THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JackDionne,pubbshu Lumber Market Showing Greater Activity

(Telegram) Flouston, Texas, August 30, 1932. Greatest activity in five yedrs manifested in Yellow Pine market today. All mille.west,of River, withdrawing price lists and issuing advanced..oncs; Orders increasing daily as thousands of yards rush irr 'to puichase in face of strengthening matket while wholesalers likewise join in buying wave. Demand coverlr Southwest and Middle Vest and sweeps Eastward. Low mill stocks ,fei.ng, rapidly depleted as buyers seek to fill in lowest retail stocks in history. S6rithern hardwood demand also fat surpassing p3-gqg+t production. Red Cedar shingles enjoying boom market all prices this territory advanced thirty to forty qents [rer square in two weeks. Gteatest optimism prevails in dris lumber tertitory soaring cotton market largely responsible. +Jact< Dio:rne.

Lumber mills experienceil the most favotable ffow of new business in several months duting the week ended August 20t according to relrorts to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association from regional manufacturers associations covering tfie operations of. 624 leading hardwood and softwood mills. Orders received by these mills amounted to t44r780rOOO feetthis favorable ratio of. 32 per cent above the cut being partly accounted for by continued curtailed .production. Production was 10919561000 feet.' Shipments amounted to l73r94OrOOO feet, or 22 per cent above dre cut.

The California market showed fut[rer improvement during the past.two weeks and mill prices are firm. The retail dealers "t" or{"rittg more lumber as they feel that prices have struck bottom and they are no longer'likely to have to stand an inventory loss. Shingle prices are much stronger. unsold stocks on the public docks at San Pedro on August 24 totaled.3r398r000 feet, as compared. to 319311000 feet the previous week. Cargo amivals at San Pedro for the week ended August 20 totaled 4r494r0oo feet, which included seven cargoes of DouglEs fir carrying 315651000 feet, and four cargoes of Redwood with 9291000 feet. 44 lumbet vessels were operating in the 9{ifotnia service on August 20; 67 vessels were laid up.

Douglas Fir-A total of 321 mills reporting to the Vest Qoast Lumbemen's Association for the week ended August 20 operated at 19.9 per cent of capacity, as compared to 19.8 per cent of cepacity for t{re previous week and 35.1 per cent for the same week last year. During the week 2O7 of. these plants were reported as down and 114 as operating.

Current new business of 216 identical mills was 17.5 pet dent over production. This group repotted production approximately the same as the previous week. Shipments for the week were 21.7 pet cent over production.

Unfilled orders decreased 2rg4lroo0 feet from the previous week. New export business received during the week was 3r6861000 feet lessr. new. domestic cargo o,rders werc 2r74lr000 feet under and new rail business increased 4rlgr0o0 feet, as compared to the previous weekts business. The local trade wac 1,0511000 feet less than the volume repoited for the previous week.

For the week ending August 20, these 216 mills reported the following: Production, 4915791512 f.eet; Orders, 58'28Lr339 feet; Shipments, 60,t56,503 f.eet.

Details of orders and shipments as reported by these mills follow: Orders-Rail, 231386,246 feet; Domestic Cargo, t9rt34r160 feet; Export, 10,278'479 f.eet; Local, 5,282,454 feet. Shipments-Rail, 19 r7 41 r87 6 feet ; Domestic Cargo, 2l 17 6l r9l8 feet; Export, 1315701255 feet; Local, 512821454 f.eer'.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended August 20 reported new business from 109 mills as 3815501000 feet; shipments 29r774rOOO feet, and production 20'004'000 feet. New business was 93 per cent above pro'duction and 29 per cent above shipments. Shipments were 49 per cent above production.

The Vestern Pine Association for the week reported new business from 113 mills as 35r9l2rOOO feet; shipments 32126r000 feet, and production 32r982rOOO fedt. New business was 9 per cent above production and 12 per cent above shipments. Shipments werc 2 per cent below production.

179 hardwood mills gave new bwiness for the same week as l0r373r000 feet, or 63 pet cent above production, and shipments 91770,000 feet, or 54 per cent above production. Ptoduction was 634510O0 feet.