HARDWOOD RECORD 



43 



large as it lias been in past seasons. The trade 

 from the factories is better than it was, partic- 

 ularly in some lines. The planing mills seem to 

 be buying a fair amount of hardwood, especially 

 oak and cypress. The furniture and box fac- 

 tories are also increasing the amount of their 

 purchases, but these two interests are not doing 

 a great deal of business, hence probably the 

 small buying done by them. The agricultural 

 implement factories are doing a little buying 

 and it is more than likely that the demand from 

 this industry will soon begin to increase. The 

 demand from the railroads and • m- >Iim|i, u 

 light, but their stocks are gettin- -iii;!ll.i ill 

 the time and they will be comppllr,! i,, nii, m-h 

 soon. Hardwood prices are keepiui; up iihtiv 

 well. There is not much cutting in prices re- 

 ported. Gum and Cottonwood conditions are 

 unsettled. Cypress Is getting better, but other 

 items show no change. 



Evansville. 



The local hardwood market has changed little 

 during the last two weeks. There has been but 

 slight improvement, but it is certain that con- 

 ditions are no worse. There has been quite a 

 little lumber moving during the past two weeks : 

 however, most of It was mixed carloads, the 

 trade buying only for Immediate needs. Most of 

 the local factories hare cut down their working 

 farces, also shortened hours. Buyers are more 

 plentiful just at this time, but they are all 

 looking for concessions in prices. Several of 

 the local mills have been shut down most of 

 the time the past two weeks, having sawed up 

 their stock of logs, and are not doing any log- 

 ging, and it is almost certain there will be 

 more of them shut down in the next two or 

 three weeks. 



New Orleans. 



Because of the slack foreign demand on hard- 

 woods and the absence of an Interior call for 

 this class of lumber, the hardwood mills of this 

 territory have been doing comparatively little 

 during the past fortnight. Advices from the 

 various sections of the state in which hardwood 

 timber is cut are that the mills have been run- 

 ning unsteadily because of the scarcity of orders, 

 and will probably continue to do so for some 

 time. Little exporting is being done at this 

 point and the general situation has changed very 

 little within the last several months. Generally 

 the situation is unsatisfactory with the export- 

 ers, and these declare' that no improvement is 

 yet in sight. 



San Francisco. 



Conditions in the hardwood line in San Fran- 

 cisco continue active and the demand steady, 

 particularly for quartered oak. Contrary to ex- 

 pectations, a good many new buildings have 

 lately been started, and many of which call for 

 hardwood for interior finish, flooring, etc. Quar- 

 tered oak veneers in thicknesses of 1/20-incli 

 for panel stock and 3/16 to 14-inch for rails 

 and stiles are also specified, while %-inch and 

 inch are popular for moulding and framing. De- 

 mand has reaily been so active that frequent 

 complaints are beard at the different hardwood 

 yards that they cannot keep stocked. 



Mahogany continues to receive a great deal of 

 attention, and one large building has lately been 

 specified to be finished throughout in this hand- 

 some wood. 



Rough and Dressed 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 



M. A. HAYWARD 



1021 Saving and Trust Bldg., Columbus, O. 



in or;i.r t" protect themselves against east- 

 ern conipri iiiwii. ti,,. raiilmen and interior trim 

 contract. 0- in ihi^ rity and around the bay are 

 orgaiiiziiii; ... :i, t,. work together in the pro- 

 tection i.i ihrir uu.sincss. It is reported that, 

 although there is keen competition in figuring 

 among themselves, they will pull together in an 

 effort to keep San Francisco work from going 

 east or cvfii oiit-id.' ..t the city. 



It is r. [...n.'ii i.n I lie streets that some large 

 eastern ;::ii - i\li.. ,ii.. submitting bids with the 

 intent!.. 11 .; _. iiin^ -..me c.f the large contracts 

 Ii.i" \'. 1:' ■ I .i II • \M .ill. !> .liili. nil when the 



''' ' - - .1. I, • In. ,r »..:!, ,in.[ install it. 



I- ii" !■' ' -'ii- •■ii'l 1: - |.riiiri|.al .-...•ist cities 



where tliK \\i..il li;i- !,-..|i iiiticduced are send- 

 ing in tli.ir i..|iii-Mh.i:- i.Liilaily to the whole- 

 sale mamiia, nil. I- .1 i[,i- w..od in this city. 

 There have l.e.ju repurt.jd here quite a few in- 

 quiries also from eastern dealers, and with the 

 decrease in production of quartered oak this 

 wood will no doubt receive more and more at- 

 tention. 



Money is more plentiful and collections are 

 quite satisfactory. Savings l)anks are again be- 

 ginning to loan money and large Insurance com- 

 panies and other heavy holders of ready cash are 

 advancing large sums on good San Francisco 

 collateral and at very reasonable rates. 



?S0 



Norfolk. 



It is not thought that as much business was 

 transacted during the past fifteen days as during 

 the latter part ol; March and the first of April. 

 The exports of hardwood lumber for the month 

 of April show a decrease, both as compared with 

 the same period last year and with the month 

 of March. This decrease is probably due to 

 the large shipments made on consignment, which 

 have begun to tell on the foreign market and 

 have weakened prices. 



Building operations in this city are active, 

 and there are close to four hundred residences 

 now under course of erection. This, of course, 

 predicts good business locally in the immediate 

 future. Domestic sales show no signs of any 

 great improvement, but are being made at about 

 the same gait as since the first of the year. 



