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Show OPA BLAMED FOR DECREASE IN LUMBER OUTPUT Lumber needs for this year are estimated by the Civilian Production Produc-tion Administration at 3 billion board feet a month. But actual output', has fallen below 1,900,-million 1,900,-million board feet monthly. Obviously, Ob-viously, drastic action is required to restore lumber production if we are to come within any distance dis-tance of attaining the goals of the Wyatt program to provde housing hous-ing for veterans. OPA price ceilings are held chiefly too blame within the industry in-dustry for the persistent decline in lumber output. Chester Bowles replies that relatively low wages that prevail in the industry are mainly at fault. But there is no real contradiction between these two explanations. Low price ceil-ins ceil-ins have prevented wage increases. increas-es. One witness before the Senate subcommittee yesterday blamed the relations between OPA price ceilings on green and on kiln dried lumber. The larger profit on the green lumber, which is not suitable for building, curtails output out-put of the kiln dried product, which is not suitable for building, curtails output of the kiln dried product, which is used in construc-1 construc-1 tion. This indicates that the rela-; rela-; tion between price ceilings, as ; well as their level, require critical j j reconsideration. ! |