THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

JackDiorrne,fublxhu

tlcorporatod uadcr thc lcwr ol Ccliloraic l. C. Diouc, Pre. cld -lrrcr.l I. E. Mcrda, Vlcc-Prcr.; W. T. Blccl, Secrptcry Publbh.d th. ld atrd.15th ot rccb raonrb ct

3f8-19-Al Ceatrcl Buildlag, 108 Wcrt Slxlh Sts..t, Lor Aasclu, Ccl- Telephooe Vf,aditre l!i6!i Ert rud s. Socond-clcr acttcr Soptrurbcr 25, 1922, at tb. Port-OtEc. ct Lol Aagolcr, Ccliloraiq, -uadcr f,ct ol Mcrc,h 3, 1879

Subacription Price, i2.00 per yecr

Single Copies, 2S.cents each. LOS ANGELBS, CAL, SEPTEMBER 15, I94O Advertiring Bcter on Applicclion

How Lumber Looks

Seattle, -W_ashington, Septemb er 9, 194O.-The weekly averag.e of West -Coast lumber production in August (4 weeks) was 151,137,000 board feet, or 76.7 per cenf of the weekly average lor 1926-L929, the industry's years of highest production, according to the West C6asi Lumberrien,s Association in its monthly survey of the industry. Orders a_v_eraged 181,539,000 board feet; shipments, 153,194,000. Weekly averages for July were: production, |26,7LZ,W lggta^ i""-t_ (64.3 per cent of the lV26-I929 average); orders, I62,298,ON ; shipments, L36,925,W.

First 35 weeks of 1940, cumulative production, 4,720,1 79,W-!ggtd feet ; same period, 1939,4,202,505,000 ; 1938, 3,312,390,000.

Orders for 35 weeks of l94O break down as follows: rail, 2,305,481,000 board feet; domestic cargo, 1,782,393,W; export, 298,868,000, local, 628,878,ffiO.

_ Th9 industry's unfilled order file stood at 623,206,W board feet at the end of August; gross stocks, at 892,000,000.

More- tlan any other industry, lumber is feeling the imp_a!t -o{ ,the national defense program. Requireinents in this field were a leading factor in -West Coasi lumber dur- ing August.. Defense orders are now being placed for camps and air bases and to provide for the adtilional cantonments that will be needed with the mobilization of the National Guard and the forces created under the selective draft law.

On these and related lines the defense program calls first for lumber. This demand is of course nbt io be classified as a permanent factor in the national lumber market, which still relies gajnlf upon home building. Lumber requirements for all defense purposes will amount to no more-than 8 per_cent of national lumber production over a two-year period, on the basis of estimated 1940 production.

The National Defense Advisory Commission has made an estimate of from 4 to 4% billion feet required for defense uses over a period of from Ll to 2 years, with 1940 national lumber consumption calculated at 28 billion feet by the Department of Commerce. for the we'ek ended orders as 106,838,000 productio,n 86,884,000 of the week totaled

Meanwhile the ordinary building industry use of lumber remains active, after gradual recovery from a dip in the June record of U. S. building permits. Lumber stocks nationally appear to be at about the same ratio to current consumption as in 1977-28-D. The West Coast lumber industry is running well up toward capacity. Indications are that this rate will continue, at least through the full peak of demand for urgent defense projects taking lumber.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended August 31, 1O5 ,mills reporting, gave orders as 43,305,@O feet, shipments 40,336,000 feet, and production 30,514,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 114,134,000 feet.

The Western Pine Association August 31, 98 mills reporting, gave feet, shipments 83,585,000 feet, and feet. Orders on hand at the end 327,100,000 feet.

During the week ended August 31, the National Lumber Manufacturers Association reported 451 rrnills produced 253j64,W feet of softwoods and hardwoods combined, shipped n4,243,W feet, and booked orders of' 314,878,000 feet.

Lumber orders reported by 373 softwood mills for the week totaled 304,215,000 feet, shipments were 262,879,m feet, and productio'n was 244,984,00O feet.

Reports from 9O hardwood mills for the week gave new business as 10,663,000 feet, shipments J.1,364,000 feet, and production 8,580,000 feet.