Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-20
l-BILLION BUILDING
YEAR IS FORECAST
Lumber Output for 1928 Ex-
peCted to Go Far Above
1927 Figures.
RN J. G. R0XLE.


NEW YORK. December 90.-A
building construction year involving
me expenditure of at least 1000 600.
OVO is anticipated by lumbermen in
closest touch with demand and supply
In the building materials market.
me lumbermen are encouraged over
me prospect, especially those of the
South. who have not enjoyed a par
ucularly large year from a produc-
uon standpoint in 1927, since they
feel according to reports from lead
ers in the industry today, that the
greater portion of this $7,000.000, 600
program will consist of residential
type structures IN which Southern
pine is used.
In the first 10 months OF this year
~ mills of the Southern Pine Assoc
citation produced about 4,315,000 board
rect as against 4,5l0, 100000 for the
corresponding period Of 1926. This
was the smallest output for a similar
period since 1921. and was only 1913
per cent of what is held as normal
production. Slackened demand, the
lumbermen of the South assert, was
the real cause of the drop in output,
although the flood conditions I'M
doubtedly had a noticeable if minor
effect
Small Drop in 1927.
Demand for the 10 months ended
October 81 was for 4,407 100000 feet
as against 4,651 900, 600 feet for the
corresponding period Of the previous
year, or a decline of So per cent.
''The outlook in general" said an
official of the Southern Pine Associa-
ton today. would seem to promise
an upturn in business during the early
Spring, since fully 40 per cent OF the
estimated total construction in 1928
will be of the residential type.
There is no reason why the new
year should not bring prolonSauon
OF the Nations activity and prosper
ity. Some lines may suffer saturatlon
for brief time, hut the lumber indus
try should, in the main, show some
Improvement over the year Just clos
ing"
Shipments of Southern pine as com
puted for the 1872 mills in the ten
months ended October 81 totaled
4.29S.000,000 feet. or a decline, as com
pared with the previous year, or rs
per cent. These shipments were 1918
per cent of normal, while stocks in
hand were 1876, 200, 900 feet, or 9427
per cent of normal. A year ago stocks
We're only S2.SS per cent of normal
Exports of Southern pine for the ten
months totaled 553 ,1SI 900 feet, gain
VI 10 per CCllA. L BlAliNABehA iiAeNAtN~N7
were found in Argentina, Cuba, Mex
leo, the United Kingdom and Norway.
Cost of production this year has av-
eraged $3.50 per thousand feet, the
highest average since 1920. This was
a gain Of 13 per cent over 1925 and
IL per cent over 1925. Average re-
alization so far has been approximate
~ $29.S6, a decline of 3.S per cent since
1926.
Fire Losses Cut.
Losses from fire have been cut ma
terially. This is one end of the lum-
Der industry in which huge strides
have been made. Timber owners are
not only depending on the Federal au-
thorities to fight forest fires, but in
most cases are maintaining their own
fire-fighting force and equipment.
Also the reforestation of the cut over
lands, especially in the South, is show
ing marked advances.
This question of reforeStation Is
worrying builders and financiers, not
only because of the waning resources
of the United States, but because OF
the speed with which Canadian forests
are being destroyed. Three thousand
acres of virgin Canadian woodlands
are destroyed every day of the year TO
feed the pulp and lumber mills.
Six million cords of pulp wood alone
are cut every year, and capacity Of the
Canadian paper mills has almost dou-
bled in late years and still is on the
increase. SO is the capacity OF Amer
lean mills which use Canadian pulp
wood.
There is little or no reforestation in
progress in the Dominion. In addition
ii is estimated that $4,000 square miles
Of Canadian timber has been destroyed
by fire, as compared with 100000
square miles of timber cut and put to
use. Canada still has 100000 square
miles Of forest land, but much of it is
in such inaccessible spots that it can
not be advantageously cut.