\(/estern Pine Production, Shipment Records Broken

By Robert O. teonord Western Pine Associotion

Responding to the year's record-breaking demand for lumber and lumber products, the Western Pine industry in 1950 apparently rvill produce and ship more Western Pines and Associated Woods than at any time in its 60-year history.

Topping even the 1948 marks, it appeared in mid-November that production rvill reach 7.5 billion board feet and shipments 7.8 billion feet for the 12 months. Shipments in 19€ were 6678 million and production 7144 million'

By quarters, this year's production outstripped that of 1948 in every period except the first rvhen the second successive hard western rvinter held the total to 1066 million feet, nearly two hundred million under the 1248 figure of the earlier year. Output was 2152 million in the second period, 2416 in the third and is expected to be nearly 1900 million in the last.

Shipments have consistently topped 1948 totals. In the first quarter they were 1426 million, in the second 2083 million, reached 2273 in the third and rvill probably run over two billion in the final period.

Despite two governmental credit orders which have materially 'affected national building plans since July, shipments have held up at a rate consistent rvith the first half of the year. This is attributable chiefly to the fact that Western Pine species are more generally used in woodwork and finish items, which remain to be installed in many houses begun before credit restrictions----or at least the more stringent of them-were set forth.

An outstanding feature of 1950 Western Pine marketing has been the continually increasing utilization of the seven Associated Species, led by White Fir. Averaging approximately 650 million annually since 1946, White Fir shipments this year are expected to be close to one billion feet.

The tremendous lumber demand has been an important factor but the industry regards accePtance of Associated Species more as the payoff of an energetic three-vear promotion and sales campaign, backed by improved manufacture and better seasoning, rvhich has resulted in builder and retailer discovery that the species is a valuable general utility wood. Used most frequently for light dimension, common boards and boxes, White Fir selects have found widespread acceptance for mouldings and t'oodu'ork.

Production of other Associated Woods-Douglas Fir of the Western Pine Region, Larch, Engelman Spruce, Jncense Cedar, Inland Red Cedar and Lodgepole Pine-have also shown marked upturns.

But although overall production was up in the Western Pine Region, so were costs. In 1949 virtually double those of. 1942, they have continued to climb in 1950. Tu'o general wage increases !\'ere granted, stumpage prices soared, and

Production of White Fir ia tbc Wcdcrn Piac rcgioo ir expostod lo recch one billion leet -i! l95lt, repcrcnting c 50 pa c.d ilrccr over the qrorcge ol rhe pcd lhrcc yccrr lbc rood L chi.[t Erod Ior light dimeneion cnd frqning lilc fhd 6ovo but i. clto hcrocr ilgly utilLed lor poreliag cld roodrql- equipment, supplies and services maintained upward trends. Although stumpage prices will fluctuate with lumber demand, many costs, in the event of a serious decrease in market activity, rvill be difficult to reduce.

And 1951 may be a year of lessened market activity, although it is impossible to predict the extent if it should occur. Before it even gets under way, it looms as one of the most difficult in historl' to assess u'ith even reasonable hope of accurac)'. International developments, ahvays tough to divine, are at their most explosive point since 1939. This year, they're compounded by the life-or-death hold government policy-makers exercise on the American economy.

From an extreme of very nearly unlimited credit rvhich led to the inflationarv over-building of 1950, the pendulum has srvung to rvhat many competent market analysts and economists consider a restrictive extreme on the other side, an extreme rvhich can very rvell reduce construction rvell belorv announced aims and so hamstring the industry that ihe nation's economy rvill be seriously affected.

Generalll'speaking, the Western Pine industry applauded the July credit order. It promised a cessation-or at least r. leveling off----of the furious bidding for materials s'hich characterized the first half of 1950, bringing a revival of the runarvay market conditions of l9l8 rvhich benefited rreither the industry's-public nor its intramural relations.

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