48 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



FREIGHT OVERCHARGES 



WE SPECIALIZE ON LUMBER TRAFFIC 



We represent nearly every member of The Mississippi Pine 



Association 



Our overcharge claims for one company, $6,000.00 



Let us analyze your freight accounts 



Collect past and prevent future overcharges 



Best references from Lumbermen from 



Canada to Mexico 



COST BASED ON RESULTS 



Write for particulars and terms. 



The American Freight Audit & Storage Go. 



Incorporated 



Rooms 55-8, 39 West Adams St. 



Chicago 



W A NT E D 



All ' Kinds of High-Grade 



HARDWOODS 



S. E. SLAYMAKER & CO. 



Representing Fifth Avenue Building 



WEST VIRGINIA SPRUCE LUMBER CO., "^'"^ ,^V,.7 J/->^ii ^' 



Cass, West Virginia. NEW YORK 



Mutual Fire Insurance 



Best Indemnity at Lowest Net Cost 

 Can Be Obtained From 



Boston, Mass. 



The Lumber Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 



The Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Company, 



Mansfield, Ohio. 



The Pennsylvania Lumbermen's Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



The Indiana Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Company, 



Indianapolis, Ind. 



The Central Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Company. 



Van Wert, Ohio 



Bluestone Land & Lumber Company 



MANUFACTURERS 



WEST VIRGINIA HARDWOODS 

 Soft White Pine, Oak, Poplar, Chestnut, Hemlock 



RIDGWAY 

 PENNSYLVANIA 



COMPLETE PLANING 

 MILL FACILITIES 



Band Saued Stock 



THREE STATES LUMBER COMPANY 



Manufacturers of 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 

 Cotionwood and Red Cum Specialties 



tMAIN OFFICE, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 



to-mouth policy pursued by dealers generally, local stocks are badly 

 depleted. Dealers have held back as much as possible because of the 

 extremely stiff prices, hoping that a break would follow. Thus far there 

 is no indication of a break in any line, firmness being evidenced in every 

 department of the lumber trade. Dealers find they must buy at least 

 enough to fill in their depleted stocks and to take care of present needs, 

 which are unusually heavy for this season of the year. There is no 

 inclination to buy .is an investment, but liberal orders are being placed 

 for present needs. 



The building trades have had a phenomenal run during the past year 

 and the coming season is bound to be an improvement on the past owing 

 to the enormous amount of building for which plans are now being drawn 

 and contracts let. The furniture factories are running well and vehicle 

 factories are also calling for a good run of material. Taken altogether, 

 dealers are finding nothing to complain about except the car shortage and 

 that has eased up some in the past two or three weeks. Should the 

 present bad weather continue there is likely to be congestion ; but in that 

 case the lumberman's needs will not be so pressing. 



-< INDIANAPOLIS >• 



Hardwood men of this vicinity believe that the outlook for an excellent 

 business during 1913 is very encouraging. While the present volume of 

 trade is not above normal, considering the season, it is quite satisfactory. 

 Most of the hardwood and veneer mills as well as the wholesalers are 

 busy. 



There is very little complaint of car shortage at this time. General 

 reports are that the best demand now is for all grades of oak and 

 poplar. Prices are steady and show no signs of a break in the near 

 future. Shipments are moving with some degree of promptness. Re- 

 tailers are showing a little more disposition to replenish their yards than 

 they did a few weeks ago. 



=-< MEMPHIS y 



Bank clearings in Memphis during 191:2 broke all previous records 

 with a total of about $420,000,000 as against $360,000,000 for 1911. 

 'The gain per month was approximately $5,000,000. The lumbermen 

 made their contribution to this excellent showing, as they did consider- 

 ably more business in 1912 than during any year since 1907. They not 

 only did .1 large business but the amount of money involved was much 

 heavier owing to the fact that prices were higher. 



Most of the lumber firms here have been busy during the past few 

 days taking inventories and getting things in readiness for the new 

 year. While it is impossible to go into details or to tell the exact 

 earnings of any particular firm, it may be said in a general way that 

 the past year was a prosperous period for the lumbermen. They had 

 some very serious handicaps with which to contend, including the flood 

 in the Mississippi and the shortage of cars which tied them up several 

 times. They have also had to contend with advances in freight rates and 

 with discontinuance of through bills of lading on export shipments on 

 the part of the roads west of the Mississippi river. They have met 

 these conditions, however, and have enjoyed greater prosperity than for 

 a long while. 



The feeling at the beginning of the new year is one of confidence. It 

 is anticipated that there will be a continuance of the good demand 

 recently in evidence and it is further felt that prices will be well 

 maintained. The car situation is considerably easier now than for 

 several months and this means that it will be possible to move both 

 lumber and logs with greater freedom. Export business looks particularly 

 good. Many orders from Europe have been booked recently and there is 

 a large amount of hardwood lumber to be forwarded to foreign ports as 

 fast as it can be moved under present somewhat unsatisfactory con- 

 ditions. Reference is had particularly to the withdrawal of through bills 

 of lading and to the consequent necessity on the part of exporters west 

 of the Mississippi river to ship their lumber to the ports on local bills. 

 There is not a large amount of dry stock available at the moment and 

 this is perhaps the one feature which will go further than any other 

 toward restricting the volume of business. On the other hand, it is 

 regarded as a favorable factor in the respect that it will enable owners 

 of lumber to secure full prices. 



=■< NASHVILLE >■= 



The local hardwood manufacturers and dealers enjoyed a prosperous 

 year in 1912 — one of the very best in their history. 'They had practically 

 all the business they could handle. Even the holiday trade interfered 

 but little with their rush. Now that the holidays are over and the first 

 of the year has come and gone, most companies are busy with their 

 annual inventories, but oven with this inquiries are steadily coming in, 

 the year starting off in a way which conclusively indicates prosperous 

 times during the coming twelve months. 



The general tone of the market is firm. The demands for oak, ash 

 and other lines have been so heavy that somewhat depleted stocks were 

 insufficient to meet them and the customary stocks, estimated to average 

 here about 100,000,000 feet, are estimated to be fully twenty per cent 

 below normal. During the past year prices on some grades of hardwoods 

 advanced several dollars per thousand feet. In 1912 the building permits 

 exceeded any previous year and 1913 promises still better results. Rail- 

 road demands are still very active and the same is true of calls from 



