Evening star., 1922-09-25
BY j.. G. lR0YLE.
Special Correspondent Of The Star.

| opSC1o1 SotItbpguuyuI VI 4uSS
! Copyright. 1927,
| NEW YORK. September 25.-Lum-
Der shipments are falling steadily be-
hind, new orders throughout the
United States. The ring Of carpen-
! ters hammers and the buzz of their
saws is decreasing in consequence at
a time when every effort is being
made by contractors to rush present
jobs to at least partial completion be-
fore the arrival of winter weather
checks building activities.
| Lumber production in the mean.
| time has been pushed forward until
! 1t is well in advance Of new orders.
The falling off in shipments, accord
ing to lumbermen, is directly at
! tributable to lack Of transportation
| facilities. Continuation OF present
building activity at somewhere near
| the proportions of its present peak
will be a strong factor In maintain.
ing general prosperity. The effect OF
slowness with which loaded cars are
being moved to destination on con.
struction work may be readily gauged
by production and shipping figures
received by telegraph within the last
twenty-four hours from every big
|
| United States. ..--
| Shipments Below Production.
| Reports of the barometer" mills
of the soft wood lumber manufac-
turers show that shipments are down
| below IS per cent of production TO-
day. whereas production Is signify
over 96 per cent of normal capacity:
September orders have totaled S.176,-
943.S23 board feet. In the same
period production has fallen 3o4.1S0.-
| SIS feet below orders and shipments
have been 164,099,026 feet below pro-
duction.
| The increase in production above
new orders has had decidedly
| stabilizing effect on lumber prices,
! but that gain will be lost unless oe-
livery also can be made to keep pace.
The lumber mills of the south nave
been the principal sufferers SO far
from transportation difficulties. In
that section shipments are down be,
low so per cent of production and
have fallen off at the rate OF 3,500,,0oO
feet a week in the face OF pro-
duction increase of 7,000,o0o 1eet
week.
Railways Make Concessions.
Railroads in the Pacific northwest
shippers Of lumber in the matter OF
storage expansion and reconsign'
ment privileges. Southern and MIDDLE
western producers are making every
effort through their freight bureaus
to secure like privilege OF snippins ,n,s
for storage to be later distributed te
other points at rates equal to direc,
carriage from the mills to the ma
market point. This would ala, theS
claim, in relieving immediate con-
gestion.
The problem Of lumber transporta'
tion, both as it affects the railroads
and building costs will remain pres.
sing despite any seasonal falling on
and building costs will remain press.
ter of this year: the mus III .ril III ta. ca.
pacity and the heavy saving going OF
in all directions is eating heavily
into the supply of logs. The mills
can maintain present production ioi
from two to three years aiter Wnici
output will decrease until major ,I, aam
bering operations no longer woune
be profitable. In Georgia particu
iarly. mill men are drawing on re-
serve timber lands left virgin 10
Just such demand as now e1lsts
These will be exhausted in aoou
three years. This future Ios snT.. ~.
age already has sent score OF Dlt
southern operators into the Pacln'
northwest and such migrations WI
undoubtedly increase as the southeri
pine supply diminishes.
Added Burden ON Carriers
This move from Southern pine te
Douglas fir will inorease productioi
in Oregon and Washington. but VII
place an added burden upon carriers
from the Pacific coast eastward. a
four-ffths Of the demand for lumoei
In this country comes from east O.
the rockies Present lumber outpu
is considerably less than It Was
decade ago in spite Of the increas'
in building. This is attributed t
the fact that longer freight haul
have added sufficiently to costs II
induce the use Of substitutes.
Lumber prices have shown no ex
traordinary increase In spite o
freight conditions and individua
producers are making every effor
to hold costs and prices down !,
order not to check demand. Tht
they hope to accomplish by increas
ing production. But 1t is tho con
sensus of opinion by experts through
ont the country that a $4,000, 10000
building program Will naaterta1tZe II
1928. Unless delivery as well as pro
duction is materially improved, tina
program will be checked and tn
general level of lumber prices viii
| Inevitably increase.