LUMBERMERCHANT

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Portland, May 20, 1948-Wide-spread increased demand for Douglas fir lumber, stimulated by improved building weather throughout the nation, has caused a sharp upturn in shipments from Oregon and Washington sawmills, according to H. V. Simpson, executive vice president of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association. Shipments for the four months of 1948 totaled 2,847,333,000 feet, topping same period lor 1947 by 143 million feet'

Record postwar production from West Coast sa"vrnills continued, Simpson said, with a four month's output of 2,875,188,000 feet, exceeding last year's 'cut for the same period by over 270 million feet. Production for April averaged 148,339,000 feet as against 176,036,000 feet weekly average for March. Curtailed lumber cut in April rvas due in part to the boom strike.

Lumber orders for April averaged 179,729,0ffi feet weekly, a. sharp increase over March averages of 167,234,000 feet. Simpson said, barring unforeseen obstacles, 1948 West Coast output would top 1947 production by nearly 10 pei cent. West Coast's April report, for the first time, includes production totals from Southern Oregon's Jackson and Josephine counties, once major pine producers, but whose 175 sawmills now cut 640,0@,000 ieet annually, 8/o of the region's fir lumber.

The weekly average of West Coast lumber production in April 1948 was 148,339,000 b.f. or 95.4% of the 1942-47 average. Orders averaged 179,729,NO b.f.; Shipments 153,019,000 b.f. \\reekly averages for March u'ere : Production

176,036,000 (113.2% of the 19+2-47 average) Orders 167,234,0ffi, Shipments 774,930,000 b.f

Seventeen rveeks for 1948, cumulative production 2,875,188,000 b.f.; seventeen rveeks 1947, 2,614,964,000 b.f.; seventeen rveeks 1916, 2,510,999,000 b.f.

Orders for 17 weeks of 1948 break down as follorvs: rail 1,851,051,000 b.f.; domestic cargo 195,912,000; export 130,816,000 b.f.; local 284,573,@O b.f

The industrys' Unfilled order file stood at 749,031,M at the end of April. Gross stocks at 506.855,000.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended May 8, 101 mills reporting, gave orders as 48,977,Offi feet, shipments 57,680,000 feet, and production 53,702,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 192,647,W feet.

The West Coast l-umbermen's Association for tl-re rveek ended May 8, 161 mills reporting, gave orders as 106,902,000 feet, shipments 97,576,@0 feet, and production 84,268,0@ feet. Unfilled orders at the end of the rveek totaled 551.187.000 feet.

For the u'eek ended May 15, 161 mills reporting, gave orders as 112,336,000 feet, shipments 97,023,0A0 feet, and production 84,354,000 feet. Unfilled orders at the end of the week totaled 557,651,000 feet.

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