Srholesalers of West Coast Forest Products from the better mills . o . exclusively for the needs of California Lumber Merchants

November Lumber Sqles Score Heolrhy Increqse Over 1958

November 1959 sales of lumber and construction materials wholesalers were 7/o above Nevember 1958, down l3c/o from October 1959, and ll-month cumulative sales were a healthy 23/o over the previous year.

Inventories of lumber wholesalers at the end of November were down slightly (.1/o), while inventory increases over the previous November were ll/o.

December Housing Storts or 82,3OO

Bureau of the Census estimate of 82,300 new nonfarm dwellings ,started in December puts the preliminary total of starts for the year 7959 at f 376,900, Lut the final adjusted total will not be available for two months, reports the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association.

Nonfarm Housing Starts in December Up 8% Seasonally Over November

While the 81,700 privately owned dwelling units started were lO/o lower than November, this was a much less than normal seasonal decline. December private starts represented a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,310,000 uiits, up 8% from the estimated rate of 1,210,000 in'November.

Total starts in 1959-numbered 1,376,m0 dwelling units, com_pared with 1,209,40-0 iq 1958, and were almost equal to the record number of 1,396,000 units begun in 1950. Privately owned units totaled 1,341,500 in -1959.

tMA Welcomes Porferville Yqrd

The Lumber Merchants Assn. of Northern California has rvelcomed as a new member yard the Wm. paul Alley Lumber Co., Porterville, Calif., of which Edwin Rouch is mallager.