THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

JackDiorne ,prblishst

W. T. BI.ACK Advertieing Mcncgcr

ANGEI.F,S, C!AL, DECEMBER 15, 1942

How Lrumber lrooks

Seattle, Wash., Dec. 10, 1942.-The weekly average of West Coast lumber production in November (4 weeks) was 154,45O,@0 board feet, or 79.7 per cent of estimated capacity, according to the West Coast Lumbermen's Association in its monthly survey of the industry. Orders averaged |6,Z26pW board feet; shipments, 152,715,000. Weekly averages for October were: Production, 170,569,000 board feet (86.6 per cent of the I92GI9D average); orders, 172,130,000; shipments, 175,7n,m.

Eleven months of. 1942, cumulative production, 8,AgZ,- 7l?,W board feet; 11 months, 1941-8,015,883,000; 11 months, 1 940--6,838,656,000.

Orders for 11 months ol 1942 break down as follows : rail, 6,704,049,000 board feet; domestic carg'o, 897,074,00O; export, I 58,148,000 ; local, 1,231,748,000.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at I,LCf,,,3ZZ,NO board feet at the end of November; gross stocks, at 595,818,000.

In the face of high water, log shortages of alarming extent and increasingly critical shortages of manpower, the lumber industry in November sloughed ahead to a production total slightly ahead of November last year-a 1.6 per cent increase in footage.

The pressure continues for unusually large amounts of specialized cutting items and rvar requirements. The industry is straining to produce all the "aero," ponton lumber, ship decking and heavy ship framing which are still demanded by the government in tremendous volume.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain produc. tion because of growing man shortage in the woods and log shortage in the mills. The industry has its work cut out for it during the coming winter months when every possible effort will be made to maintain the production of critical items. The "freeze" of Douglas fir lumber, putting it on the critical list along with steel, aluminum and copper, under L-2I8, has been taken by the mills in their stride as part of the war.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended November n,90 mills reporting, gave orders as 70,001,000 feet, shipments 67,376,000 feet, and production 59,646,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 398,725,N0 f.eet.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ended November 21 reported orders as 139,568,000 feet, shipments 110,099,000 feet, and production as It7,967,ffi0 feet.