THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT

How Lumber Looks

Lumber shipments of 482 mills reported to the National Lumber Trade Barometer in the week ended July 14 were 3.1/o below pro. duction; new orders were 1.2/o below and unfilled orders were,37Vo of- stocks. For the year-to-date, shipments were 1.3/o and ordeis 0.8/o above production National production of lumber totaled 3,423,000,000 board feet during May, reports the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. 'l'he output was 97oabove April and alnrost the same as May 1955.

After two r,r'eeks when orders zoomed 31.2/o over production QulV 7) and 11.8/o over (July 14), the West Coast Lumbermen's Associatio!-rep-orted for 163 mills in the week ending July 21: pro- duction, 108,149,418 feet; orders, 106,612,246 teet (1.4/o under pro- duction); shipments, 105,164,505 feet (2.8/o under production).

Western Pine Association reported orders of 112 n'rills in the week ending July 14 were 7.6/o below production of 70,992,0A0 feet; ship- ments were 4.3/o below. The increase in orders was ll.3Vo over the previous week, however.

Southern Pine Association reported order-s of 89 mills in the week ending July 14 were 6.47/o below production of 16,532,000 feet; shipments were 7.62Vo above production.

Plywood production in the Pacific Northwest in the week endins

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In this issue, rve welcome these new advertisers into the farnily of California Lumber "Merchant-isers":

July 14 increased 58/o over the previous week as mills resumed after vacation shutdowns. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association reported orders of 75,705,000 feet were 1.5/o above production of 74,542,000 feet, but were 19.7/o below the order level of the same 1955 wiek. The unfilled order file was 317.484.000 feet.

Total retail lumber stocks on May 3l were estimated to be 5,315,000,000 b.t., 1.0% less than on April 30 but 0.57o more than on the same 1955 date. 'Ihe Pacific region led the f our resions showing inc-reases. irr lunrber- stocks with a gain of 9.9/o, reported the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association. Retail lumbei sales during May were 71.8/o above April but 5.4/o less than May 1955.

STUDS, BOARDS, DIMENSION TUTIBER

PLANK, TIMBERS, RAILROAD TIES, rNDUSrRtAt CUTflNGS

It Wos €lose, but 1956 Building Just Noses Out | 955 R,ecords

Southern California building barely established a ne\\' record for the first six-months period of a year rvhen, by a nrargin of less than 1/o ovet the old mark set last vear, building permit valuations set a ne\\' record of $1,063,399,875 in the first half of 1956. Last year's comparable figttre was $1,059,338,867. The total \\'as {rom 69 representative communities and nine unincorlloratecl county areas in figures compiled by the Research dep:rrtrnent of the Securitl'-First National Bank of Los Angeles.

June 1956 trailed the same 1955 month u'ith $174,589,181 comparin g to $l 76,400,222, res;:ectiv ely.

The city of I-os Angeles added a u'hopping $52,070,838 in construction this Tune torvard its ou'n nerv record in

SEPost Article Colled 'Unforlunqfe' by NRTDA

Under the date of July 19, the National Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. sent out a bulletin regarding the article, "Be$,are of Home-Repair Racketeers," which appears in the nrost recent issue of the Saturday Evening l'ost. The NRLDA bulletin stated:

"Nfany members of the Board u'ill probably have read this u'eek's Saturday Evening Post article, 'Beu.are of Home-Repair Racketeers,' rvhich was, as a matter of fact, very unfortur.rately timed because it came at a time u,hen u'e were struggling, and are still struggling, to solve our Titie I prol>lem on Capitol Hill. The article has some elements of good in it in all probability, because it emphasizes the importance of dealing 'rvith reputable local merchants, but beyoncl that all that can be said is tlrat it emphasizes a great many Title I rackets that rvere going on in 1954, somervhat misquotes our good friend, Cy Srveet, and infers that this racketeering is prevalent today. If this article creates any local bad impressions as to OHI and Title I modernization and repair programs. it wc.'r.rld be a good time for the dealers to emphasize our o\\rn slogan-SE,E YOUR LOCAL LUNTBER DEALER FIRST." The bulletin was signed by Executive Vice-President H. R. Northup.

Whof! No Grumpers?

Two l0-minute coffee "breaks" a day are provided in a nerv contract, elTective last month, between the Lumber and Sarvmill \Vorkers union and the Orange Belt Lumber Dealers association in tl.re l)omona, Calif., area. A rvage hike of eight cents an hour and a further increase of seven cents on July l, 1957, r,vere rvon by the nnion. Other benefits gained include a pension plan under rvhich employers have to pay $17.30 a month per employee, and a health and 'n'elfare program, effective Sept. 1, in n'hich the ernployer must contribute $10 monthly per employee. Al>out 20 lumber companies in Orange county are in the association.

sight for 1956. It u'as far above the May ligure of $38,230,934 and the June 1955 figure of. $39,176,122. The city's sixmonths total this year of $238,378,628 easily topped last year's same span of $211,928,168.

The unincorporated cottnty area this June ran up $29'602,593, rvhich trailed both this Nlay and last June. Also belon. 1955 rvas the county area's six-months total: $198,850,490, compared to $216,049,020 last year.

Smokey Beqr Agoin to Ride rhe Mqil

Postmaster-General Summerfield (left) and Secretary of Agriculture Benson announced that Smokey Bear posters will again be displayed on all U. S. mail trucks during the month of August. This will mark the fifth year in a row that the Post Off,ce Department has cooperated in the nationwide drive to stop man-caused forest fires. In addition to the truck posters, postmasters in over 200 cities have been authorized to cancel mail during periods of forest fire danger with special dies carrying forest fire prevention messages. In expressing appreciation for the fine support which the Department is giving the Nationwide Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Program conducted by the USDA's Forest Service and state foresters under sponsorship of The Advertising Council, Secretary Benson said, "If every man, woman and child will just do his part, we can stop this shameful waste of our natural resources. At stake are priceless values in soil and water, in timber and recreation, in wildlife and beauty-not only for our use and enjoyment today-but for generations to come."

D O Y(o U KN oW that the lumber dealer's share of the $160 million insulation market has shrunk from 63To to 42/s in the past few years?

D (o YO U KN O\l/ how this affects your future, not only in the sale of insulation, but in the sale of other products you customarily handle?

DO YO U KNOW what you can do about it?

Today, lumber dealers face a most serious threat to their very survival.

In the huge housing market, lumber dealers are being by-passed by manufacturers who sell insulation and other building products directly to builders and applicators-leaving YOU out. Can anything be done about this? Is there a way to protect your profitsyour future-in this critical situation? We believe the answer is YES-if YOU, the dealer, will cooperate!