How Irumb er Irooks

Douglas fir sawmills are holding to high levels of production, shipments and orders, according to {igures just released by the West Coast Lumbermen's Association.

At the end of five mor.rths of operation, through May, mills of the Douglas fir region of western Oregon and Washington had cut 4,580,088,000 board feet. This total was well ahead of last year for the same period, and topped even the five months' total cut in l95l-the all-time best output vear.

I{arris E. Smith, secretary of the lumber association, said orders of 4,588,300,000 not only topped production for the year to date, and exceeded orders for 1952, but came close to equalling the 1951 record order file.

Shipments through Mav u'ere a cluarter billion feet ahead of last year to date, Smith said.

Tl.re rveekly average of West Coast lumber production in May was 216,121,Un b.f. or ll3.8o/o of the 1948-i,952 average. Orders averaged 193,820,000 b.f.; shipments 2O9,982,000 b.f. Weekly averages for April were: Production 218,524,000 b.f.;115.1/o of the 1948-1952 average; orders 234,444,W b.f.; shipments 226,028,000 b.f.

Five months of 1953 cumulative production 4,580,000 b.f.; five rnonths of 1952, 4,203,881,000 b.f.; five months of 1951, 4,557,914,000 b.f.

Orders for five months,.gf,. .19f3 'breakdown .as. follows : Rail and truck 3,025,510;000 'b.f.; domestlc 'cargo, 1,064,-

120,000;export 300,439,000 b.f.; local 198,231,000 b.f. The industry's unfilled order file stood at 894,005,000 b.f. at the end of May, gross stocks at 1,063,267,000 b.f.

Lumber shipments of 495 mills reporting to the National Lumber Trade Barometer rn'ere 1.9 per cent above production for the week ended June 13, 1953. In the same rveek ne'iv orders of these mills were 1.5 per cent below produc-

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Bcrker Boosts Yolo County Four Vetercn Lumbermen