HARDWOOD RECORD 



orders booked. It is universally conceded 

 that, considering the condition of the crops, 

 etc., it is only a question of time when there 

 will be a normal adjustment of things. Now 

 that the ■political programmes have been 

 made public, a natural suspense has been re- 

 lieved, and making due allowance for the 

 usual summer dullness a marked improve- 

 ment may be jnstifiedly looked for as fall 



Values with the exception of some of the 

 better grades of wood are still subject to 

 fluctuation, but a canvas of the large hard- 

 wood makers reveals the fact that the stock 

 situation is kept well in hand by them and 

 that there is no intention on their part of 

 throwing their product on the market until 

 a reasonable profit is assured. The furniture 

 factories of eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland 

 and surrounding territory are in the main 

 quiet, and buying is on a close basis. 



Building work, especially of the better 

 class, has shown some advancement, and as 

 considerable hardwood finish is required, the 

 miUwork concerns have reason to rejoice. 

 Boxmakers report trading spasmodic, but 

 prices have shown no inclination to stiffen. 

 Cigarbox makers feel somewhat encouraged, 

 but in the veneer business there is much room 

 for improvement. Taking the situation on 

 the whole, however, the outlook is favorable. 



BALTIMORE 



AS yet no impcrtjint cliangt-s are to be re- 

 ported in the hardwood trade of this .section, 

 although it is to be said that a decidedly better 

 feeling prevails, and some slight improvement 

 has taken place. A somewhat more active In- 

 quiry appears to have set in, though the gains 

 are not so pronounced as to make a marked im- 

 pression upon the business. The range of prices 

 is practically unchanged, but rather more steadi- 

 ness characterizes the market and a disposition 

 Is manifested to buy beyond Immediate necessi- 

 ties. Dealers here report a rather fitful business, 

 some weeks developing nearly a normal volume 

 of transactions, while others show a marked de- 

 ficiency. At the same time the stocks on hand 

 at the mills are so low that a decided quicken- 

 ing of activity must certainly result in a scarcity 

 of supplies with a rise in values. The produc- 

 tion appears to be slowly Increasing In antici- 

 pation of a livelier iminiiy. Imi ih. tia.J,- r.i|iiir,' 



ments fully keep ii:i. .■ wiih iii, i, i,iv, ;,,,,| 



there are no extcnslvr nrruinDi.ii ,,,,,, i,, ;i,n .i, 

 rectlon. The forei^-n ^itiKiiinu ...iiiinu.s \.iv 

 weak, with stocks large and prices so depressed 

 as to eliminate profits. As a result, many ex- 

 porters are making few, if any, shipments, the 

 trade being confined to supplies that were or- 

 dered some time ago and under conditions that 

 admit of the elimination of the objectionable 

 features which are urged against the forward- 

 ing of stocks at tbN lii,,. A i,,:,i.iial Improve- 

 ment is not l,ookcd ir li,. .lumestic situ- 

 ation shall have < li, , _ I , h for the bet- 

 ter that lumber .an h. ,ii ,„ ,,] of without 

 trouble at home, rclievini; Uic i,,r.ign markets of 

 any additional influx and permitting the accumu- 

 lations there to be distributed. This state of 

 affairs, it Is now thought, will come about sooner 

 than hardwood men felt they had reason to ex- 

 pect not so long ago. The attitude of the en- 

 tire trade therefore is one of hopefulness, and 

 even of optimism, and the outlook is much more 

 promising, regardless of the quiet which Is nat- 

 ural for this season of the year. 



PITTSBVRO 



Hardwoods are mnving along quietly with 

 little change in the situation. Demand has 

 not increased as was anticipated a few weeks 

 ago, but there Is good reason for this. While 

 the bulk of building operations Is larger than 



in May, they are of the sort that require little 

 hardwood. There are almost no large build- 

 ings in course of construction that would take 

 up big bills of fine hardwood for finishing. 

 The work that is starting now will not be 

 ready for the finishing lumber for two months 

 and as a result, fine hardwoods are not in 

 active demaiid. The market for timbers, 

 especially white oak, is somewhat better than 

 a month ago for railroads and trolley com- 

 panies are pushing their operations. The big 

 demand for lumber at present seems to be 

 for repair or extension work at the industrial 

 plants throughout this district. There is more 

 figuring being done for mill work of this kind 

 than at any time since l.ast October, and what 

 is still more encouraging, the projects are 

 going ahead to the contract stage. 



The yard trade in Pittsburg is little im- 

 proved. Outside of the city reports indicate 

 the yard men are filling in their stocks but 

 are not buying tn ,n ■■ .\i.iii 11 future uses. 

 The call for luml" : '! ; li : ^ tories of the 

 middle west is v. 1 : i ri-os are still 



at a profitable levil. iuijl.,! !_ ilie best seller 

 in the Pittsburg market, with white oak a 

 close second. Prices are practically where 

 they were June 10, with stock perhaps a little 

 reduced. 



BUFFALO 



The lumber trade appears to be holding its 

 own through the summer as it has not always 

 done, for as a rule it falls oft considerably 

 about now. The demand for all sorts of lum- 

 ber is no doubt better than It was in May; 

 this may not be considered as saying much, 

 but It Is encouraging this year. 



