Lumber

Title

Lumber

Creator

Von Kauffmann, E. C.

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXIV (Issue No. 8) August 1948

Year

1948

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

296 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL August, 1948 The reason for this is that very few prospectors have the means to penetrate this area and finance one expedi tion after another, until they discover something worth while. On the other hand, the two corporations will each spend $50,000 the first year, and $75,000 during each of the two succeeding years, on detailed prospecting. Claims may be staked during the period of the concessions, but one-half the area must be relinquished after the second year. A long-range program is being planned by the re spective companies, including magnetic surveys with heli copter planes. This is something new, which, so far, has not been tried in the Philippines. It is an expensive method of prospecting and can only be used by a corporation. It requires a specially designed magnotometer, which is a very sensitive and fairly large magnet, capable of being properly leveled up and set into the helicopter plane. Back and forth flights of about 50-miles are undertaken, and a 50-mile square is covered. Observations are made by trained observers, engineers, of any unusual areas on the ground which affect the instrument. These afe known as "anomalies”. When so-called "anomalies” are located, the plane is kept stationary and brought down very low, near the ground. Notes are made, photographs taken, and, later, trails are cut through the jungle or forest to this point and a geological party put to work to ascertain what mineral has caused these anomalies. In order to be effective, this method should only be used where there is believed to be mineral which has certain magnetic properties. At the moment, the method is being tried out in Nor way to locate magnetic iron ore-bodies. It was used in Canada on titanium ores, which also have strong magnetic properties. Attempts have been made to locate lead, zinc, nickel, and copper ores. However, these are much more difficult to locate because of the very weak magnetic field surrounding these deposits. Experiments are being carried out constantly, and it is hoped that, ultimately, these other metals may be located more readily. The method has also been used to trace magnetic rocks and fault lines in oil fields. In fact, it is being used quite extensively at the moment to trace out underground rock structures, so that stratiographic maps can be made before locating new oil wells. Presence of lead-zinc mineralization in the areas con tained within the two Canadian concessions, has been known for many years, and some work was done in 1929. At that time half a million tons of ore were indicated, averaging about 1% lead and 9% zinc. It is hoped that during this present era when there is a world shortage of lead and zinc, and increasing demands are constantly being made on the copper, aluminum, chrome, manganese, and nickel reserves, that the new methods will be perfected shortly, so as to make essential metals available in quantities sufficient to meet the needs of mankind. Lumber By E. C. Von Kauffmann President, Philippine Lumber Producers * Association THE local market situation remains unchanged with prices too low for producers to operate at a profit. With prices of Red Lauan at Pl80, Apitong P160 to P170, and White Lauan P150 to P160 delivered at buyers’ yard, it means that the producer still has to deduct his expenses for delivery from steamer to yard, freight, AVAILABLE IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY Galvanized’ Steel Sheets Corrugated No. 26 x 8 ft. REYNOLDS Aluminum Roofing Sheets Corrugated and Plain Reinforcing Steel Bars ATLAS Portland Cement Ceiling and Partition Boards ♦CANEC Boards 5/16" & 1/2" x 4' x 8' ♦Panel Boards 1/4" x 4' x 4' *ELEPHANT Asbestos Cement Boards 3 16" & 1/4" x 4' x 8' *ASECO Boards 3/16" x 4' x 8' ♦PABCO Plasterboards 1/4" x 4' x 8' ♦MASONITE Tempered Boards 1/8" x 4' x 8' & 4' x 12'; 3/16" x 4' x 12' ♦KENMORE Boards 3/16" x 4' x 8' STANLEY, CORBIN and YALE Builder’s Hardware Metal Lath 27" x 96" ATLAS White Cement KEENE’S Cement ALSOCO Aluminum Solder Bathroom Glazed Wall Tiles White and Ivory Machine Bolts and Nuts Plain Galvanized Wire LUCAS Paints ♦METRO Prepared Paints for Interior and Ex terior Surfaces ♦LUC ATONE Water Paints for Interior Walls and Ceiling ♦LUCASINA Paint in Powder for Concrete, Bricks and Plaster ♦GIBBSBORO Colors in Oil Etc. ------------------ Also Mill Supplies------------------------------ Ship Chandlery Plumbing Supplies General Hardware CHAM SAMCO & SONS, INC. DIRECT IMPORTERS 300-308 Sto. Cristo, Manila — Telephone 2-81-72 J August, 1948 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 297 commission, and sales tax, the whole averaging around P44 per 1,000 board feet, to get at his net f.o.b. price at the mill. On a production of a fair percentage of Red Lauan, Apitong, and White Lauan of say 40%, 25%, and 35% respectively, producers get about Pl 10 net f.o.b. steamer at their mill, and their cost ranges between P120 to P140 per 1,000 board feet. A few exporters may be able to improve on their over all average f.o.b. price, but the great majority of pro ducers are practically entirely dependent on the local mar ket and should not hope for any improvement until the rainy season is over. PACIFIC MERCHANDISING CORPORATION John R. Wagner, Pres. 209 Rosario Manila Copra and Coconut Oil June 16 to July 15 EXCLUSIVELY REPRESENTING By Manuel Igual General Manager, El Dorado Trading Company, Inc. and Kenneth B. Day President, Philippine Refining Company FROM the viewpoint of the Philippine copra producer and the average copra dealer, the period under review was a most disspiriting one. Export prices declined steadily throughout the month, and registered an overall drop of approximately $50 a ton. Large operators, how ever, both in the Philippines and in the United States, profited greatly by this trend, for they sold heavily for future shipments as the market went down, which they were in a position to cover in very profitably later on. The weak spot was Europe, which had been expected to be a strong consumer of copra and to bolster the market at about the $300 level. European buying, however, was largely controlled by the ECA (European Cooperative Administration), and European buyers were smart in taking on future shipments rather than spot, thus prevent ing the bulge .which nearly everybody had expected to occur late June or early July. On the Coast, where buyers were bidding $310 c.i.f. on June 16, the price gradually drifted down without any reaction to a low of $260 c.i.f. as the period ended. Some copra was sold on the decline, but the volume was not very great and buyers were continually backing away. Most of the business was for prompt shipment. Eventually sellers who had been hoping for better things, became re conciled to the essentially weak tone of the market, and as the period ended, were prepared to sell moderately, an ticipating even further declines. lUTeanwhile, coconut oil was in very light demand, with, however, occasionally small spot interest from edible consumers ranging from 25 i down to 22 i. Large inedible consumers were not interested in these prices, but did take on a fair volume of future business for the last quarter of the year ranging from 20^ down to 19 i per lb. f.o.b. Coast, which discounted the copra market radically at the time of sale. The encouraging factor, if any, in this whole picture was that by the drop in coconut oil, reflected in copra, the spread between tallow, which held fairly firm at 17 to 18 i, and coconut oil was greatly narrowed. It has long been felt that once coconut oil and tallow were nearly in balance, large consumers would renew their interest in coconut oil, and would be willing to buy larger quantities for further future positions, thus doing much to re-stabilize pre-war conditions. It appears that the developments during this period showed considerable promise in this direction. T ocal prices both for copra and coconut oil followed closely the export trends. In Manila, copra sold down from P62 to P47 and in Cebu from P62 to P50, CORBIN LOCK COMPANY AMERICAN RADIATOR & STANDARD SANITARY CORPORATION NATIONAL CARBON CO., INC. “Eveready” flashlights & batteries LINDE AIR PRODUCTS CO., INC. “Union” Carbide THE PARAFFINE COMPANIES, INC. “Pabco” Products AMES BALDWIN WYOMING COMPANY BALL BROS. MASON JARS WEST BEND ALUMINUM COMPANY MALLEABLE IRON FITTINGS CO. FAIRBURY WINDMILL CO. CAPEWELL MANUFACTURING CO. SLOAN VALVE COMPANY BOMMER SPRING HINGE COMPANY HUBBARD & COMPANY COLUMBUS COATED PRODUCTS CO. KEENEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY BADGER METER MANUFACTURING CO. DICK BROTHERS MANUFACTURING CO. A. B. STRAUB CO. LIGGETT SPRING & AXLE COMPANY STEEL PRODUCTS HOUSE FURNISHINGS GENERAL HARDWARE PLUMBING

pages

296-297

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