How Lumber Looks

During the first six months of. 1934, lumber production exceeded new business at reporting savrmills by 7 per cent and excoeded shipments by 9 pet cent; production was 29 per cent above that of the first half of 19331, shipments were 4 per c€nt lese and orders 8 per cent less than during the 1933 p€dod' according to repolts to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association from regio,nal associations covering the operations of leading hardwood and softwood mills. The half-yearly reports were made by an average of IrfO2 mills.

During the week ended June 30, shipments and orders wete above thoae of the two previcus weeks, production was the lowcst since Februaryt due latgely to mid.summer shut-downs. Reporte ftolrrt 11754 mills for the week ended June 30 gave production 16114941000 feet; shipments l53r72lr00o feet, and o'rderg 149,828,000 feet.

New business reported to the Wqst Coast Lumbetments Asrociation for the week ended June 30 by 551 mills was 57,332,2@ fet against a production ol 4319321348 feet and shipments of. 4617861012 f.eet. Shipments were over production by 6.5 per cent, and current sales were over production by 30.5 per cent. Orders booked by this group of mills were over the preceding week by 11,0fi),000 feet.

The unfilled order file at the.ee mills stood at 487,153,701 feet, an increase of approximately 7r(X)OrOO0 feet over the previous week'

The Southern Pine Associationo 121 mills reporting, gave new business for the week ended June 30 as 24r547,'OOO feet, shipmenta 281633,00O fedt, and production 24369,0O0 feet. ShipmeDts were 17 pe cent abbve productiono and orders were one per cent above production and 14 pet cent below shipments.

Orders on hand at these mills on June 30 totaled 7611251000 feet, equivalent to 31635 cars.

The Vestern Pine Associatiotl 127 mills reporting, for the same week gave new business as 37l95rOO0 feet, shipments 42,700rO00 fea, and production 5116821000 feet. Shipments were 17 per cent below production, and orders 27 per cent below production and 11 lrer cent below shipments.

Orders on hand at the end of thd week et 127 mills totaled 89r619,(XX) feet.

The California Redwood Associatiosr fo,r the week rqrorted productiotr from 16 mills as 7r33OrOOO feet, shipments 6124710OO feet, and new business 7r73lrOOO feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week werc 35r695r000*feet.

482 hatdwood mills for the week ended June 30 gave new busincss ar 1Ql85r0OO feet, or 39 per cent below productiotg and ahipmentc 2018891000 feet, or 2l pec cent belon' produc. tioa. Production waE 26,437$00 feet.

There is no change in co,trditiotrs in the California lumber situation and the volume is light. At this writing the longahore. ments strike remains unsettled, most of the Fit tidewater millr are down and the cargo movement of lumber is still tied-up.

Retail prices in Southem California have been reduced as follows: Fir and Redwood l0 per cent, and. everything elre 4 per cent excepting roofing and hardwoods. Prices went into effect July 5. The lumber code authorities for Division 32r Southern California, authorized t{rese reductions in order to make immediately eft.ecltive to the consumer the anticipated reductions in wholesale costs and in their modal mark.up which had_ been approved by the Administration after a reque"t of the dealers in order that they might cooperate with and contribute to tfte Presidentts Housing Program.

New mill prices on propooed reductions have not been released yet but are expe/ctd within the next week. Precent mills prices which were scheduled to expire July I have been extended-indefinitely and will r.emain in ltfect until new pricer are established.

Los Angeles reported the largest volume of building permitr lmotg the western cities for the month of June accorling to the Vestern Monthly Building Survey prepared by H. R. Baker & Co. San Francisco wai second, followed by Oakland, Qtoclton, Seattle and San Jose. June permits for ihe tweoty. five leading western cities totaled f4r2r2rl$g as compared wiih f4,1O4,224 in May, 1934 and fsrt7t,Og4 in June, 193i.

Unsold stocks on the public docks at Los Angeles hartor on July 9 toaled 6521000 feet. Due to the longshoremen?s strike, no report of vessels operating is available.

Votes Water Rates from \(/egt Coast Division Points to Canal Zone

Washington, D. C., June 25.-In voting $8.00 per M ft., including Government charges, as the minimum freight rate applicable to shipments from points in the West Coast Division to the Panama Canal Zone, effective June 28, the Lumber Code Authority stopped a gap in Conference water rates which include no schedule for coastwise shipments to the Canal Zone. To the $8.00 rate are to be added other delivery costs as provided in the Authority's Bulletin No. 45, containing minimum prices on Douglas Fir and West Coast Hemlock.