THE CALIFOR}-IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

W. T. BTACK Advertising Mcncger

How Lrumber lrooks

Portlarrd, Oregon, March 14, 1917-l,umber production in the Douglas fir region of Washington and Oregor.r jumped during February to the highest level rcachcd since the end of the rvar, H. V. Simpson, executive vice president of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association. announcecl today.

Average weekly lnmber proclucticrr.r during February rvas 132,183,000 board feet, l.re said, a pronounced increase over January's average o[ 116,7tj6,000 board feet. Total production for the first nir.re rveeks of L947 nas 1,114,166,000,'also an increase over the 19,16 figrrre of 976,730,N0 for a similar period.

Mr. Sirnpson announced also that shipments of lumber during February averzrged 136,881.000 l;oard feet, a higher level than any reached during 1946, inclicating that the expandecl prodrlcti()n \\.as reaching collsumer outlets.

Demand continrlecl to race u'ith production, as orders sky-rocketecl to a nerv post-u,ar high, averaging 153,2.+1,000 board feet during February. Weeklv averages for Januarl' u'ere: orders, 139,188,000; shipments, 132,983,000.

On the l;asis of the rising production figures, Mr. Simpson predicted that housing construction lumber rvould be available for "substantially more" homes in 1917 than it rvas possible to build in 1946.

"According to Housing Expeditor Frank R. Creedon's estimates, 1,003,600 drvelling rrnits u'ere started last year,"

Our Silver Anniverscry

On July lst,1947, THE CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT rvill be trventy-five years old. On that date lve rvill publish a Silver Anniversary Issue. All orrr friends are invited to participate.

One of the features of this issue will be a special Plyrvood Section.

the lumber executive saicl. "A 'start' normally means that framing lumber has l>een obtained. Barring unforeseen difficulties, we are confident there u'ill be construction lumber available for at least .50 per cent more units in 1947."

Orders for the first nine r.veeks of 1947 break dorvn as follorvs: Itail, 874,316,000 b.f.; domestic cargo, 178,800,000; export, 131,288,0@; local, 104,727,Un. The industry's unfilled order filc stood at 576,972,W b.f at the end of February; gross stocks at 379,476,U&.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended March 8, 103 mills reporting, gave orders as 53,738,000 feet, shiprrrents 58,964,C00'feet, and production 52,044,00A feet. Orders on l-rand at thc end of the rveek totaled172,228,W0 feet.

For the n'eek endecl N{arch l, 97 (Continue<l on Page reporting, gave 30)