THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT JaekDionne,publ*hu How Lumber Looks

Lumber production during the four weeks ended October 29 was higher than during any month since May and new busi' ness was lower than since August, according to reports to the National Lumber Manufacturerc Association from regional associations covering the operations of 701 leading hardwood and softwood mills. October'orders were slightly below the normal seasonal decline as compared with July and August and were about 22 per cent under the comparatively high record of September.

During the week ended October 29, reported production was l23r4f.4r00o feet or 24 pet cent of capacity. New businesE was 12714241000 feet or 25 pet cent of capacity, compared with 26 per cent the previous week and 2E pet cent the week before.

Douglas Ffu-322 mills reporting to the Vest Coast Lum. berments Association for the week ended October 29 operated at 24.6 per cent of capacity, the sarne as for the previous week. During the week 196 of these plants were reported as down and 126 as operating.

217 mills reporting for the same week produced 6212881989 feet or 26.2 pet cent of their weekly capacity. Orders were reported as 52,274rO68 feet and shipments '6Q488,742 f.ea. Current new business of these mills was 16.1 per cent under production and 21.9 per cent of their weekly capacity; ship. ments were 2.9 per cent under production.

Unfilled orders at these 217 mills for the week decteased 914611000 feet from the previous week. New export business increased 944rO0O feet; new domestic cargo orders were 1r894r 000 feet under and new rail business decreased 4r4l2,OOO f.eet, while the local trade increased 52rOOO feet as compared with the previous weekts business.

fnventories at 144 mills increased 1861000 feet from the week ending October 22, and arc 26.6 per cent less than at this time last year.

116 mills reporting to the Southern Pine Association for the week ended Octobet 29 rcported new business as 26'949'(X)0 feet, shipments 31r044r(XX) feet, and production 2rr942rOOO feet. Orders were 13 p€r cent above production and 13 per cent below shipments. Shipments wete 30 per cent above productio'n.

The ITestern Pine Association for the week repotted new business for 103 mills as tlr442rOOO feet, shipments 33'675'fi)0 feet, and production 26r795rW feet. Orderb were 17 Per cent above production and 7 per cent below shipments. Shipments wete 26 per cent above production.

258 hardwood mills reporting. for the sami week give new business as 14ro61rfi)0 feet, or 51 per cent above production, and shipments 17r8l7rfiD feet' or 92 per cent above ptoduction. Production was 9,292,OO0

Unsold stocks on the public docks at San Pedro are still low, and on November 9 totaled only 1r833r(XX) feet. Cargo arivals at San Pedro for the week ended November 5 totaled 7,080r(X)0 feet, which included 7 cargoes of Fir amounting to 614801000 feet, and I cargo of Redwood carrying 6fi)r(D0 feet. 56 vessels were operating in the California lumber service on November 5, and 52 vessels were laid up.

The California market was not very active during t{re past two weeks, but with the national election over it is thought that the actual consumption of lumber will show an improvement. Mill prices are firm. For the first eight days of November, the Los Angeles building permits totaled i357,679.

State Proposition No.3 Deleated Ne* Manager for Vallejo Yard

State Proposition No. 3 to abolish trust deeds which appeared on the November 8 election ballot was defeated by a large vote. With most of the precinct returns heard from as we go to press, 10,008 precincts out of a total of the State's 10,547 precincts, the vote was as follorvs: Yes, 463,888; No, 1,307,848.

E. H. Case has been appointed manager of the Vallejo Lumber Co., Vallejo, succeeding Carl Mitchell who resigned to enter the contracting and home building business. Mr. Case, who has recently been living in Southern California, came to California several years ago from Illinois, where he hacl 25 years' experience in the lumber bttsiness in Chicago and vicinity.