Lumber Looks Abead to 1956 presid.ent,**,I';,f '{,:i,'r\i,?^;,,fiil?ff,*;Association

This year will be a good year to buy lumber.

Lumber is one of the few major building materials in plentiful supply, and the current supply is backed up by an increasing surplus of forest growth over timber being cut. There will be good buys, especially in the do-it-yourself market in which a rapidly growing number of experienced home craftsmen have learned to get the most out of economy grades, "shorts" and other bargain lumber for both utility and decorative value.

Millions of Americans rvill buy lumber in 1956 and thev have the assurance that they can get the right grade for the right use.

Both nature and the law of supply and demand have operated to bring about these favorable market conditions, Wood is our only renewable resource. Private forestry enterprise, confident of a continuing and growing dema.nd for lumber, is renewing this resource at an unprecedented rate.

Many Americans may be surprised to learn that if it .lvere not for insects, fire and other destruction, the cubic volume growth of all timber would norv be 60/o greater than the cut. As it is, gror,vth-less the loss to destructive elements -exceeds the amount cfiby 32/o.

Also, sarvtimber (timber large enough for sarvlogs) that r,vas cut and lost to destructive elements exceeded grorvth by 5O/o ten years ago. There has been a tremendous change for the better, and today sarvtimber growth is practically in balance with cut and loss.

We now have 489 million acres of forest land, compared with 461 million acres ten years ago. And we have 2,094 billion board feet of sawtimber, compared with 1,601 billion board feet ten years ago.

This reappraisal of our timber resources, its facts repudiating many past prophecies of a timber famine, r,vas made this fall by the U.S. Forest Service.

Such a marked trend to greater lumber supply is still more impressive in vie'"v of the fact that lumber production last year-3S.5 billion board feet-rvas the largest since 1916, according to 1955 year-end estimates.

Grorving lumber as a crop has become more feasible than ever before as a result of progress in lumber manufacturing methods. There was once a fear that someday lve r,vould run out of large timbers. Norv u'e do not have to .rvait for trees to grow to giant size. Ordinary sizes of seasoned, defect-tree lumber are glued together to provide superior timbers of any size or shape or finish specified by engineers, architects and builders.

- This type of progress, in forest management and in manufacturing method, is a matter of economics. It results from market demand-the fact that lumber continues as the preferred material for home building and many other types of construction.

Although it is believed that housing starts in 1956 r.vill decline about 100,0@ belorv the estimated 1.3 million starts for 1955, private residential construction is expected to amount to a record $14.6, billion, or about a third of all new construction in dollar volume.

This should rnean that home building this year will use about 12 billion board feet, roughly one-third of the average annual lgmber production in recent years. The trend con-

Los Angeles Will Breok Another Consfruction Record in 1955

A new construction record for the city of Los Angeles now appears certain for 1955, according to G. E. Morris, general manager, Building and Safety Department. The rock-and-gravel industry strike will affect figures somewhat but, nevertheless, a record seemed fairly sure last month, In the year's first 10 months, 52,287 permits were issued with a valuation of $373,736,391-more than $gS miUion above the 51,133 permits in 1954's same period at $338,261,526. During October, 5370 permits were written ior $43,47t,23I valuation, corhpared to $33,218,726 in September last year and $30,897,443 in October 1954.

tinues to bigger and better houses, accounting in part for the larger dollar volume despite fewer houses started. The better quality house today is characterized by use of rvood for fine finish effects. \\/ood ceilings, rvood paneled walls, wood cabinets and wood floors have become strong sales appeal items. The popularity of hardrn'ood flooring is shorvn by the fact its production increased al>out l5/o last year over 1954.

Strong markets for lumber are also foreseen in commercial and religious building this year, trvo of the classes of construction expected to shor,vn gains over 1955. Modern suburban construction, including factories and schools, promises still greater use of wood construction because of nerv design trends and rvood's appropriateness to suburban settings.

Lumber consumption last year is estimated at 42.5 billion board feet, the highest figure since our association first began its records on consumption in 1929. This figure includes exports and imports, as lvell as distributors' stocks.

All the evidence points to continuing strong demand, which is the stimulus of future increased production.

Meantime, there's ample lurnber for the American consumer-for everybody from the builders and prefabricators, who buy in quantities of millions of board feet, to the do-ityourselfer who can carry his order home on his shoulder.

Ghino Lumber Go. Buys Nutter

Pomona, Calif.-The Nutter Lumber Company here has been purchased by the Chino (Calif.) Lumber Company and appointment of Robert C. Witter as general manager was announced December 8. J. Fred Nutter, president of the Pomona yard, died last July. Albert M. Carlson of the Chino Lumber Co. said the Nutter yarcl would be a wholely owned subsidiary, operated independently. Further details of the transaction and new policies will be available for the next issue.

lilaaafacturcd la lhe West -- For Wcstera llome Sulldere

A Tuxury Ftush

COMPETITIVETY PRICED

FEATURES GALORE

GIUATITY COMBINATION llOtlR SERVICE

Dependabitity

Seven beoutiful veneers to motch your house doors. All oluminum rust-free, smoothly operoting unit. Sosh sections eosily removed for cleoning. Entire door ond unit weotherproof ond woter proof. All wood interior porls of kiln dry lumber only. Hot plote pressed with exterior glue-Smoothly belt-sonded ot mill for exciting noturol finish or smooth pointed surfoce. Fiber gloss, non-rusi, no so!f, screen is used exclusively.

Priced Righl For Todoy's fiighly Gompetitive Mqrket - High Style ot Low Gost.

NEW WAREHOUSE FACITITY ASSURES IMMEDIATE DELIVERY FROM COMPLETE STOCK

THE DOOR, WITH THE AIL.WOOD HORIZONTAT CORE

Beautifut Finishes

MASONITE . POPIAR

ROTARY CUT MAHOGANY

ASH . SHINA O GU'YI' BIRCH

Regordless of your requiremenls we hqve the door to fit every purpose . .

We Feslure

C. T. TAKAHASHI

GREEN ARCH BRAND PLYWOODS

We ore equipped lo produce CUSTOM designed doors of qll kinds. Our SPECIALW deporlment is qt YOUR SERVICE.

Aff Doors Unconditionolly Guaranfeed . .

Member of Southern Colilornio Door Institule