THE CALIFOR}IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

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How Lumber Looks

Lumber shipments of. 463 mills reporting to the National Lumber Trade Barometer were 2.3 per cent below production for the week ended August 28, 1943. In the same week new orders of these mills were 0.1 per cent less than production. Unfilled order files in the reporting mills amounted to lOZ per cent of stocks. For reporting softwood mills, unfilled orders are equivalent to 41 days' production at the current rate, and gross stocks are equivalent to 36 days' production.

For the year to date, shipments of reporting identical mills exceeded production by 8.9 per cent; orders by 11.3 per cent.

Compared to the average corresponding week of 193539 production of reporting mills was 18.1 per cent greater; shipments were N.9 per cent greater; and orders were 26.2 per cent greater.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended August 2l,106 mills reporting, gave orders as 84,361,000 feet, shipments 82,031,000 feet, and poduction 93,747,0@ feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 464,008,000 feet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended August 28, 87 mills reporting, gave orders as 18,043,000 feet, shipments 22,V52,000 feet, and production 20,693.000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 124.493.0ffi feet.

The California Redwood Association reported production of. 12 operations for the rrionth of July, 1943, as 33,853,000 feet, shipments 39,641,000 feet, and orders received 59.415,000 feet.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ended August 21 reported orders as L27,825,W feet, shipments 120,034,000 feet, and production 115,747,0A0 ket.

For the week ended August 28 orders rvere reported as 135,394,000 feet, shipments 115,714,000 feet, and production 119,475,000 feet.

Dealers M.y Add Dressing Costs to Remanufactured Fir Board Prices

A very important piece of nervs from O.P.A. in Washington came to both the Southern and Northerr.r California retail lumber association ofifices on September 8, and rvas officially announced. Here is a verbatim copy of the announcement sent out by Orrie Hamilton, Secretary-Manager of the Southern California Retail Lumber Association:

"We have today received word from the Naticlnal I{etail Lumber Dealers Association which, in efiect, passes an official interpretation from the OPA in Washington to the effect that dealers may sell dressed boards, based on mill ceilings for dressed boards, including the $3.50 and $1.50 increases provided by anrendment 1 to MPR-26, even though these boards rvere made from dimension lumber by the dealers. OPA further states that the price for the end product listed in the regulation prevails, regardless of how it rvas produced. Your attention is callecl to the addition for dry lumber in MPR-26. This may be added even if the lumber is dried in the dealer's yard."

All of which means that under this interpretation a dealer who makes inch Fir boards out of bigger stuff, and dresses it, may charge the dressing price of $3.50 (plus the 3O/o mark-up) ; and may also add the dry lumber charge if he dries it, even though he doeS the drying himself.

Southern California Dealers to Meet in Late Fall

No plans will be made for the annual convention of the Southern California Retail Lumber Association until after the National convention in October, but Secretary-Manager Orrie Hamilton expects that it will take place about the last of November, and plans for a splendid meeting.

Southern Pine Concern First Lumber Manufacturer to Get "E" Award

The first Navy "E" Award for a lumber manufacturing concern, has just been announced. It goes to the Angelina County Lumber Company, of Keltys, Texas.

E. L. Kurth, head of that concern, is one of the outstanding business men of the entire South. Jack Dionne, publisher of The California Lumber Merchant, l-ras been invited to act as Master-of-Ceremonies when the ceremony of arvard takes place, and will leave Los Angeles for Texas as soon as the date is announced.

Northern California Association lssues lmportant Dealer Information

From the office of the Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California at Fresno comes a bulletin giving the following interesting information to lumber merchants:

Amendment No. I of MPR 215 provides that where lumber is remanufactured AT THE REQUEST OF THE CUSTOMER, charges may be made according to the schedule, EXCEPT where the finished product is standard boartls and dimension. In that case no charges may be made.

Another piece of info: MPR 215 now puts No. 3 Shop, No. 1 and No. 2 Box, and No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Dimension in Ponderosa Pine in the lower bracket which provides for a $5 mark-up per thousand and 30 per cent. No. 1 Common Ponderosa Dimension is considered equivalent to No. 3 Ponderosa Boards.

Still another: Amendment No. 5 to MPR 253, regarding Redwood, deletes the paragraph which formerly required persons buying or selling 34,000 pounds or more of Redwood lumber sold as "dry" or "partially dry" to send OPA invoices covering such transactions. This is no longer necessary.

CARL McDOWELL IN NAVY

Carl McDowell of Pope & Talbot, fnc., is now a Lieutenant (J.G.) in the Navy.

llry l(ilns Year Round Production

'?crul Bunycn's" kitns qt Westwood turned orul 221 million leet of lumber in 1942. Mcrnulccture and delivery ccrn thus be carried on at c stecrdy rcrte the yeqr round.

Research and its resulting improvements are giving Bed River better lcrcilities cnd "know-how" Ior postwcrr service.

*PAIIL BIII.IYAN'S" PBODUCTS

Soft Ponderosc and SugG Pine

IT'MBER MOUI.DING PTYWOOD VEIIETIAN BIJIID STATS

San Francisco.