THE CALIFOR}-IIA LUMBERMERCHANT The Lumber Business Looks Better Nationally

Our repeated predictionr of an active and much improved lumber eituation for this falln are working out in good shape.

The whole softwood lumber indurtry irimproving. And conditions in California murt neceuarily follow eny great changes in the general situation.

For inrtance, Southern Pine is reporting a constantly improving demand and price. Fii for national conrumption har been fo[owing the Souttrern Pine lad, and getting rnore for itr lumber.

Thc nationd bu:ineu aituation ir irnproving rapidly. Take a look at the buriners rnap publirhed elsewhere in thie isoue, which The Nation'r Burinesi has isrued for September. The improrrement over national bruiners conditionr in thirty {eyr, ir mort remarloble The corurtry, taken ar a whole, ir in re_markablytetter thape than it war just thirty days ago.

And trhe lumber rituation ir ref,eCing and rhould continue to refect thit decidcd improvement-.

California buyen are dircovering that the millr of the North have takcn on a much more bullish tone than they have rued for many rnontfu. One Sorlhern California wlolgnlcr g9ta price lirt from a big Nor$crn mill, and wircd -in a big orde'r at a rlight reduction fro,m the iricee quoted. The mill wired him back to rtop warting hir money on telegrame, trhat their lumber was worth wha[ they werl askFs, a9d tbey were going to rell at that price or noi at all. +"q_t!i" strenglhened reeolution is becoming quite gen- erd. Pricer have not been f,ying skywerd in Cilif6rnia, but they have been etabilizing splendidly, and the man who askr the higher levels of the California price situation today, ir getting it. Many California buyers are sitting tight and buying very sparingly on today's market, waiting to tee which way the cat ie going to jump.

There are nrany indications, taking all thingr into conaideration, that the softwood lumber situation ir going to be stronger a month from now than it is today, and ttat between now and winter there will be a world of building throughout the nation.

Association figures for both the Northwert and South chow that more lumber is being rold than is being rnade, and this, coupled with the splendid general financial conditionr and high tide prosperity, can point in but one direction.

Building

The building situation in the state is good. In Augurt San Francirco broke two records by starting more new buitdings than for Se previous month and more than for Augurt, 1925. Permit figures for that city reached $4,163,510.

Thp Los Angeles total, for August, was $818261108 and San Diego reached the total of $114401509, a little more than for the sanne month last year.

Shipments, into Southern Californie, started out heavy for the month. Up to the night of the llth, a little over fifty million feet had been reported, with the prorpec,tr of at least 15 rnillion more to the night of the 15th.