Toledo. 



A fairly satisfactory condition prevails in the 

 local hardwood market. Itetail trade is active 

 and this has resulted in the placing of some 

 good orders. Noticeable among the Incoming 

 shipments was a lake shipment recently of 4.50,- 

 000 feet of mixed hardwoods, chiefly elm, from 

 Michigan. Prices on most hardwoods have held 

 firm with little disposition to decline. Poplar 

 is in good demand and while there is some shad- 

 ing of prices on boards and on siding, the stand- 

 ard stocks are firm. Hickory, ash, oak and all 

 furniture materials are on the move. Factories 

 are all consuming their regular quota, and the 

 activity in building has caused considerable 

 stimulation. Stocks are all In good shape, with 

 sufliclent material on hand to care for present 

 needs, although there is some shortage in cer- 

 tain lines. Basswood and ash are scarce, but 

 that is not unusual in this market. There is no 

 complaint heard from the local dealers, and con- 

 ditions show improvement. 



Minneapolis. 



ventions to see what -■ 11! i.ues are 



put up for president b. 1 .hm nj 1... much 



on the future. The plain ai.' all lairly busy, 

 and the consumption of hardwood is calling for 

 considerable stock in small lots. Oak is not in 

 brisk demand, but northern stock is being taken 

 pretty well. Prices are holding steady at about 

 ¥46 on plain oak laid down here, and $34 for 



common. The quartered is held at 

 in Minneapolis. 



Basswood stocks are reported to be light and 

 prices are stiff, ranging down from $36 on firsts 

 and seconds to $17 for mill culls, with a pros- 

 pect of higher prices in the summer. Birch is 

 about holding Its own at $28 for firsts and sec- 

 onds, and .$1.S for common. Inch maple stock 

 is selling at al...iii >_■.' li . -lowest buyers in 

 this section ar. r . hich do not seem 



to be doing ah\t> 1 ._ 1 ., not buying lum- 



ber of any kiml ,1 n.h p n . laising departments 

 put it) 1 . .|iii-ii I .1 - 11 it ri^ht along. The coun- 

 try ti.nl I 1,1.1 runs mostly to wagon 



stock in . 1,1 : and basswood. The retail 



yards ai ||,^ m- hiil.- of anything at present. 



Charlotte. 



One of the best indications of renewed life in 

 the lumber business of this section is the for- 

 mation of new companies and resuming of opera- 

 tions that were closed on account of the panic 

 and deiu..rali/i.d market. From most parts of 

 this Slat, iii.in I n are coming in more freely 



and w I I kill',- on new vigor. All in 



all, til. i 1 1 nation is better than it 



was a i.iiniLM i^n However, it is hardly ex- 

 pected that business will be as active as last 

 year for some time yet, for a number of mills 

 are still closed and prices are yet below normal. 



Labor is plentiful and improved weather con- 

 ditions, as well as satisfactory shipping facili- 

 ties are adding to the general improvement of 

 ■ conditions that is being felt in the Carolinas. 

 Lumbermen are decidedly more optimistic than 

 they were a few months ago. The furniture 

 factories of the state report a much improved 

 trade and most of them are running on the old 

 hour scale and turning out a normal output. 



Ashland. 



There is considerable activity among the plan- 

 ing mills and retail yards in this section supply- 

 ing buildings with poplar and oak and other 

 building materials. Prices remain about the 

 same for these woods. It is expected that, with 

 the increased demand for the output of the plan- 

 ing mills and retail yards, the demand for rough 

 lumber will show Increase shortly. 



Liverpool. 



Trade conditions on this side are extremely 

 flat, and this, coupled with large import, is mak- 

 ing values very much lower. The fall in prices 

 has been felt only on consignment parcels and 

 shippers do not show any tendency to cut prices 

 for contract goods. The low prices ruling for 

 consignments now landing have frightened buy- 

 ers off and consumers will not speculate beyond 

 their immediate requirements. It is practically 

 impossible to find anyone who will buy "to ar- 

 rive" at prices asked by shippers. Undoubtedly 

 it would pay shippers to ease their prices for 

 contract goods and ship a little less on consign- 

 ment. 



Wagon oak planks are perhaps the weakest 

 spot on the market, and the port is flooded 

 with consignment parcels which have been sold 

 at about 2 shillings. This makes those mer- 

 chants who bought on contract at 2 shillings 6 

 pence feel rather glum. It is hard to understand 

 why shippers ,i„ n,,r sep.t lai-.jpf ...inntlties of 



prime hi.la.i.; loa-, a- l!ii- i- nia.in'ally the 



only lin. 1." \\ )i:. a ',• ■ 1- ' 1 ' .l.-mand. 



Ash lo,:;- : '..'ai^, ia.,.rjn In.-;.' i- -niii.. demand 



f..r fii-l ■_!'.. ...Ill logs 01 lair size, ^mali second 

 m-.wtli I..--, i.nth at Li%erpool and Glasgow, are 

 all-.. Int. ly niii-alable. The mahogany position is 

 sh.iiiim t!i.. g..ueral despondency and values are 

 lower than for some years past. Poplar and oak 

 boards have both been sold during the past week 

 at prices which must have resulted in a big loss 

 to the shippers. Pitch pine is also lower and 

 general expectations at this market are that this 

 wood is to be lower still. In fact, depression 

 reigns everywhere ; the turnover is only half 

 the average, and prices have fallen to a very- 

 low ebb. 



