THE CALIFOR}IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JadcDiorne,pflLfur How Lrumber lrooks

Military requirements for 2 x 4 dimension have increased to the point that the following direction has been issued by the Portland office of the War Production Board, effective July 13, 1945:

Gentlemen:

"You are hereby directed to immediately stop all shipments ol 2x4 dimension, rough and surfaced, in the species of Douglas fir, West Coast hemlock, sitka spruce and white fir, in the grades of No. 3 and Better Common and B and Better, C and D Clears, except on purchase orders or memo of bids of the Portland office of C.P.A., bearing inquiry number prefixes as follows:

AA (m) -AO (m) -AP (m) -AP ( mo) -AQ (m) -AS (m) -AT (m)NA(m)-NM (m)-NY-D(a)

Shipments against any other inquiry number prefixes and to all others, are not permitted. Exception to this directive can cation to this office."

The freeze is at all rnills having are located rvest of the Cascades ton. It freezes all 2 x 4's, rough be made only upon applisurfacing facilities which in Oregon and Washingand surfaced.

Ltrmber shipments oI 454 mills reporting to the National Lumber Trade Barometer were 13.2 per cent above production for the week July 7,1945. In the same week new orders of these mills were 53.7 per cent more than production. Unfilled order files of the reporting mills amounted to 114 per cent of stocks. For reporting softwood mills, unfilled orders are equivalent to 43 days' production at the current rate, and gross stocks are equivalent to 36 days' production.

The Western Pine Asosciation for the week ended July 7, 96 mllls reporting, gave orders as 42,226,M feet, shipments 25,816,000 feet, and production 34,240,W feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week. totaled 380,588,000 feet. I

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended July 14,92 units (132 mills) reporting, gave orders as 19,145,000 feet, shipments 19,703'000 feet, and production 17,893,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 128,137,000 feet.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ended July 14, 163 mills reporting, gave orders as U,G7,000 feet, shipments 68,907,000 feet, and production 74,461,000 feet.

The California Redwood Association reported production of 13 operations for the month of May, 1945, as 36,343,000 feet, shipments 37,191,000 feet, and orders received 30,301,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the month totaled 97.581.000 feet.