Nobody looks for any rush of trade this 

 year, but there ought to be a pretty good 

 movement in the fall, though as to hardwoods 

 it will all depend on what the furniture fac- 

 tories do. They have not been buying much 

 lumber of late, but it is said that they have 

 taken in some very good orders at the expo- 

 sitions. If this is so the problem will be 

 solved so far as the hardwood trade is con- 

 cerned. 



The various hardwoods are keeping pretty 

 steady as to price, and there Is no great 

 amount of stock anywhere; reports even of 

 cypress arc very hopeful, and all on account 

 of the light stocks. The same Is true of al- 

 most I \(rything but the pines. Quartered 



ik IS as much the leader In the hardwood 

 11 1. 1. IS over and it is said that plain oak 

 li.is umie off in price perhaps more than any 

 iither hardwood, so the two are about as far 

 apart as ever. In spite of the effort to cut 

 down the production of plain and increase 

 quartered. It is probable that some other 

 woods are entering into the account, for 

 birch and maple are easily had and are not 

 selling high. 



Local lumbermen are doing what they can, 

 but are not taking in much stock, as they 

 liave a good supply and are preparing to take 

 care of the entire trade on demand. They 

 arc staying at hciiin ila Miinmer. If they 

 have special mills 1 1 tiay are keep- 

 ing them going cbivi' m|. i.i iIm M' mand. 



As a rule the luiid\suijJ t.iw mills owned or 

 controlled here are active, but they will hard- 

 ly be run very strong till the demand is active 

 again, for though It Is always said that lum- 

 ber In stock Is good property there are turns 

 taken In It that cannot be foreseen, so It is 

 not well to pile up too much of anything. 



SAQINAW VALLEY 



The market is passing through the usual 

 midsummer dullness of trade. Some lumber 

 is moving, however, and prices are well sus- 

 tained, taking general business conditions Into 

 consideration. Dealers are carrying pretty 



fair stocks and are able to supply about every- 

 thing that is wanted. Manufacturers and 

 dealers are optimistic as to the future and 

 believe that when business activity revives 

 in the fall there will be activity in trade. 



CLEVELAND 



Dealers here report that a further improve- 

 ment in the hardwood market is noted and 

 that the volume of inquiries continues to in- 

 crease. Price cutting is still resorted to by 

 some firms to get orders, but there Is a tend- 

 ency towards steadier prices. 



Manufacturers who are heavy users of 

 hardwoods are beginning to get their plants 

 under way again. Many have been running 

 of late on stock they had on hand, and it 

 is now apparent that many are forced to buy 

 lumber and are coming to it with a cheerful 

 smile. 



Poplar continues to hold its own, while the 

 call for oak is quite firm. There is little call 

 for other hardwoods, with the exception of 

 maple flooring, which is one of the bright 

 spots in the hardwood firmament just now. 



.Niauiy all the Columbus lumbermen say that 

 the market is more nctivc and that prices show 

 an advancing tendency. Southern pine is at 

 least 75 cents higher than It was two weeks 

 ago and the market for hemlock Is decidedly 

 stIBfer, and it is believed that this advivnce will 

 affect some of the hardwoods before long. The 

 oaks and poplar are firm and show but little 

 change compared with the market around July 

 1. Good prices are generally obtained for all 

 kinds of lumber and it seems to be the disposi- 

 tion on the part of dealers to hold for higher 

 prices. The market shows better form, and con- 

 siderable activity Is evident In certain lines. 

 Dealers are opthnlstic regarding the future of 

 the market and firmly believe that prices from 

 this on will show an advancing tendency. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



This month has been a fairly active one with 

 the hardwood dealers of this vicinity. While 

 the demand for luirdwoods for building opera- 

 tions has shown a decided decrease, manufactur- 

 ing plants have more thap made up any lack of 

 business in that respect. 



The local carriage plants and furniture fac- 

 tories are all busy : In fact, their business now Is 

 almost as good as It was at this period last sea- 

 son. However, they continue to buy cautiously, 

 hence hardwood men are now having more than 

 sixty-five per cent of the business they had last 

 season. Prices remain steady, with no tendency 

 to change. It is expected that the market will 

 brighten up pirccptlbly tow;ird fall. 



MILWAUKEE 



The hardwood trade during the last two weeks 

 has been less active than at any time since its 

 revival at the opening of the building season. 

 Dealers are all looking for a heavy fall trade 

 when building takes on a more active aspect. 

 The present season seems to be one of transi- 

 tion, and while dealers say that prices are hold- 

 ing well the volume of trade is expected to be 

 small for the next few weeks. 



Quartered oak Is holding Its own and prices 

 are firm, with a tendency to rise. Plain oak Is 

 less active and demand Is not so strong. Maple 

 flooring Is lower, but dealers arc looking for 

 better things In this line later In the season. 

 The poplar market Is strong and stocks In gen- 

 eral are light. Basswood Is holding Its own, 

 and the supply Is light. Birch Is commanding 

 good prices. 



