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Review qnd Forecqsf: Softwood Ply*ood

'fhe softwood plywood industry set its l6th consecutive annual production record in 1963 and looks for another banner year in 1964, the U. S. Department o{ Commerce has reported.

The output in 1963, which totaled about 10 billion square feet 1a/-inch basis), was 9 percent above 1962. A similar increase is anticipated in 1964, pushing the year's total to 10.9 billion square feet, the Department's Business and Defense Services Administration said.

Per capita consumption of softwood plywood has increased more than 100 percent in the last 10 years, and in 1963 exceeded 50 square feet. This record has been due to the growing acceptance of softwood plywood in construction, manufacturing, containers and pallets, and on farms.

The fact that softwood plywood is one of the ferv building materials priced lower today than a decade ago is a competitive advantage, as is the fact that its use requires less labor than that of competitive materials and therefore further reduces in'place costs. Also contributing to its competitive advantages are adaptability and versatility.

Heightened activity in cooperative research involving new products is underway, as are various market promotion programs, such as the vacation home and add-a-room remodeling campaigns.

Receni Trends ond Curent Outlook

Both production and shipments of softwood plywood gained 5 percent during the first 9 months of 1963 over the corresponding period ol 1962, according to industry sources. New orders received by the mills gained similarly, and ran slightly ahead of the 1963 output. These gains were made in spite of a work stoppage during June-August which at its peak afiected an estimated 30 percent of domestic softwood plywood capacity and idled some 28,000 mill and logging employees. Some dislocation of trade occurred, but most of the demand for softwood plywood was met through increased output by mills not affected by the stoppage, by drawing on mill and jobber inventories, and by increased imports, principally from Canada.

The dispute's disruptive efiect on prices, however, was clearly evident. l'or example, the price of Grade A-D r/a-inch interior Douglas fir ply*'ood, the bellwether item, rose from $62 per thousand square feet in early June to $85 in mid-July, about 37 percent. A 3-week plunge beginning a month later brought the price back to $64, where it remained during the balance of 1963. The industry claims that this $64 price is the minimum neces' sary to ofiset added production costs resulting from the terms of the labor settlement.

Federol Anti-Trust lndictment

A federal grand jury in Portland, Oregon, has indicted seven lumber companies on charges of violating the Sherman Anti-trust Act by allegedly rigging bids on federal timber in western Oregon.

The indictment charged that the seven defendants, plus unidentified co-conspirators, agreed to allocate Forest Service sales among themselves and to eliminate competitive bidding. Moreover, the defendants were accused of bidding against companies not in the alleged conspiracy so that these concerns would be forced to pay higher prices for their timber.

The indictment said the rigging involved 1962 sales by the Forest Service of about $4 million of standing timber in the Siuslaw National Forest. The seven Oregon companies are all charged with conspiring to restrain trade. The maximum penalty for each company found guilty would be a $50,000 fine.

Industry Problems Discussed

Wholesaler problems and the ever-changing patterns of distribution in marketing were the subjects of a frank discusion by a group of 37 California wholesale lumbermen who met last month in Los Angeles.

The luncheon meeting was highlighted by a report on the previous day's meeting of the Lumber Industry Merchandising Council, a group made up of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers from throughout the U.S. Reports were given by N-AWLA President W'alter Arling and executive vice president Jack Mul. roon€y.

A similar no-host session was staged several days later in San Francisco rvhen local N-AWLA ,members joined in an informal luncheon meeting with other wholesalers to work over industry problems. Association veep Mulrooney outlined the group's ex. panded problem solving plans and ideas for strengthening NAWLA me.mbership.

A survey of the lumberman attending the L.A. meeting provided some interesting figures on the number of years of experience in the lumber industry represented at the meeting. The 37 men attending posted a total oI 775 years in the business, averaging out to 2l years per man. Three lumber veterans in the group boasted a record of 42 years experience.

Western Pine's 34th Annuql

Lumbermen from 12 western states will gather March 4-7 for the 34th annual meeting of the Western Pine Association. Though the Western Pine Region eclipsed all previous shipping records in 1963-10 billion board feet moved mostly to domestic market*-the average Ponderosa Pine price index was nearly $9 a thousand b.f. below the previous record volume year-1959.

In that year, the 12 state region shipped 9.9 billion feet, reported W. E. Grifiee, secretary-manager of the association. Prices of most species did improve slightly last year, though not as much as labor costs increased, he said, The cost-price squeeze continues and at the same time, Canadian lumber shipments into our markets are still pointed sharply upward, Griffee concluded.

