THE CALIFOR}IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JaclcDionne,pfil*ttu

pcr Ycer Singlc Copier, 25 ccntr cach. LOS ANGEI F-s, CAL.,

How Lumber Looks

The ninety-eight day Pacific Coast maritime strike came to and end on February 5, and the men returned to work the following mornirig. The seven striking unions voted 35,906 to 5936 for acceptance of the tentative agreements.

With the opening of the ports,,cargoes formed the major problem of the shippers, for all the 237 ships tied up must be unloaded before new cargoes can be taken aboard. Warehousing facilities at the docks are overtaxed. It will probably be four to six weeks before normal shipping can be resumed.

14,000,000 feet of lumber was aboard ships tied up at Los Angeles harbor during the strike v/hich is being unloaded as fast as possible.

As we go to press, at Los Angeles harbor the teamsters' union is threatening to block the port to all except union tru,ck drivers. *

At the close of three months of curtailed produ,ction and shipments due to the marine tie-up oI 171 mills reported to the West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ending January 30, showing principal activity in 67,483,944 feet of lumber sold to the rail market, and shipments in the same market division of. 65,632,553 feet. No shipments were reported in the water markets for the week.

Production continues at low levels, the l7I mills reporting a total of 74,827,892 leet of lumber made during the week. The industry produced at 47.5 per cent of its average weekly cut during 1926-1929. Unfilled orders at these mills totals 874,728,276 f.eet.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended January 30, 107 mills reporting', gave orders as 67,0!4,000 feet, shipments 56,I24,W feet, and produ,ction 32,54O,000 feet. Orders were 105.9 per cent above production, and 19.4 per cent above shipments. Shipments were 72.4 per cent above production. Unfilled orders at the end of the week stood at J31,283,000 feet.

The California Redwood Association for the week ended January 23, reported production of 13 mills as 9,302,000 feet, shipments 8,022,W feet, and new business 15,609,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 80,666,000 feet. The 13 identi,cal mills reported production 31 per cent g'reater, and new business 75 pet,cent greater than for the same week last year.

Building permits reported by 83 of the leading cities in the West during January reflected an increase of. 35.97 per cent over January, 1936, according to the Western Monthly Building Survey prepared by H. R. Baker & Co., California investment banking firm.

The reports showed total permits of $15,985,363 during January compared with $11,756,277 in January, 1936.

Los Angeles retained first place in January. San Fran'cisco remained in second place, followed by San Diego, Seattle, Sacramento, Portland, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and rucson'

Heavy snows in the Fir and Pine regions have curtailed production and logging operations.

The Fir mills are loaded up with business. Prices are firm and it is hard to get quotations from the mills. There is a shortage of Fir logs and no change is expected in the logging situation for several weeks.

The Pine mills have big order files, stocks are low, and prices firm. There is a big demand for Ponderosa Pine and Sugar Pine from all sections of the country.

The Redwood market is strong and the mills report a good volume of business.