NEWSS B[.] IEFS

A number of housing-related groups are asking the federal government for assistonce as interest rates continue to depress new home construction. now at a 35 year low Washington, D.C. observers say a one timetax break for housing is being considered by PresidentReagan...

Forest products financial news is almost universally grim: Williamette Industries Inc. has reported 4th quarter net income 8l9o off from the same period in '81, net for the yr. down 55Vo . . Crown Zellerbach's 4th quarter operating profit was slightly less than 3090 behind last yr.

Boise Cascade Corp. chalked up an '81 net loss of l99o with a 4th quarter decline of l4Vo Southwest Forest Industries had a 3rd quarter net income of $ 1,664,000 as compared to $9,094,000 for 1980 . Triad Sys tems Corp. (computer systems) predicts fiscal I st quarter earnings well below the $1.7 million of last yr.

Payless Cashways, Inc. , reports 1981 net income up 52Vo on a 25Vo sales gain . Evans Products Co. has slashed its regular quarterly dividend nearly 4090 to 250 a common share

Georgia-Pocific reports a 34Vo net income drop for the yr. on an 8Vo sales increase although the 4th quarter net dropped 6690 with sales down 7.7V0 . .

Lumber production in Nov. (latest figs.) wcs l4Vo below the previous mo. and 27.7V0 behind Nov. '80 . . softwood was off l6Vo from Oct., hardwood declined 8.89o l9%o of western sawmill employees are out of work, 4lVo are working curtailed shifts .

Potlatch Corp. has laid off 785 more Idaho employees, closing the Lewiston and St. Maries plywood plants and the Kamiah sawmill until the market allows re-opening; the Lewiston wood specialties mill closed for two weeks at the end of Jan. and the Coeur d'Alene sawmill has gone to an every-other-week schedule.

Arcata Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by a new company to be formed by Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co., . . International Paperisstill seeking buyers for its Gardiner and Vaughn, Or., and Weed, Ca., mills; the Gardiner mill is shut down with start-up hoped for in June . .

Kinzua Corp. plans a 2 mo. shut down of its facilities . ,. Wickes Forest Industries has temporarily closed the Grangeville, Id.. mill . Crown Zellerbach has cut its salaried staff l09o through early retirements and forced exits . Missouri Pacdic RR has closed its Eugene, Or., office...

Walled Lake Door Co., Phoenix, Az., has permanently closed its Orange, Ca., subsidiary, Bellwood Co., a door mfgr. . .Borchers Bros.,SanJose, Ca., has closed its pre-hung door plant . . Newport International Forest Products, Newport Beach, Ca., has closed

Final housing start figs. for '81 were I ,102,7W, a dismal low exceeded only by '46 est. 1,050,000 . . while Dec. starts were up 13 .3Vo from Nov. it was still 36 9o below the yean'earlier pace experts said the increase, the second in a row, was more than anticipated. .

The Merchant Magazine

Most of the increase was in bldgs. of 5 or more units; single family starts rose only I .4Vo in Dec. , for all o f '8 I they fell 1 7 9o , the lowest rate since record keeping began for that category in '59; geographically, the West notched a34Vo increase in starts . . bldq. permits were up an encouraging I2Vo in Dec., for all of '81 they were off 1890 . .

Chinook Wood Products has moved its Hq. from Scotts Valley, Ca., to Yachats, Or. Frontier Fiber, Inc. and Meadows Resoltrces, Inc., both Albuquerque, N.M., have announced plans to build a medium density fiberboard and lumber mill in Las Vegas, N.M., early this yr. .

Solano Lumber Co., Solano Beach, Ca., has acquired Fallbrook Lumber Co.. Fallbrook, Ca.

Boise Cascade Building Materials Center, Grand Junction, Co., will complete a $1.5 million relocation in June Stafford Lumber Co., City of Industry, Ca., has been acquired by Barr Lumber Co., Los Alamitos, Ca...

Orchard Supply Hardware, San Jose, Ca., plans to expand its distribution center Home Lumber Co., San Bernardino, Ca., will relocate its lumber wholesaling operation to the south area of the city and build a new retail center at its present location

Hemphill-O'Neill Lumber Co., Chehalis, Wa., has taken a new corporate name, HemphillO'Neill Co,, and combined its lumber and sawmill divisions into a new subsidiary, H-O Lumber Products, Inc.

Budget Lumber Saleshas opened a d-i-y yard in Salem, Or. . Suburban Building Materials, Aloha, Or., has been purchased by Clarence J. Rausch Imported Hqrdwood Products Association members approved a name change to Internationsl H a rdw oo d Products Associqt ian.