Veneer and Plywood Manufacture 
The veneer and plywood industry has increased 
steadily in importance in the past decade, and 
especially in the past few years. Production in- 
creased from 200 million square feet in 1932 to 
480 million square feet in 1935 and again to 700 
million in 1936 (fig. 31). Production lagged be- 
hind orders in 1935 owing to longshoremen’s and 
lumber-workers’ strikes. 
In 1937 there were 19 veneer- and plywood- 
manufacturing plants in the region, 17 in western 
Washington and 2 in western Oregon. The total 
rated annual capacity of the Washington plants is 
790 million square feet, and that of the Oregon 
plants is 95 million square feet. 
The market for plywood and veneer products 
from this region is principally domestic, only about 
9 million square feet being exported in 1935. Of 
the domestic consumption, about 15 to 20 percent 
is local. 
Douglas-fir is the principal species used in this 
industry; other species used are Sitka spruce, Port 
Orford white-cedar, western hemlack, noble fir, 
red alder, and bigleaf maple. 
In recent years there has been a decided change 
in the type of peeler logs used. Formerly the de- 
Tasie 34.—Normal annual pulpwood consumption in Douglas-fir 
region,! by species and type of material 
a Oe 
Mill 
waste 
Forest 
wood 
Saw- 
ae Pulp 
Ss 
Species chips 3 
Total 
M cords|M cords|M cords|M cords|M cords 
Western hemlock_._.______ Eee abaty 263 81 32 1, 478 
Sitkaispruces.s ware 2 oe 130 23)¢| eee 4 157 
RWI Sirsa eves are rue 64 69 Pf (es ee 160 
Northern black cottonwood_ 1 Pals ee ee eae 22 
Douglas-firss a) ws Ee 38 | O20), ey ae Boe 61 119 
Total eee tas 1, 335 396 108 97 1, 936 
ee 
1 Basis, data for years 1934-35. 
2 Factor used to convert log scale to cords, 500 board feet=1 cord. 
8 Usually measured in 0.8117-cord units. 
mand was almost exclusively for the highest-quality 
No. 1 grade Douglas-fir logs, 40 inches or more in 
diameter (fig. 32). Now a large percentage of 
high-line No. 2 logs, even as small as 30 inches 
in diameter, are accepted. These developments 
have been caused chiefly by the increasing scarcity 
of large No. 1 Douglas-fir logs and by techno- 
logical improvements. Future expansion of the 
industry may be curtailed, at least in certain sec- 
tions, because of the limited quantity of high- 
quality Douglas-fir suitable for veneer faces and 
TasLe 35.—Paper mills active in Douglas-fir region in 1937 and their capacity,! by survey unit and kind of material produced * 
News Sulphites Sulphates Book Board Other All materials 
Forest-survey unit a q : : 
Mills | Capae-| Mills | Capac-| Mills | Capac-| Mills | Capac-| Mills | Capac-| Mills | Capaec-| Mills | Capac- 
ity ity ity ity ity ity ity 
Western Washington: Number| Tons |Number| Tons |Number| Tons |Number| Tons |Number| Tons |Number| Tons \Number| Tons 
North Puget Sound_______ ue) Mena ak 1 15 hee ae | Sea ee 1 650 | 252e See | eee | eee eee ees 2 80 
Central Puget Sound ______| i SAO e | eee | ae 235 1 35 2 175 1 8 5 793 
South Puget Sound___ Ch A YM dA Pa (a Pl [op (eee | De aN ee ee ame Re) ee eae oe 
Grays:Harbor== = -222- =< | rere se Lens | 1 SOR es | eek |B ares |e 2b | eae oe eee cael ee sa 1 50 
Columbia River________-__ [atte ele ea ae) 2 305 2255 | eee | ann 2 25 De Eker eal Saar e ep 4 782 
Total sen ae eee ee Fae 1 340 | 4 370 460 2 100 4 427 1 Sila 9 mt2hlyeet705 
Western Oregon: 
Columbia River 115 LSS sesso 2 eee 2 ae | eee ae 1 45 3 735 
Wiilamette River___ 16O}| Sir22— 2 Eee eee igs Sc La (eee (Bed ba | ce 2 160 
NOT tHROLee OnRCOaS tae weirs | tesa oe | eu eR |e See | Bere el | See a ee a8 ee |= SSE eek eee Soi bs ee 
SOUGHEOreeOniCOaS ecserstoe acs |e tec | meme omel |S Sete meas | Di ecaec es | Wi eet al | Ma See | ae 8 |e a ee | Be ata ee | De ee ee ee 
{UI DCE ABER v, © roseererne reece es | aera | Eaten nl | psa ectes |b ern a | eer | ee ere | wes soe |W Se eee Oe |S ea | de 2s] be |e ee 
FEO UTC PE ULV.@ bsserre geet ter | Ea thet cen | LANL SPC ce || teri aoe ell] Seas cM ne pee |eh Cas eres [We Oni abs LI Coes ene ik bal ees (Soo ee ea kn | ee nee 
| | 
TOA saeeenta el crane wee 2 440 4} 275 L359 [noe sree Se we ee |e ee A 1 45 | 5 895 
Region totale 3 780 | 8 | 645 | 595 2 100 | 4 427 2 53 17 2, 600 
| | 
1 Per 24-hour day. 
95 
2 A mill manufacturing more than 1 kind of material is enumerated under each. 
