How Lumber Looks

Lumber shipments of 482 mills reporting to the National Lumber Trade Barometer in the week ending November 10 were 4.9/o below production; new orders 'were ll.6/o below. Production, shipments and orders were also 1.6%, 4.5% and, 5.5/o, respectively, below the previous week. For the year-to-date, shipments were 1.7/o and, ord.ers 2.9/o below production.

National production of lumber totaled 3,147,000,000 board feet during September, estimated the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. The output was 1l/o below this August and also September 1955. Shipments were down l2/o f.rom August and 77Vo from the previous September. Orders were 9Vo less than August and, 16/o below September 1955. Estimated national lumber production of 28,594,000,000 b.f. in the year's first nine months was 4/o below the same 1955 period. Shipments in the period were 2/o below production, new

JZ_b"lo-:

West Coast Lumbermen's Association reported for 167 mills (151 operating) in the week ending November 17: production, 114,148,219 feet; shipments, 102,935,008 feet; orders,92,999,5D feet (18.5% under production). A11 were, however, considerably greater than the corresponding week in 1955.

Secretary Harris E. Smith, WCLA, reported the weekly average of west coast lumber production in the Douglas fir sawmill region for Octo,ber was 179,287,000 'b.f., orders averaged 173,386,000 feet, shipments 168,158,000 feet. Orders averaged out higher than the previous month. The industry's unfilled order file at the end of October stood at 587,181,000 b.f.

Western Pine Association reported lor 112 mills in the week ending November l0: production, 78,468,000 feet; shipments, 78,656,000 feet. For the year-to-date, all we.re below the 1955 levels.

Southern Pine Association reported for 95 mills in the week ending November 17: production, .18,294,000 feet; shipments, 17,583,000 feet; orders, 18,061,000 Ieet (2.72% above shipments). Orders and production were above tl1 J lgll =Ijt"s"

^Douglas Fir .Plywood Association reported production of 102,102,000 feet, shipments of 90,814,000 feet, and orders of 79.860.000 feet.in the week endilrg-November 17. With prices still unstable, p.roduction was only 81.7/o of the..r_rormal mill capacity, reflecting the current curtailment in some mills. At this period, brders weri 5.8/o below the 1955 year-to-date.

Total retail lumber "tgg_k"-." f9pt.-ber 30 were 4,860,000,000 board feet, estimated the National Retail Lumber Dealers Associatiorr. This-w_as 1.1/-o less than August 3l this year and S.Z/o below the end of September 1955. Retail lumber sales, based on boardfoot volume of reporting yards, during September were 7.94o below August and, 15.4/o,less than in September 1955. The largest decrease in lumber sales took place in the Pacific.region (18.6% below August).

Wetcome

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

ADD: Hoo-Hoo Convention DONORS

Trvo Donors to the financial success of the recent Hoo-Hoo Annual Convention in San Francisco .ivere omitted from the otherwise "complete" listing in the November I issue furnished by the committee. These two firms also made substantial cash contributions to the Convention expenses:

The Pacific Lumber Company

Hill Lumber & Hardware Co., Albany

Soufhern Colifornin Heoded for New 1956 Gonstrucfion Records

Despite the now well-known decline in construction over the U.S. in 1956, Southern California was forging ahead toward year's end and it is almost certain that the year will set a new construction volume record. For the first 10 months, 1956 was well past the $2 billion mark.

In the city of Los Angeles, the total valuation of building permits through October was $4O4,996,253. u'hich is $31,i59,178 more tlian last year's $373,736,475 in tl.re same period. Permits in the nine unincorporated county areas to date were $617,096,794, a gain of $28,3ffi,697 over last year's $588,736,W7 in the same span. Permits in 68 Southland cities, including Los Angeles, were $I,192,498,601, an increase of $35,347,160 over their 1955 figures.

Th'is brought the total construction figures for the 68 cities and nine areas to $1,809,595,395 for the year's first 10 months. Heavy construction adds another $300,000,000 to easily top the $2 billion mark.

The city figures reported above were gathered by The Los Angeles Times and the county area reports by the Research department of the Security-First National Bank of Los Angeles.

Seek Butfe County Building Code

Oroville, Calif.-Establishment of a Butte County building code is being sought, uniform with the state code, to govern construction of both residential and commercial buildings in the county. It would be self-supporting from building permit fees and annual revenue estimated at $50,000. It was recommended the department be staffed by a chief building inspector and assistants in Oroville, Chico and Paradise.

Don't forget!-Hoo-Hoo Club 2 Clristmas Party-Riz.ticro-Dec. 21