Howl-rumber f-rooks

Seattle, Washington, November 9, 1943-The weekly average of West Coast lumber production in October (4 weeks) was 158,723,000 board feet, or 104.5 per cent of 1939-1942 averdge, according to the West Coast Lumbermen's Association in its monthly survey of the industry. Orders averaged I&,W,W board feet; shipments,165,350,000. Weekly averages for September were: Production 161,919,000 board feet (106.6 per cent of the 1939-1942 average) ; orders 173,162,W ; shipments, 163,204,Co0.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at 1,096,839,000 board feet at the end of October; gross stocks at 496,815,000.

After the driest September on record, with forest fires curtailing logging, the wettest October on record further handicapped log.ging, particularly in trucking over dirt roads. The industry appears to have reached the peak in accumulation of log inventories and must expect some reduction in log stocks as winter comes. Lumber production has declined slightly because of loss of hours at many different mills all over the Douglas fir region, due to log and manpower shortages. This is in face of a tightening situation of war needs for lumber.

In August the requirements of the Central Procuring Agency represented 26 per cent of the West Coast lumber industry's total production. Requirements swung up to 35 per cent in September and October, with no prospect for a decline during the winter months. Indications are that the war agencies will want more rather than less of the tqtal pioduction of the industry.

The administration of the Douglas fir freeze order, L'218, has been clarified and stiffened for the purpose of spreading the load of war lumber needs more evenly over all producers of Douglas. fir. The broad basis of this control, for the immediate future, is that all Douglas fir producers will be expected, as a general rule, to apply at least 50 per cent of their current production to the lumber requirements of the CPA, which is buying f.or t7 different war agencies.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended November 13, 104 mills reporting, gave orders as 73,570,000 feet, shipments 73,806,000 feet and production 80,290,000 feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 374,232,N0 f,eet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended November 13, 93 units (143 mills) reporting, gave orders as 21,@7W feet, shipments 20,938,000 feet, and production zl,l?Pf/Jl_ feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 143,685,000 feet.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ended November 13 reported orders as 107,337,000 feet, shipments 118,620,000 feet, and production 116,279,00O feet.