How Lrumber Irooks

Portland, Oregon, May l4-Aided by an open winter, Douglas fir sawmills report production for the first four months of the year is up more than 200 million feet over the same four months of last year.

Lumber inventories have been rising in recent months, according to Harris E. Smith, secretary, West Coast Lumbermen's Association. They aie up some 40 million feet since the first of the year, and 110 million feet since May lst of last year. The inventory increase about equals the total of production over shipments.

Weekly production in April averaged 218,524,000 board feet, which was five million feet below weeklv averages for March, Smith said.

The weekly average of West Coast Lumber production in April was 218,524,000 b.f. or ll5.l% of the 1948-1952 average. Orders averaged 234,440,000 b.f.; Shipments 226,028,000 b.f. ; Weekly averages for March were: Productton223,146,A00 b.f.; 117.5/o of the 1948-1952 average; Orders 220,658,0ffi b.f.; Shipments 219,716,000 b.f. Four months of 1953 cumulative production 3,672,367,000 b.f.; Four months of 1952,3,451,313,000 b.f.; Four rnonths of 1951, 3,562,361,000 b.f

Orders for four months of 1953 breakdown as follows: Rail & Truck 2,454,865,000 b.f.; Domestic Cargo 885,763,000 b.f.; Export 276,750,000 b.f.ffi l-ocal 156,878,000 b.f.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at !)61,885,000 b.f. at the end of April ; gross stocks at l,O37,47O,UX) b.f.

Figures covering the first three months of 1953 have been adiusted to latest information available

Lumber shipments of. 496 mills reporting to the Nationat Lumber Trade Barometer for the s'eek ended May 9 rvere 0.5 per cent below production. In the same Neek ne\v orders of these same mills rvere 6.6 per cent belorv Produc(Continued on Page 64)

ln Thit ltuo

How Lunber Looks

W. T. Blccl

STUDS, BOARDS, DIfiIENSION tUffIBER

PI.ANK, TI'UIBERS, RAIIROAD TIES, INDUSTRIAT CUTTIl{GS