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Red Fir Supply Brings Logging Acriviry lo Sqn Diego Counfy

For the first time in San Diego county history, logging has been established in that area with sufficient output for steady export. Red fir from Volcan Mountain, seven miles northeast of Julian, Calif., is beir-rg logged and the timber shippecl to Japan for use primarily in the manufacture of boxcars, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Export Pacific Co. of Tacoma, Wash., is handling the shipments, and representative Larry Elmore said it was never thought that timber of such quality could be found in such abundarlce so far south. An estimated 20 million board feet of lumber is exoected to be cut in the next two years, much of this to be shipped to the Orient.

"When we were told about this activity, we were skeptical, but decided to take a look anyway," said Elmore. "We were more than pleased with what we found," he added.

Earl A. Rasmussen, president of the newly formed Julian Timber & Tree Co., Inc., said that the establishment of a Iumber mill in the Julian area is now being considered. At present, Coulter pine and cedar, which are being harvested along with the fir on Volcan Mountain, are trucked to a mill in Redlands.

Mqrch Conslruction Expendifures Up ro $3.7 Billion

The value of new construction put-in-place ir.r Marcl-r 1960 amourrted to $3.7 billion, according to preliminary estimates of the Bureau of the Census, U. S. Department of Commerce. This was 5/o above the Februlry 1960 level and 4/o below the March 1959 value. Seasonal expectations call for an increase of about Sof between February and March. The cumulative value of construction expenditures in the first three months of 1960 amounted to $10.9 billion, 2/o below the comparable 1959 total.

Neu' private construction expenditures in March 1960 amounted to $27 billion, 4/o more than in February 1960 and about the same level as in March 1959. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of private construction declined in X{arch by 3%, with private residential building accounting for the major portion of this decrease. Spending for private residential construction in March 1960 amounted to $1 .4 billion. This was 6/o more than in February compared to a normal seasonal increase of about I0/o between February and March.

The cumulative value of exoenditures for residential buildings in the first three montlis of 1960 showed an overthe-year decline of 3/o to $4.3 billion.