THE CALIFOR}IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

W. T. BTACK Advertising Mcncger

How Lrumber Lrooks

I'ortland, C)regon, November 19, I946.-October lumber procluction in the Douglas fir belt of Oregon and \\-ashington rvas the highest since June, the weekly average being 122,579,000 board feet, H. V. Simpson, executive vice president of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association, announced today.

October's average weekly production was more than 50 per cent greater than that of October, 1945, and 5,375,000 feet greater than that of September, 1946, Simpson said.

"He clisclosed that gross stocks stand at 462,01O,W board feet, an increase of 41,788,000 feet over September, reflecting the industry's inability to ship its full output due to continuing railway car shortages and the waterfront strike.

"Log inr-entories also are at a peak level,'indicating that \\-est Coast sar,r'mills will continue at their present high production rate throughout the winter," Simpson declared. The outlook for housing lumber is brighter than it has been at anv time since the t'ar.

"Tire industry already is turning out more constru,ction lumber than the lTome-building program can absorb, due to l'inter u'eather and the reluctance of contractors to make 'starts' in the face of non-lumber shortages. This means there are increasing supplies of lumber which should be channeled into commercial construction.

"It is imperative, if there is not to be a waste of building opDortnnitr', that CPA's restrictive controls on commercial building be abandoned immediately, at least in so far as lumber is concerned."

October's weekly average of" 122,579,000 feet was 84.6 per cent of the 1942-45 average-a period during which the industry worked six days a week instead of the present five.

Orders averaged 124,8y7,ffiO feet; shipments 113,815,000. Weekly averages for September were: Production Ll7,204,000 b.f. (8O.9 per cent of the 1942-45 average) ; orders Ill,226 ; shipments 112,091.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at 575,822,000 b.f. at the end of October; gross stocks at 462,A10,0A0.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended November 16, 96 mills reporting, gave orders as 46,918,00O feet, shipmehts 54,W7,Un feet, and production 64,482,0@ feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 163.367.000 feet.

The Southern Pine Ass;ociation for the week ended November 16, 80 units (110 mills) reporting, gave orders as 10,486,000 feet, shipments 13,569,000 feet, and production I4,832,m0 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 7I,025,W feet.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ended November 16, 139 mills reporting, gave orders as 63,481,000 feet, shipments 71,077,W feet, and production 80,74t,O00 feet. Unfilled orders at the end of the week totaled 477,669,W f.eet.