Evening star., 1924-06-19
DEMAND FOR LUMBER
TAKES SHARP DROP
Output Curtailed, Working Hours
Shortened and Prices Lowered
in Some Localities.
BUILDING LULL IS FACTOR
Auto Makers Reduce Buying.
Needs of Japan Are Now Filled.
BY J. C. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to Tho Star.
NEW YORK, June 19.-More ways
to use wood-that is what the lum-
bermen engaged in hardwood produc-
tion are looking for right now. That
industry at present is threatened with
business recession. accompanied by
wide price fluctuations in various
parts of the country and a general
Tightening up of building construc-
tion. Mills have cut their production
and working hours sharply, and
tions.
At the same time stocks of hard
wood lumber are being reduced to
minimum. They are being fed out
gradually until the reserve supplies
are becoming extremely small. A
quickened demand for building pur-
poses is expected to change the situ-
alton overnight. and lumber producers
and dealers are confidently expecting
a change for the better before the
end of the summer.
Building slump Hits Lumber.
The curtailment in automobile
production, which with some COM
panies has been as high as 70 to 70
per cent as compared with the early
months of the year, has cut deep into
one source of demand for hardwood
lumber. The automobile industry has
required almost 10000 100000 feet OF
hardwood in the last year. Ine cail
for sashes, doors and hooring mas
building. aud the furniture markets
have eased off so that production is
noticcably. less than during the
spring. ,s
ing programs has not been especially
noticeable so far as the total sums
involved are concerned. In the
greater number OF cities and towns
throughout the country there mas
been a decline In the volume or buiid :
ing permits issued. but the gains
made last month in New York CITY
and other metropolitan centers has
fully made up for this drop.
Gotham Building Holds Up.
In the twenty-five principal cities
OF the country there has been gain
of is per cent in building operations
as compared with the corresponding 8
period of last year. Yet TINS mas
benefited only certain lumber manu-
featuring sections. For example. tns ne
cities of the east gained almost zs
per cent in May as compared WIN
1928, but the central west, the soutn
and the far west lost from 20 /.
per cent If New York is eiiminat ted
from the tabulations the twenty-tour
other principal cities sustaineu a los, @
of 100000. as compared with last
Nevertheless, the building permits
issued in this country for the first
Ave months Of the year In the
twenty-five leading cities totaled
sI.1ssas1,3ss, Of which a very sub
stantial portion was spent for fum
her Production of soft woods has
kept pace with the cuts OF a year,
ago, about 4,577, 7,173.5i0 feet having
been sawed in the first five months
of the year. as compared with 4.4Sf,,
of 1929. Orders. however, were on
nearly 500,000,000 feet. Hard 900
orders are believed to have diminished
in about the same ratio
Japan's Needs Filled.
One bright spot which shone during
the first quarter Of the year, now mas
faded. The japanese ABSORPTION o.
Pacific coast region amounted to 3oS,-
s02. 600 feet the hrst quarter OF the
wear, but has now dwindled to mini
mum proportions. The northern
hardwood sections of Wisconsin ana
Michigan made big cuts last winter
in anticipation of an exceptionally
active demand this summer: These
supplies are now being fed slowly
into eonsumptive channels. In the
south. where the cut is not dependent
so much on the winter season, pro-
ducers have checked production ma
terially in the last six weeks.
In view of the plans announced for
heavy building operations this year,
many mills and lumber camps made
ARRANGEMENTS to expand capacity. but
many Of these extra facilities now are
idle and the men formerly employed
have slipped into other lines of en-
deavor.
In spite of this. lumber dealers de-
clared today they expected produc-
ton this year to exceed 100000, 900
board feet of soft woods and about
6.O00,oO0 900 feet of hard woods.
There has been a softening in the
prices of lumber and some other
building materials, but manufacture
ers Of lumber say that such a care
full policy of price repression has been
followed for the last two years that
no serious let down is expected.