments 34,674,M feet, and production 25,988,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 185,405,000 feet.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week reported orders as 190,281,000 feet, shipments 147,878,000 feet, and production 128,342,60 f.eet.

Add New Storage Space

W.holesale Lumber Distributors, fnc., recently took on extra lumber storage space at First and Oak Street, Oakland, to replace half their yard recently leased by the Navy. They still retain their office building, shed, and half their orginal yard area at 601 de Fremery Street.

In Air Force

George Whitlach, Oakland, is now in mento, formerly with Melrose Lumber Co., training at McClellan Field, Sacra-

GAMERSTON & GREEN

Wholesale Lumber

Two Jobbing Yard Stocks & Mill Shipments

Rail and truck deliveries

Fit*Redwood-Ponderosa & Sugar Pine Lumber, Lath, Shingles, Plywood, Ties

\fPB Limits Plywood in New Order

San Francisco, June 15'-Reduction of the number of sizes of moisture-resistant Douglas fir plywoods has been ordered by the War Production Board in order to create an additionai production of about 20 million feet per month'

Limitation order L-150, issued today prohibits the production or delivery after July 1 of types and sizes of Douglas fir plywoods other than those listed in the order, except upon the specific authorization of the Director of Industry Operations. ' z

It is expected that the simplification practices ordered will result in a reduction of sizes from about 4,300 to approximately 300, the WPB regional office said here' The iires permitted will satisfy all normal consumer demands, includlng war requirements, according to officials of the lumber and lumber products branch.

Delivery is permitted for work which had been com' pleted on July 1, or work so processed that conformity with the specifications would.be impracticable.

No. 1276.1 LIMITATION ORDER L-150:

(b) Simnlified practice: Effective date. On and after July t ' i, 1942, no'producer shall manufacture or deliver Dougias Fir plywood, and no person shall receive Douglas Fii prv*'o.id from atty pt6du.er, unless it is of one of itt" 'typ.t ancl sizes iet forth below, e19ept upon the ip".if,l written authorization of the Director of Industry OPerations:

Paul Bunyan's Products in the Modern Home

Soft pine siding crnd trim, interior pcneling oI knottY or clecr Pine, mouldings, Iinish crnd shelving. Pine for doors, sqsh and millwork.

Ply'urood pcnels ol the sqme eqsyworking easy-painting pine lor cqbinets, walls and door Pqnels.

Veneticn blind slcrts ol Incense Cedqr lor cir cnd light control with window coverings thqt hcrmonize with the wood interior and furniture.

"Pcul BunYern's" CATIFORNIA PINES

SoIt Ponderoscr cmd Sugcr Pine Incense Cedcrr

IN tOS ANGEIES TENRITOBY

Sheathing

Automobile and (1) Industrial

(1) As ordered up to 48

(2) As ordered up to 96

(c) Exceptions:

% (3 plv or 5plyunsanded)

% (3 ptv) % (5 prv)

(5 plv) % (5 ptv)

% (5 plv) ,/+ (3 ply unsanded) 5/16 (3 ply unsanded)

% (3 plv unsanded)

% (5 plv unsanded) 9/16 (5 ply unsanded) ls 6 ply unsanded) ll/16 (S ply unsanded)

% (5 plv unsanded)

% (5 plv unsanded)

% (7 plv unsanded)

(1) Producers may ship finished stock on hand as of July lst.

Q\' Military orders in effect calling for Douglas Fir Plvwood not contained herein may be completed'

"Pcrul Bunycrn's" PRECI$ON WIIIDOW IIMT K. D. Two Eundtes. Frqne, D. II. Window, Screen Bclances, HooLs, Hcagers

Meets crll 2 x 4 wcll requirenent:. Frcrne conrtruction

F.H.A. cPProved

The rBADE MAnr

MEIT,IBER WESTERN PINE ASSOCTATION

"We accepted this war for a worthy object, and the war will not end until that object is attained. Under God, we hope it will not end until that time." (Abraham Lincoln)

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Some wag says that if you ever get to wondering \dhy some actor acts so nutty, just remember that it was an actor who shot Lincoln.

A lot of people, probably the younger generation mostly, seem to think the Germans in this war are more atrocious, more cruel, more bloodthirsty than were the Germans in the first World War under the Kaiser. I can't agree. They may not be any better-probably the same-but certainly they can be no worse. Not even the Huns bf Attila ever exhibited more unrestrained ferocity and cruelty and bloodthirstiness than did the soldiers of the Kaiser. Naturally we reel with horror as we read what is happening in poland, in Greece, in Czechos,lovakia, and elsewhere. But we read as bad or worse things every day in 1917 and 1918. After the first World War ended there came a very amazing campaign of publicity and propaganda that sought to convince the world that the tales of German horror had been exaggerated; that ttrey weren't true; that the heat of war was responsible for the building up of horror stories. A world of people came to believe that the Germans had not been as guilty as they were pictured during the fighting days. But we have gone far enough into the present confict to realize that those tales of nameless cruelty were probably all too true. The Germans were only acting true to form.

