Western Pine Has Big Year

Lumber shipments from the Western Pine region during the third quarter of 1941 were approximately I,775 million feet or an advance of about 15 per cent over ships for the same period last year, the Western Pine Association reports. This is an all-time high for the movement of Western Pine lumber during any quarter of any year in the history of the industry.

The favorable month by month comparisons of 1941 shipments over those of 1940 began to narrow in August and it was expected that by the middle of the fourth quarter there would be no increases at all because the stock accumulations which helped to'make such heavy shipments possible in the fall of I94O arc lighter this year. A large percentage of the fall and winter shipments this year will have te come from current production.

' The third quarter production of. 1,975 million feet was up 323 million feet from the second quarter and showed a gain of 14 per cent over last year. This record production constituted an excellent response by the industry to appeals made in August by'the OPM and OPACS for greater lumber production during the period of emergency needs. Due to the demands of the Government and other customeis for shipments, this immense production did not permit the usual normal accumulation of stocks during the quarter. Stocks grew less than ftO million feet during the period.

With a probable greater cantonment program, continued heavy industrial building, and the proposed program of 625,W0 family dwelling units to be built in the fiscal year 194I-1942 as compared with 600,000 in the previous fiscal year, the lumber industry's capacity will be heavily taxed in the coming months. Especially important in the case of Western Pine is the constantly increasing demand for boxes and crates in which to ship planes, shells, rifles and other munitions.

It is estimated that during the fourth quarter of 1941, the consumption (shipments) of Western Pine lumber will be about 1,461 million feet. This would mean a volume of shipments 71 million feet lower than the 1,532 million feet shipped in the fourth quarter of 1940 and 17.3 per cent less than the third quarter shipments of this year.

California leads all the other states in the country in Western Pine lumber consumption. During the month of October, 1941,2,622 cars were shipped into the State. For the same month in 1940, shipments were 2,553 cars.

The Western Pine Association reports total orders, shipments and production for 90 identical mills for the year 1941 up to and including November 29 as follows: Orders 3,873,064.000 feet; shipments 3,898,295,000 feet; production 3,628,366,000 feet. The figures for the same period in 1940 were : orders 3,552,041,000 feet, shipments 3,445,124,000 feet; production 3,2O5,587,000 feet.

HIP and RIDGD UIIITS