LUMBER MERCHANT

Jack Dionne, Publisher

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How Lumber Looks

Weakness in dimension of all species was the major cause of a drop in the industry average of Crow's -Lumber Price Inclex of Auiust 23. There was also continued softness in No' 3 contmon Poiderosa pine boards, 4,/4 D select, and all shop grades in- pine' Utility g.""n fit 2x4 to zx9 and studs (15% Utility) were steady but boards lost ground and plank was weak. Kiln-dried Utility fir dimension was str"ong and theie was little price change in Standard & Btr' But more t,ttplu. items were showing up. Dry white fir dimension and green fir and larch dimension also slipped. Sanded plywood mainiained its prive level for the index grade, '/a-inch AD, but sheathing continued to sag.

Despite the lower down payments announced by the FHA and.the impeniing freight-rate increase of 7%, corlsumer activity remained order files were running low in the August 15 report and mills were forced to accept lower prices or shut down that week. Demand for boards in Std. & Btr. was at the lowest point in years, largely due to the building-trades strike in Southern Calif' Lumber shipments of 490 mills reporting to the National Lumber Manufactureri A.sn. in the week ended August l0 were 5'5l' below production, new orders were 2.1/o below' For the year-to-date, shipments were 1.0% and orders 1.8/o above production.

Orders of 89,388,479 feet were l5'9ft below, but shipn.rents of 106,914,031 feet were 0.6/o above production of 106,303'200 feet at 165'miils reporting (140 operating) to the West Coast Lumbermenis Association in the week ending August 17.

Orders were 5.3/o and shipments were 0,8/o below production of 84,340,000 feet at 122 mills reporting to the Western Pine Association in the week ended August l0'

The California Redwood Association reported that production of 38,230,000 feet during July was seasonally lower than any month since December 1956, in part as a result of the annual shutdown for mill overhaul and vacations. Shipments of 42,102,000 feet were off 6 million feet from June and 5 million below July 1956. July orders were 5 million feet below June but less than 500'000 feet below Julv 1956. Orders on hand July 31 were 52,357,A00 feet, while stocks on hand were 6 million feet below the level of June 30.

Total retail lumber stocks on June 30 were estirnaLed 5'163,C00'000 b.f. by the National Retail tumber Dealers As.sn.;.3.6/o less than Mav but 1.04o above June 1956. Retail lumber sales, based on boardfoo[ volume'of reporiing yards, during June were 2.8/o above May b'tt fi.S% below-June 1956. The Pacific -region^-r€ported a sales decline ,it S.tEo from May and 7.6/o fronr June 1956.

WOODTAND (Cslif.) ]UMBER CO. aftrqctod neorly 4,0fi) oreo town3peoplc lo its recent grond opening. lhe prelimincries, the qening festivilies ond some facts qboui lhe Auburn Lumber Co. lineyord, wldcfi wos remodeled by the Gqrehime Corp. using Dotey Disploy Fixlurcs, cre repoded on Pogel 2 ond 3

DO-IT-YOURSEIF DOILARS ON THE HOOF (rop lefi), o sight to worm the heqrt of the hqrdest retqil lumbermqn. Top Cenler: Don Anderson (probobly scrotching heqd in omozement) come to help out ot the checkout counler from hir own iob os monoger of the Dovis Lumber Co., onother recently remodejed Robie yord (CLM, 4.'15./57). Top righr: Entire new showroom wos engineered by Gorehime Corp., derigners of other new Robie yords ot Auburn ond Dovis; store interior hqs exposed-beom ceiling poinfed off-white, while exterior is Zonolite finished concrele. lower Left: mqnufqclurers' disploys were monned by Deon Soylor, Eorl Hockett, Ron Hodges, Johns-Mqnville's Willi: Lindsey, Horry Sorensen, Alex Gqlbrcirh, Bob McGee, Bob Bernords, George Schott ond John Fohlqnd. !ower Righr: Monoger Howell (righr) chois with locol builder qf the new Controctors desk ond soles ofiice.