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Published in the Interest of the American Hardwood Forests, the Products thereof, and Logging, Saw 

 Mill and Wood- Working Machinery, on the lOlh and 25lh of each Month, by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



Henry H. Gibson, Editor and Manager 

 Edwin W. Meelcerl 

 Hu Maxwell 



■y 



ssociate Editors 



Entire Seventh Floor Ellsworth Building 

 537 So. Dearborn Street, CHICAGO 

 Telephones: Harrison 8086-8087-8088 



Vol. XXXV 



CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 25, 1913 



No. 9 



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Review and Outlook 



General Market Conditions 



CONTINUED POOR LOGGING WEATHKK in the South, fair log- 

 ging conditions in the North, and uninterrupted demand with 

 steadily increasing prices in a good many items of hardwood mark the 

 general situation at this date. There has been some disposition noted 

 on the part of the buying trade to withhold large contract order's in 

 anticipation of a general break in price; but it is safe to predict that 

 their expectations in this particular will not be fulfilled. This dispo- 

 sition, while reported from a number of centers, is not prevalent and 

 does not mark the view which any considerable percentage of buyers 

 take of the present market. It is impossible to see any radical change 

 in conditions for months ahead. Northern mills will certainly not 

 manufacture any more activel.y than they are doing at present and the 

 wretched weather in the South has been a serious factor with the 

 millmen. It is a perfectly safe prediction that a gradually stimu- 

 lated and uninterrupted demand will mark the coming year. All con- 

 suming factories are now actively in the market. The factory trade 

 is as a whole calling for considerable quantities of lumber in antici- 

 pation of spring activities. This demand is not going to decrease, 

 but will, for the most part, very likely increase as but a small per- 

 centage of consumers have been able to completely replenish their 

 depleted stocks. The railroads are actively in the field again ami 

 decisions are noted on the part of the directorates of various impor- 

 tant systems which will provide for considerable expansion and repair 

 work. Quite a number of unusually large car orders, in which are 

 included a great many cars of wooden superstructure, have been 

 placed during the last few weeks. 



The situation confronting the consumers of box lumber continues 

 about as it has been, with probably a slightly increased level of prices 

 on such material. The box trade is taking all it can get of low-grade 

 lumber and seems to be taking the situation philosophically, realizing 

 the futility of endeavoring to lower the price of such material with 

 the present active demand for it from many sources outside of box 

 manufacture. 



Oak, of course, is still king; but, judging from the reports from 

 different hardwood centers, ash is pushing it pretty closely; in fact, 

 the demand for ash is surprisingly active. In oak, plain-sawed stock 

 is, as for some time past, strongest, although continued increase in 

 call for quartered oak is noted everj-^vhere ; in fact, the demand of 

 late has been so active that some quarters report scarcity of dry stock. 

 It is diflScult to find a standard American hardwood right now which 

 is what could be called long on the market. 



With the spring months coming on and the consequent opening up 

 of building operations all over the country entailing the consumption 

 of vast amounts of construction and finish lumber, and later large 



amounts of lumber going into the house finishings and furniture, it is 

 impossible to perceive just how tlie situation can be materially altered. 



A Condition, Not a Theory 



'X'HE CARTOON IN THIS ISSUE of Hakuwuiiu Kecokd aptly 

 *• depicts the hardwood situation. The demand for hardwoods 

 is far in the lead of the supply, and far in advance of any possi- 

 bility of the supply catching up with the demand for at least 

 some months. No matter what the ambition of lumber manufac- 

 turers may be to materially increase their output at the present 

 time, and during the coming spring, it is impossible for them to 

 do so either by reason of a paucity of timber supply tributary to 

 their mills, or by reason of such bad weather conditions as to 

 render increased logging impossible. Logging conditions -in the 

 north-country have been far from favorable during the winter, 

 and while many manufacturers anticipated being able to increase 

 their output, in very few instances have they done so. 



In the Mississippi valley hardwood district high water and bad 

 weather have seriously militated against even a normal log out- , 

 put, and when logs were actually ready for shipment the railroads 

 were unable to supply cars or handle them to even nearby mills. 

 Perhaps the best logging situation that has prevailed in any part 

 of the country during the winter has been in the mountain regions 

 of the East. Weather conditions have been fairly favorable and a 

 very good stock of logs has been obtained, and such as were rafted 

 have come out to the mills in very fair volume. 



On the whole, however, the visible supply of logs back of hard- 

 wood mills at present is very small, and there is no reason to be- 

 lieve that the supply of dry lumber will equal the demand for a 

 good while to come. Hence buyers who are holding off making 

 purchases with the hope that there will be a decline in the lumber 

 market are figuring on an untenable basis. It is thoroughly be- 

 lievable that the price of some hardwoods will materially advance 

 in the near future, and that there is scarcely an item that will 

 show a decline between now and mid-summer. 



Preventive Appliances 



THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS has 

 issued as a supplement to "American Industries" published by 

 that association a four-page insert devoted to the illustration of prac- 

 tical safety devices typifying in concrete form the work of the Na- 

 tional Association of -Manufacturers. This pamphlet as far as it is 

 read should enable manufacturers, superintendents, foremen and 

 workers to appreciate that one phase of safety engineering con- 

 sists of a mixture of common-sense and mechanical ability and 



