N EWS BRil EtrS

Banks across the country have inc,reased their prime lending rate from 5/o to 51/+% in re' sponse lo increased corporate demand for funds in response to the ruit/espraatl et'onomir recou' ery . a rebounding housing market and improving non-resi' dential bldg. yielded a record 89 billion of newlt contructed con' struction u,ork in May, according to F. W. Dodge

Latest figures {or savings deposits show an eosing ot' the in' flow of $fi into the s&Is, slightly bclow IIay last year . interest rates on home mortgages h,uue cLimbed to 7.53/a,.their lst increase since Jan. hausing srarls in May poppe d, up l01/2/o a{tera2mo.drop

Senior Weyerhaeuser vp. C. Calvert Knudse,n has forecast, "1973 und 1974 will be stronger thun most economists are predicting" .. bldg. mtls. markets will be o'strong, sustained and stable." . . . C-P's chairman R. B. Pamplin sees "o, least a 15/o hike in mtls. sa|es this year and the pace continuing

Retail markets should show a, good d,eal of zip in the months ahead as consumer confdence and, ability to buy continue their renewed upbeat, according to Wells Fargo Bank . . the pres. of the Nt'l Assn. of Home Builders told the recent Pacific Coast Builders Conference in S.F. that housing goals ,n'ationally of 26 million homes by 1980 are so f,rmly est. that luture political administrations won't change them and N{rs. Rex Clemens, Philomath, Ore. Koppers has mouetL its treating plant from Wilmington, Calif., to Ontario, according to vp. & regional mgr' Don Smith

Willamette Industries, Portland, plans to buy 19,500 acres of Doug fir producing land and other assets in the Alsea River Basin for $40 million from Mr.

Boise Cascade's woes con' tinue: B-C has been accusecl in a $35.9 million damage suit o1 " misrepresentations" in conjunction with their acquisitiein in 1969 of West Tacoma Nervsprint; B-C plans to "t'ight these ill-ooruceiued actions tuith oll of otrr resources." .. Deltec Intcrnational is also suing B-C in rcgarcl to the capital stock of their jointly-held Argentine cattle ranch

Surrsr:l Indu,stries has opened its gth home irnlrrovement centcr, in Long Beach, Calif. ; more Jrores ara planned this yr:ar in uearby Arcatlia and Torranc.e . . Mt. Scott Retttil lard, Suthellin, Ore.o has opened its expanded, remodeletl yard; it is also firm's 25th anniver,sary in business . McNamara & Peepe Bldrs. Supply is the new name for the old Del Norte Supply, Crescent City, Calif.

Cashnays Building M aterials, Inc. plans a Fall opening for their new store in Albuquerque, N.M. Payless Cashnuays, Inc. (nn relation) plans a public stock offering and has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Lumber production in April (latest figures) declined 3.9/a from the previous month, but is 7.I/o above the year ago figure

Fire gutted the main building of the Cedar Croae Lumber Co., on the Woodinville-Snohomish hyw. (near Everetto Wash.) no estim&te ot' damage . the lst quarter of '72 produced the strongest rate of home building eucr reczrded t'or a S-mo. peri' orl, accorrling to F. W. l)oclge '

Rolx:rt O. Dehlendorl lms re' signed as ltresidertt and chief exec. officer of Arcata National Corp., Mcnlo Park, Calif., a{ter a 5 year stint during which he built the firm (which includes Arcata Redwood Co.) from $12 million a yeal to sales of more than $200 milLion; his exec. vp. I ohn. Lillie, is aiso leaving the company. N ew president is I. Frank Leach, who was exec. vp. of Bunker-Ramo Corp.; he will holrl down both jobs

Stan. Brown has been honared by the Los Angeles City Council and Van Nuys community leaders on the 25th anniversary of the founding of his Chandler Lumber Co. for his "many years of seruice ta the peoytle" Palco is drau,ing sizeoble crowd.s ol tourists again this year to their Dernonsiration Forest, near their Scotia, Calif., mfg. facilities .

The American Pl'ywood Assn. clected Paul F. Ehinger chairman; Emory Moore, president; and John A. Ball as vp. at their jl6th annual meeting in Portland; attendance was a record 620; rnajor features of the program included a plea by economist Sanford Coodkin to the industry to tackle price problems with builders' help a,nd the safety arvard program which revealed a new safety record had been set

Lumber consumption in the U.S. in '72 is expected to set an all-time record of about 46 billion bd. ft., says I{FPA . . . the remodeling industry, which set new records last year, expects to top that mark this year br more than l0% .

Bruce Buildins Products is the new handle {or the old E. L. Bruce Co.. firm is a div. of Cook Industries, N{emphis . . . Standtrrd Structttres has moaed to nery quarters at IL44 Mines Ave., Mon,tebello, Calif.