THE CALIFOR}IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

How lrumber lrooks

The lumber market shor'ved considerable strength during the past month. The demand is strong, and the greatest call has been for dimension, boards and uppers. The retailers are doing more business, and their inventories are reported lorver than they rvere 60 days ago.

'Ihe July holiday shutdorvns were more general this year throughout the industry, some of tl-re mills were down from one to three weeks, reducing tl-re output a great deal; the Eastern and Middle West trade are buying heavily; and fear o[ a car shortage has brought a 1ot of buyers into the market.

Among the items in Douglas fir that are particularly strong and scarce are 2x4's random length, 2x1-8' (studs), one-inch boards and uppers.

'Ihc l)ine and Itedrvood markets are very firm, and uppers are hard to get.

Iled Cedar shingle prices have also stiffened. Straight cars of No. 1 shingles are difficult to buy.

Southern Pine prices declined sharply a month ago, but are now climbing back again in the face of a great demand. Horvever, there is a leveling off as to grades and items, putting them in more normal position than they have been.

Portland, Oregon, July 9.-Orders, shipments and production of Douglas fir lumber for the first six months of 1947 are substantially ahead of the first half of 1946, Harris E. Smith, secretary of the \\rest Coast Lumbermen's Association, announced today.

Smith said shipments for the first six months of 1947 totaled 3,5W,942,UJ0 board feet, 112.5% of 1946; orders were l2O/o of last year at 3,565,477,000 board feet and production reached 3,481,037,000 board feet, 111.7/o over last year.

"Outlook today is that the Douglas fir lumber region rvill pour nearly seven billion feet of lumber into the home building and construction industries this year," Smith said.

The 'iveekly average of West Coast lumber production in June (4 weeks) was 141,312,000 board feet. Orders averaged 125,379,000 b.f. ; shipments 129,322,000 b.f. Weekly averages for May \\,ere : Procluction 134,416,000 b.f. ; orders 127,887,000; shipments 134,928,000.

Trventy-six weeks for 1947, cumulative production 3,481,037,000 b.f.;26 weeks, 1946, 3,115,439,000; 26 weeks, 1945, 3,657,+96,0ffi.

Orders lor 26 weeks ol 1917 break dorvn as follows: l(ail 2,287,083,000 b.f.; domestic cargo 402,227,0m; export 539,776,O00; local 336,391,000.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at 567,984,000 b.f. at the end of June; gross stocks at 433,450,000.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended July \2, IOS mills reporting, gave orders as 66,577,N0 feet, shipments, 46,281,000 feet, and production 58,507,@0 feet. Orders on hand at the 'end of the week totaled 198,466,000 feet.

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