THE CALIFOR}IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

How Lumber Looks

As we go to press negotiations are continuing to reach a settlement of the steam schooner tie up. The strike has tied up 47 steam lumber schooners in the coastwise lum' ber trade since October 4 when the Marine Firemen walked out. The Marine Cooks and Stewards and Engineers' Unions later joined the strike.

Lumber production during the week ended November 2, 1940, was 10 per cent less than in the previous week; shipments were 2 per cent less I new business t2 per cent less, according to reports to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association from regional associations covering the operations of representative hardwood and softwood mills. Shipments were 2l per cent and new orders 13 per cent above production.

Produ'ction during week ended November 2, 1940, of 384 identical softwood mills was 217,737,m feet, and a year ago it was 227,D4,000 feet; shipments were respectively

264,7A8,m feet, and 239,880,000 feet; and orders received 244,225,W feet, and I8,7O7,OAO feet. In the case of hardwoods, 95 identical mills reported production this year and a year ago 11,469,000 feet and 9,896,000 feet; shipments

12,401,000 feet, and Iz,m,W feet, and orders L4,547W feet and 9,831,000 feet.

Seattle, Washington, November 12, I94O.-The weekly average of West Coast lumber production in October (5 weeks) was 144, 340,000 board feet, or 73.3 per cent of the weekly average tor 1926-1929, the industry's years of highest production, according to the West Coast Lumbermen's Association in its monthly survey of the industry. Orders averaged 157,605,000 board feet; shipments, 150,7O2,W. Weekly averages for September were: production, 143,278,- fhe'industry's uirfilled order file stood at 681,099,000 board feet at the end of October; gross stocks, at 860,000,' 000.

000 board feet (72.8 per cent of the 1926-1929 average); orders, 163,724.000 ; shipments, 157,879,000.

Requirements fbr National Defense held the center of the West Coast lumber stage in October. The industry is now experiencing a peak load of lumber demand for defense purpoies. ThG ii mainly represented in the scheduled midjanuary completion of the series of canton-ments required to house the National Guard and the first 400,@0 men drawn in the Selective Draft. Probably 25 per cent of present West Coast mill production is moving, directly or indirectly, into defense projects.

West Coast sawmills are giving priority to the requirements of this National program. Reports to date indicate their product is moving to the projects as rapidly as the carpenters can use it. The industry takes pride in the record it has made to date in meeting these emergency demands and will do its utmost to keep the required large volume of lumber from the West Coast rolling to the centers of defense during the next several months.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended November 2, IOI mills reporting, gave orders as 80,74O,000 feet, shipments 89,334,000 feet, and production 76,641,0ffi feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 375,868,00O feet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended November 2, lD mills reporting, gave orders as 34,966,000 feet, shipments 44,487,000 feet, and production 35,186,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 121.026,00O feet.