One highlight of the meeting will be a special presentation on how activities of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association and the National Wood Promotion Program supplement the WPA program. Western Pine Association is the largest contributor to the support of NLMA.

Keynote speakers during the lumber talks at the St. Francis hotel will be Mark Townsend. president of NLMA; and John S. Richards, president of Western Pine Association.

Crown Zellerboch Reporls

Crown Zellerbach's sales volume exceeded $600 million in 1963, establishing an all-time record for the Corporation, an increase of 4 percent over the previous year.

Earnings were up I percent over 1962, or $2.50 a share compared with $2.47 a share earned the year before.

President P. T. Sinclair said that demand for the company's products had been strong through 1963, pushing production close to 2 million tons.

"Howeverro' he said, "price instability in certain lines arising from intensely competitive conditions in the market was severe in 1963. Price wcakness in the afiected grades was therefore a material check on earnings for the year as a whole."

Crown Zellerbach's production of paper and paperboard for 1963 increased Q percent. I,umber production of 28I,015,000 board feet was down 3 percent from 1962; and plywood production of 179,653,000 square feet was I percent above 1962.

In tne forests of coastal British Columbia, the giant Red Cedar often survives centuries of time, wind and weather. Little wonder, then, that lumber cut from this naturally timeless wood will beautify and protect homes in the most severe climates for decades more.

ITS BEAIITY IS AGED-IN-THE.WOOD:

Manufactured by: BnlTlsll C0LUilBlA F0REST PR0IIUCTS LlilllTEl YAilC0UYER, 8.C.

Sales Agents: ilacMltlAll, BI0EDEL & P0TfEtt Ril[n, mf, uAl{couvEn,8.c.

Bepresentathto: FORREST W. WItSON

P.O. Boa 1411 Posadana, Catifornia Phone llg-1t70

Wooden Windows Chosen In New High-Rise Complex

Fifteen thousand ponderosa pine stock

. weather- windows double hung stripped prime coated.

This order was placed by Jonathan Woodner Co., builder-owner of Carlyle Towers, a complex of 2,733 apartments nearing completion in Flushing, N.Y. The wood windows were selected for flexibility in construction as well as quality, appearance and performance,

Six lS-story buildings have been completed and work has begun on two of three 25-story apartment buildings.

The company, with over 20 Years of building experience on a nationwide scale, took advantage of the ease of installation, and therefore, economy, of using wood windows in cavity wall construction. The framps are installed by the masonry con' tractbr during construction of the wall. The in$allation is later completed by the carpentry contractor with the addition of the sash and trim. A distinct advantage is that the trim can be adapted to cover any irregularities in the masonry so that finieh'ed iob is always uniform in qualgi. lt} ano aPPearance.

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The building firm, which also manages the apartments, pointed out that wood win- dows also provide additional savings in maintenance. They are extremely tight, with factory-applied weatherstriping which reduces air infiltration to a minimum and, in turn, cuts heating costs.

Gohring Nomed Celotex Soles Stofi

W. D. "Dick" Gahring has been appointed a sales representative for The Celotex Corporation, according to G. L. Benson, nanager of the companyos Los Angeles sales district. Gahring will serve lumber and builfing materials dealers, wholesalers, and builders in the Los Angeles county area.

A 2Gyear veteran in the building in' dustry, Gahring gained extensive sales experience with building materials wholesale firms in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura before joining Celotex. He attend' ed San Diego State College in San Diego, California.

Buildings Rise on "lnverled Fore5;"

Nine buildings containing 2zl0 new apartments at Marina Del Rey, Calif. are being constructed atop an o'inverted forest."

Overlooking a man-made boat harbor which is connected to the Pacific Ocean by a channelo the apartments are being built on silt and sand dredged out during harbor construction. Because this does not provide the necessary stability required for conven' tional foundations, a total oL 720 Douglas Fir foundation piles were driven to a depth of 50 to 55 feet through the silt and sand to stable soil.

To provide longJife protection against atteck by decay and termites the 720 piles were first placed in huge cylinders at the Wilmington, Calif. plant of Koppers Com' pany, Inc. and pressurb treated with pre' servative creosote oils. Creosote driven deeply into the piles in this process amounted to 12 pounds per cubic foot.

Al Wilson

Bob Turner

Elmer Lervis

66CLARE'? SAYSS "S".ui"e is whar you get at Mason Supplies. We serve the retailer in any of his building material needs." ooClare" R. Benson, on our order desk, is an experienced retail distribution and sales man with eight years in the business. CALL US FOR YOUR BUILDING