THE CALIFOR}-IIA Looking Over the Lumber Siruqfion

t-335 To Be Revoked Sept. 30

As this issue goes to press news comes from Washington that Order L-335 will be revoked September 30. This means that no further allocation of lumber will be made after the third quarter allotments are completed.

Lumber is hard to buy today, and one of the main reasons for this is, of course, the pent-up demand lrom 22,W lumber 1'arcls, also industrial users and railroads.

Another reason is the threat of a strike. Workers in the fir sau'mills in \A/ashington voted last rnu'eek 6 to 1 to strike to enforce a minimum wage demand. Other districts still to be heard from rnay vote the same way. A strike of 900 CIO l'oods'orkers in the Klamath Falls area has kept 2200 men idle for the past several weeks.

Retail lumber dealers are interested in finding out lvhat amount and kind of lumber they can get now and in the immediate future, how much the mills still have to ship on Army, Navy and Government purchases, and what percentage of the sarvmills' cut is being shipped nor,v to the retail lumber trade.

In the effort to find the answers to these cluestions wires were sent to the three Pacific Coast lumber manufacturing Associations. In their reply the West Coast Lumbermen's Association says that Government dernand is considerable, and that reports indicate that probably orders for i00 million feet have not been cancelled. They also state that follou,ing release from L-335 restrictions and receipt of militarv cancellations such capacity was sold to normal trade lvith the largest part going to retail dealers. It is their ltelief that barring loss of production the next two to three months will bring increasingly improved dealer suppl1', and that by the end of the year the situation should be fairlv t'ell stabilized. Their reply concluded .ivith the statement that fir uppers u,'i1l be in short supply as long as ply'n'ood demand causes conversion of clear logs into veneers.

The Western Pine Association replied that all species and all grades of the Western pines can be shipped to retail vards 1611', and that all lumber being manufactured nou' is going to industrial and retail trade, except that mills must accept and ship all rated orders aheacl of non- rated. Approximately 35,00O,000 feet must yet be shipped on Government orders, they estimate.

The California Redwood Association's reply states that the current month's production of Redwood lumber is being shipped on military and other rated orders, but that after October 1 military requirements will be relatively small; that production of green Redwood yard lumber formerly supplied to ,the military will be available to meet civilian needs. S.ome of this production, they say, will be shipped green on urgent orders, but a large percentage must necessarily be piled and dried before the industry can meet cnstomary yard demands for dry finished Redwood.

Production 'was reported by the West Coast Lumbermen's Association {or the week ended September 1 as 86,623,W feet, compared with 82,631,000 feet for the week ended August 25.

The Western Pine Association reported production for the u'eek ended August 25 as 45,908,000 feet, compared with 34,836,000 feet for the week ended August 18.

Manpower shortage is still the biggest factor in holding down production. Rain in Oregon and Washington has just about ended the forest fire hazard.

L-41 R'estrictions on Repair And Alterations Litted

An Amendment to L-41 was released September 7 exempting the following types of construction from L-41, and allowing such construction to proceed without WPB approval: (l) All alterations or repair work not involvin-g exterior additions or major exterior alterations. (2) Construction of transportation facilities, including bus and truck terminals, airports, oil and gas pipe lines. (3) Complete exemption of the construction of roads. (4) Construction of farm buildings other than farm dwellings.

Rcrtioning ol New Trucks Ends Dec. I

Rationing of all new commercial motor vehicles will end December I,1945, the Office of Defense Transportation announced September 8.