To refresh my own ^.:"; "" .n. subject, I went back over a lot of stuff I wrote during l91Z and l91g on the subject of the war, and found that I was horror-stricken then at what I read and heard about the Germans, and their rampant atrocities. I find myself writing in the spring of 1918 about pro-Germans in this country, and saying the following about them: "A pro-German is one who is in favor of Germany winning the war. He is therefore in sympathy with the German methods of warfare. He believes in the crucifixion of women ! He believes in the torture of little children ! He believes in the emasculation of prisoners of war! He beJieves in wholesale rape ! He be, lieves in the nameless mutilation of God-fearing women ! He believes in the commitment of every outrage, every horror, every beastiality, every indecency, evdry crime against God and man, against woman and child, that the sewer-like mind of an army of man.beasts urged on by a master-beast, can conceive of. He believes in the pillage of the whole world, in the enslavement of mankind by a hideous monster. He believes in everything that is wrong, and nothing that is right ! THAT is a pro-German !" ***

No, looking back over the dark days of the first World War it seems that the war methods and manners of Germany were at least as bad under the Kaiser as they are under Hitler. From a standpoint of cold bloodthirstiness Hitler could teach the Kaiser nothing. Of course, I think the Japs are more barbarous than the Germans, the difference being that in times of peace the Germans are civilized people, while the Japs have never lifted above the level of barbarism, actually. They learn cruelty at their mother's knee. But it is hard to understand how the Germans, who in times of peace worship God and His Son, can, when war comes, forget so thoroughly and completely that '.we are all the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be."

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What a sensation it is to sit and watch the greatest events, in history whirl round our heads! And to wonder what in the name of Hades will happen within the next week. As f punch this piece on my typewriter, the war has reached another astounding turn of the road. The Germans have just taken Tobruk, and chased the rest of the British Ar-y out of Libya. The current number of Time Magazine shows a procession of our latest type huge American tanks operating in Libya. Who has them now? Will they be using them to shoot at our boys next? The papers announce Nazi successes on the Russian front. The pig-Boats are still sinking our freighters faster than Hell itself on this side of the Atlantic. The Japs are pushing farther into the Aleutians, say the latest reports. Things look anything but rosy at this moment. And the redoubtable Churchill is in

Washington talking to the President. What a spot that brave Britisher is in ! Will he still be the Big Boss when he gets back to England? Reports from London say the hottest fire ever lighted on his tail is burning now. If he gets out of this spot and holds his job it will be almost a miracle. I tike him-admire him. He is a great man in many ways. The greatest orator the world has produced in many generations; a great patriot; a great statesman; a grand gentleman. But-and that is no small but, my friends-the question Britain has been asking of late, and is asking now louder than ever before is,-is he a great military man? If not, then his other greatness cannot help him. And if he is NOT, then in spite of all his other splendid attributes, Britain will havt to get rid of him and replace him with someone who can win battles. For so far in more than two years of war she has lost many bitter battles, terrific campaigns, and won not a single one.

There's a big though,;".: rJ, tnirrr.i'g people to muse over at this critical mornent in the history of this greatest of all wars. A man may have everything else, but if he hasn't great military skill, then his leadership of the war effort can only result in disaster. If he plans his campaigns wrongly, and puts his men where they should not be, and not where they should be, then he might have a preponderance of tanks, guns, ships, and planes, and still lose the final contest. Britain is no doubt trying to decide as this is being written, what to do about Churchill. There is no restraint in the debate that is swinging backward and forward across England. Every man speaks his mind, in person, in print, on the radio, or on the soap-box. The fate of England is at stake, and there is no thought of withholding opinions. Of course a man who is NOT a military genius is no more to blame for that fact than for not having the voice of Caruso or the fists of Joe Louis. It is something he can't help. And just because a man is a great orator, patriot, citizen, and gentleman, does not mean that he may not be entirely lacking in military finesse and ability. And THAT is the problem England is regretfully trying to solve right now. Is their favorite son a failure or an unfortunate as a planner of warlike activities? The next few weeks wiU tell-p€rhaps less.

**:i

I can remember how I used to think-and say-after a trip through some great milling district of the West, that there never was, there never would be a demand for lumber that those huge mills could not swamp in no time at all if they turned on the steam. What a laugh! The West is just as completely swamped right now trying to fill the tremendous maw of the war effort, as are the smaller mills of the South. Even yet it seems incredible, however, that such a thing could be. In the South the mills are of very modest size, smaller far on the average than they were ten or twenty years ago. They are efficient, but small' It's a mighty big Southern mill that can cut 100,000 feet of lumber in an eight-hour shift. So I could easily imagine the Southern mills getting snowed under by some great emergency rush of business. But the West? I never would have believed it. There are almost countless mills from Central California north to the Canadian line that cut more than 100,000 feet in a single shift; scores and scores that can cut two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, and even five hundred thousand feet in a single shift, and all of them equipped for multiple shift operations. A mill with four or five headrigs is no novelty anywhere on the Coast. A mill that will cut thirty, forty, and even fifty thousand feet an hour, creates no excitement. California, Oregon, Washington, and the Inland Empire all have 'em. So, when I read, as I do every day, that the unfilled order files on the Coast are .steadily increasing, and that the world is still begging for unplaced lumber, I iust shake my old head in wonderment. How can such a thing be? All I know is that it IS.