N EWS B RI EFS

Housing .sfcrfs, the star performer in the recent economic upturn, lmue begun to decline; most recent figures (April) are down to the seasonally adjusted annual rate o{ 2.1 million from a 1st quarter average of 2.5 million . . . The West had th.e bulk of the. decline.s. nationally, mostly in metro areas bldg. permits, tho, are at a level ltigh enough to support a 2.3 million uni, level o{ horne buildins .

Wickes is mouing its corporate HQ to San Diego from Saginaw. Mich.: the rumor mill immediately had them planning to bry the local Westy's yarcls from Boise Cascade; B-C stoutly d,enies ir as well as the persistent whisperings that B-C is considering selling olJ its Union Lumber Region to Singer, the now-diversified sewing machine maker

I'ublishers I'orest Products is the new name Pubiishers Paper Co., Portland, will use in sales and marketing of lumber, plywoocl, and harcllxlard. according to div. gen. sales mgr. Wayne Holm . . American Forest Products is dropping the old Arizona Box Co. name for its Phoenix operation rvhich wili now carry the AFP name

The federal establishment has socked it to tr+to ol the biggest firm.s in lorest products: the Price Commission ordered Simpson Timber Co. to cut prices on some of its lumber, plywood and paper products ancl refund, some earlier ytrice. hikes; Simpson spokesmen said the co. isn't going to violate any gov. regs. and will comply . a Calif. ju.y slapped Boise Cascerle u,ith $500,000 damases over alleged statt,ments made by a co. rep. in connection with land sales; B-C termed the , verdict "obsurcl an.el unsupported by the euidence" and says it will move foranewtrial..,. l'he Natl. Hardwood Lumber Assn., whiLe nchnowledging thr: neerl f or more promotion ot' hard,wootls, still failed at irs board meeting to take positive action the wood product-q industry is the lorgest single ,orrr"" if reuenrle to U.S. railroods, accorcling to John Aram, vp.-transportation, for The Weyerhaeuser (1o....

Champion Inte:rrtcttional (nee [ .S. I'lywood-Champion Papers) has paid $ll7 million in cash to A nacon.da Co. tor its lumber div. : included are some (t50.000 ar:res of lllontana timberland,. lumber mfg. rvill cease at the end o{ this rnonth lrutting 650 out of rvork: Clrampion said it plans to build a ,$30 million plywood and particleboard operation in the next 12-1f3mos....

I'otlott'h Foresls, Int'. has bought Clearwater Timber Co. antl Idaho Timber Co. for a price in. er;ce.ss of .$3 million; J. W. Johnson and his son James K. have r,perated the firms for the last decade Great Basins Petroleum Co. ftas pu.rchasecl Andre'ws Lurnber Co., Chatsworth, Calif., a privately-ownetl wholesale lumber (:oncern for $1.2 million...

,4merican F orest Products' new $l0 million pafticleboard plant at \'{artell, balif ., sterts productiltn the lst ot' next mo.; it's ge ared tor underlayment grade particleboarcl, will later switch to a heavy emphasis on a high-quality layered industrial board Lit'etime Door, the Michigan-based door mfg. giant, plans to open a n,ew plant in Los Banos, Calif. in late fall .

-4ngels d-i-y stores are openirg new locations this ftia. in California's Santa Ana and Riverside, with stores in Cardena and Long Beach to follow soon after: their lio. Calif . div., ,4 n gels-Bonenze ) recently opened a new one in San Lorenzo l,unrber prorlucliorr in March dipped 1.7/r, t'rom the prior mo., but lues still 7A% ahead of .W,trt'lt u year ag,() . .. t.ottsrruction costs nationally showed the smullest rise in ,3 ,+ears {or the year ending \{ar. .3}, according to F. W. Dodge . . . OSI{A has ruled bosses don't h,aae h pav workcrs for time spent with the officer on inspection tours

\foves to freeze vast areas of Calif. Nt'I. Forests into unproducLiae ruilderness oreas were oDposcd vigorously at a day-long public hearing recently at Pasadena 0ity College by industry reps We;t Coast dockers hoae 0K'd their contract. despite trimming by the Puy Board, eliminating threat of another disastrous dock strike . .

Ceorgio-Pacific says demand f or bldg. m.t/s. has exceeded their expectations so far this year; they see more increases this year Americon Pll'wood ,{ssn. se€s record hornrn bldg. this year, folIowed by a slight decline during 197:3 . .

Sam Hayward is continuing to dispose of the asset.s of the Hay. ward Lumber & Investment Co., recently selling 5 of the 7 yards lo Forest Lumher Cr-r., San Marino, Calif., for an undi-"closecl price as of June 1, no decision had yet been reached on the proposed ff Yz million sale of San Diego's Dixieline Lumber Co. to Continental Western Industries, a Des Moines, Ia., insurance firm; agreement is expected sometime this month.