Conditiolts-in the Redrcood Region

Bv S. J. Sharp

The California Redwood Association San Francisco, California

The statistical showing of the Redwood Industry during and foreign. Domestic shipments for the first five months the first months of 1931 revealed a very low level of of this year were 76/o of those of last year, with the Eastactivity. ern territory showing up somewhat better than California.

The California Redwood Association received reports qorgig-n_ gllnments were but 33% oI th_ose of the same p-efrom mills estimated to reprisent 87/o of the total Redwood riod of 1930, and bat 2l/o of the first five months of. 1929. prodtction, so that the showing_ of these mills should very When the volume used by the mills in their own opera- nearly reflect conditions in the Industry as a whole. tions is considered, consumption of Redwood has excdeded

These mills report that during the first five months of 1931 production was 55/" of. that for the same period and the same mills last year, and 59/o of. that in 1929. This production totalling 95,000,000 feet for the reporting mills, is considerably under 5O/o capacity, as shown by actual past experience of these companies.

Shipments were on a slightly higher comparative basis than was production. These mills shipped 98,500,000 feet during the first five months or 7I/o of their shipments for the same period of 1930, and 65/o of their shipments in L929.

The decrease in shipments has varied somewhat as between domestic markets. and radically as between domestic production by about 15,000,000 ft., or nearly l5/o of. this year's cut. This makes a very noticeable decrease in the stocks on hand at the beginning of the year. The stocks are still rather large in total volume, although many of them are badly broken. The Common grades, generally speaking, are short and the mills are inclined to be crowded on cutting crders with production on the present schedule.

Renewed sales effort is being made by the Industry on the grades that have been moving most slowly and feel that a better balance of stocks can be secured through a vigorous marketing poli,cy in addition to an improvement in the total volume moved.