THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

JackDiorrne,fultblw

horpontcd un&r thc lasc of Cdlfmla

J. C. Dlomc, Prcg ud Treu.; J. E. Maltir, ViePru,; W. T. Black, Scetary Publiahed the lst and lStt of eac.h both at 3lt-19-20 Centnl Butlding, lOt West Sixth Stre! Is Algelc, Cal., Telcphmc VAndike 1565 Elter:ed ar Sewd-daa matter Septembcr 25, lg?2, at the PGt Office at Lc Angeler, Califmia, undcr Act of March 3, lE?9,

Pricc, $2.fl) Per Year

Singlc Copiee, 25 ccntr each.

LOS ANGEIF-S, CAL., DECEMBER I5, 1936

How Lumber Looks

There are no signs of an immediate settlement of the maritime strike, now in its seventh week.

As we go to press strong efforts are being made. to bring about a c6nference of representatives of all the shipowners and the seven maritime unions.

During the past week several meetings were held between representatives of the steam schooner owners and the Radio Telesraphers' union and the Masters, Mates and Pilots' Associa"tion. The latter rejected the peace proposals offered bv the steam schooner owners.

'A total of Z3O ships is tied up in Pacific Coast ports, and 40,000 men of the seven maritime unions are idle. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 men are out of work as a direct or indirect effect of the strike.

A total of ZO2 down and operating mills in Washington and Oregon which reported to the West Coast Lumbermen's Aisociation for the week ended November 28 produced 62,456,877 leet. New business reported for the week by these mills was tO2,839,486 feet, and shipments were 55.488.585 feet. The unfilled order file at these mills stood at 580,439,595 feet.

Lumber buying for delivery by rail to California is active, sales and shipments being reported as far north as the Puget Sound.

The Association reports a loss of production in the first four strike weeks, October 31 to November 28, when compared to the last full work week, ol 179,O53,202 feet.

The Association estimates the sales value'of the production lost by the strike at from $600,0@ to $700,000 weekly, or about $2,650,000 for the four weeks. Half of these amounts, the Association stated, represent lost payrolls. Unemployment due to the strike is growing steadily with at least 1"75@ affected on November 28.

A total of 39 mills located on tidewater or the Columbia river was reported as not operating during the week ended November 30 because of the strike. 40 mills were down the previous week, 39 in the r,veek ended November 14, and 30 for the rveek ended November 7.

Prices are strong on "i, ir, 1,.*. and the mills have good order files.

.The demand for Ponderosa Pine has depleted any number of items at the mills. A general price advance was recently made on Ponderosa Pine. The Sugar Pine market is very firm and stocks at the mills are badly broken.

.Redwood prices are firm with the mills reporting there is still a shortage of dry rOO*..r; *

With a 122.47% increase, building permits during November ,recorded the largest increase over the correspond- ing month of the previous year in more than a half decade, accordrn_g tl t!" fMestern Monthly Building Survey prepar- ed by H. R. Baker & Co., California investment- baniing firm.

Reports from 90 of the largest cities in nine western states showed total building permits of 923,532,475 in November 1936 compared with $IO,577,650 in November 1935. The ac- tivity was _lu_rther indicated by number of permits which totaled 14,985 in November 1936 compared-with B,S4Z in November 1935.

__Twenty-fiv_e-cities reporting largest volume of permits in November 1936 shorved a total of. EZO,O7O,178 -compared rvith $8,553,321 in November 1935, a gain of 134.e%: