HARDWOOD RECORD 



41 



report to a state of high efficiency through the 

 use of the facilities that it possesses to secure 

 confidential information from its membership. 



This marliet publication is' intended as a guide 

 to the member, whether he is a producer, whole- 

 saler or consumer, by furnishing a comprehensive 

 and at the same time an accurate analysis of 

 market conditions of recent sales for the various 

 hardwoods. 



The method used in compiling this report is 

 interesting. The membership of the association 

 is divided into seven classes, according to the 

 woods they handle, as follows : 



Class No. 1. Oak, Oak Construction and Car 

 Material. 



Class No. 2. Poplar Planing Mill Operator. 



Class No. S. Poplar. Chestnut, Basswood and 

 lluckeye. 



Class No. 4. Gum and Cottonwood, rough and 

 dressed. 



Class No. •=>. Ash. Cherry. Walnut, niekory. 

 P.utternut, Beoch. Birch, Maple, Elm and Syca- 

 more. 



Class No. 6. Chair, Furniture and Vehicle Di- 

 mension. 



Class No. 7. Mahogany. 



On the first of each month report blanks are 

 mailed to the membership. Each class has a 

 separate report sheet. The member inserts the 

 prices he has been receiving during the preceding 

 month for the various grades of hardwoods 

 enumerated, together with such comments as 

 may come to his mind. 



This information is then compiled at the asso- 

 ciation's ofiice. All the reports on each grade of 

 wood are assembled, and as there are about three 

 hundred on most of them, this gives a compre- 

 hensive idea of just what the market is for each 

 particular wood. The highest and lowest prices 

 are used for the range of the market, as well 

 as the average price determined. All the prices 

 submitted are then carefully studied for the 

 analysis of the market, which is reached by tak- 

 ing into consideration the volume of business 

 rnd other general conditions surrounding the 

 market. 



The reports also take into consideration de- 

 mand, car supply, thicknesses, etc.. with the re- 

 sult that they are an indispensable feature in the 

 hands of the millman in the back woods, whose 

 only outlook over the market for his product is 

 his selling correspondence and maybe the daily 

 newspapers, as well as such stray information 

 as may drift liis way occasionally. 



Faust Lumber Company Organizes at 

 Antigo 



Tile Faust Lumber Compan.v rocentl.v com- 

 pleted its organization at Antigo. Wis., the 

 .ompany being capitalized at .?10n,000. Casper 

 I'"aust is president and treasurer. James II. Wor- 

 den. vice-president, and Edward Faust, secre- 

 tary. 



The new company will operate the mill erected 

 by the Antigo Lumber Company two years ago. 

 The entire holdings of the former Antigo Lum- 

 ber Company have been taken up by the Faust 

 company. In addition, it owns considerable land 

 iu Langlade. Forest and Vilas counties. It is 

 expected that the first year's run will be in the 

 neighborhood of 8,000,000 feet. Part of its tim- 

 ber will come from the neighborhood of Pelican 

 and about 2.000.000 feet will be shipped from 

 the vicinity of Bowler. It is not expected the 

 company will do an.v logging on its own lands 

 this year, as it has arranged for a considerable 

 suppl.v of logs, those already contracted for be- 

 ing sufiicient to carr.v it for five months. 



Some changes will be made in the mill whicli 

 will facilitate the handling of logs and lumber. 

 -V 650 foot side-track along the east side of the 

 mill pond will be constructed. This will facili- 

 tate the handling of logs and enable the com- 

 pany to have more cars switched in each day. 

 It will also eliminate the old expensive and 

 <langerous method of unloading from the rail- 

 road bridge into the creek. 



The company will start log shipments some 

 time in January and will start the mill up as 

 soon as enough surplus stock is on hand to in- 

 sure the continuous operation of the mill. 



Forked Deer LtimTier Company Organized in 

 Tennessee 



The notice was published in the last issue of 

 Hardwood Record to the effect that the Ten- 

 nessee Hardwood Lumber Company of Nashville 

 had purchased the holdings of John Rose of 

 Jackson. Tenn.. for .$3,''i.000 and would operate 

 his plant at Jackson in connection with the 

 Tennessee Hardwood Lumber Company. 



This information was correct as far as it 

 went, but did not cover the fact that the new 

 move involves the incorporation of a new con- 

 cern called the Forked Deer Lumt)er Company. 

 This concern is capitalized at .$35,000, paid in. 

 Its incorporators are T. B. Johnson, H. A. 

 Batchelor, G. W. Killibrew. and H. C. Merritt, 

 Jr.. of Nashville, and T. J. Bailey of Jackson. 

 The compan.v's purchase involves the big band 

 mill at Jack.soQ and considerable hardwood 

 stumpage n^ar that city. This tract consists of 

 a fine stand mainly of white oak and red gum. 



Additional machinery will be added to the 

 plant and everything done to make it complete 

 and efficient. The company owns enough hard- 

 woods to afford a cut of several years. Opera- 

 tions will be begun in the near future. 



T. B. Johnson is president of the company 

 and H. A. BatchelQf is secretary and treasurer. 

 The new concern is affiliated through mutual 

 stockholders with the Tennessee Hardwood Lum- 

 ber Company and the Tennessee Oak Flooring 

 Company, both of Nashville, but will market its 

 output entirel.v through its Jackson ofiices. 



The Outlook in Germany 



.\n esteemed English contemporary published 

 the following commentary on 1013 prospects in 

 Germany in wood goods : 



From a well-informed German source w-e have 

 received information w^hich points to the exist- 

 ence in that country of almost analagous con- 

 ditions to those prevailing over here as regards 

 the problem which high prices are exerting upon 

 the consumption of wood goods. In the consum- 

 ing markets of Germany, the manufacturing 

 industries, we learn, are still able to withstand 

 the burden of enhanced wood values, as these 

 enterprises are enjoying a full share of world- 

 wide good trade. As in this country, however, 

 it is the German house-building industry which 

 can least afford to be saddled with the ever in- 

 creasing cost of building materials. It is curious 

 to note that iiuestions which are detrimentally 

 affecting the building trade in this country have 

 their counterpart in Germany. Taxation has 

 been augmented and new impositions put upon 

 land, whilst restrictions are now in course of 

 promulgation as to the height of dwellings. So 

 onerous are these difficulties that, according to 

 i.ur correspondent, "the game is no longer worth 

 the candle, and it has been left to the shady 

 elements of the building trade to carry on." 

 I*roperty mortgages in Germany, since the 

 American crisis a few years bacK, have lost 

 popularit.v, and are not now so easily obtain- 

 able as they formerly were ; added to which the 

 high bank rate affords little inducement to build- 

 ing operations. An unfortunate sign of the 

 times is that in several of the most active cen- 

 ters of the coal and iron industries the building 

 trade is passing through a crisis and failures 

 are becoming the order of the day. Next sum- 

 mer, we gather, an agreement now existing be- 

 tween the master builders and various trade 

 unions expires, when the alternative of higher 

 wages or a disastrous strike will probably have 

 to be faced. .Vlthough a redeeming feature of 

 present trade is that German municipalities are 

 yearly adding to their public biiililings. our 

 correspondent thinks there is little reason to 

 take an optimistic view of the German market 

 as far as consumption is concerned. 



New Car Stakes Recommended in 'Wisconsin 



Members of the Wisconsin Industrial Commis- 

 sion held an informal hearing on the sixteenth 

 to discuss the question of adopting safety car 



stakes for logging cars. No permanent order 

 has been issued and none Is likely to be until 

 the commission holds more meetings, but eventu- 

 ally Wisconsin shippers of logs will undoubtedly 

 he compelled to use the safety car stakes rec- 

 ommended. The stakes make it possible to re- 

 lease logs on the opposite side from which they 

 are to be unloaded. These stakes arc a recent 

 invention. 



The cause of the hearing was an Investigation 

 b.v the commission which determined that the 

 cause of most of the injuries received in unload- 

 ing logging cars is the fact that it has been 

 difficult to release the stakes without initting the 

 workmen in an extremely dangerous position. 



Hardwoods in Liverpool 



Reports from leading importing firms in Liver- 

 pool indicate a very hcaltli.v condition regarding 

 most kinds and grades of American and other 

 hardwoods. The mahogany situation is par- 

 ticularly good. A statement on recent mahogany 

 sales by one fancy wood house in Liverpool says 

 there was a large attendance and that the 

 American demand was very heavy. The entire 

 list was clejired out, and while prices on the 

 first sale were ver.v much as the preceding 

 month, on the second sale the.v were materially 

 higher. This concern has forecasted unusual 

 demand at this time and its forecasts have been 

 more than fulfilled. It again points out that 

 during the next nine or ten months the longer 

 buyers wait before placing orders the worse they 

 will fare. The earnest advice of this concern 

 is to buy novi and save money. 



No change is reported on conditions with ash 

 lumber. The arrivals of ash logs have been 

 moderate and good stock of fair size meets with 

 ready sale at satisfactory prices. There is an 

 active demand for good quality walnut logs of 

 good size. 



The arrivals of black walnut lumber have been 

 light, and their value is steadily improving. It 

 is reported that the demand for hickory logs is 

 active and that early shipments should meet 

 with ready sale with good prices. 



Prime oak logs of good lengths arc in active 

 demand. Quartered oak lumber continues to 

 be asked for, but buyers and shippers can not 

 get together on the question of value. Firm 

 values prevail for plain stock, the arrivals hav- 

 ing been light. There has been considerably 

 more demand for prime oak cabinet planks, but 

 inferior quality stock of jioor dimensions has 

 not been selling actively. Oak coffin planks of 

 good specifications are in good demand. The 

 same is true of oak wagon plank. The arrivals 

 of this stock have been but moderate. 



Good size, .sound, clean poplar logs are meet- 

 ing with considerable call, although inferior 

 stock finds little sale. The arrivals of poplar 

 lumber have been light, but high prices being 

 asked are preventing business. No change is re- 

 ported in the red gum lumber market. 



Receiver Appointed for Harding-Finley 

 Lumber Company 



Judge Tliompsnn. in lb'' liiited States district 

 (ourt, on Dec. 14. appoint eil I'redi^rick S. Inder- 

 hill of Wistar. Underbill & .Nixon, r.ceiver for 

 the Harding-Finley Luml>er Ciunpany. Philadel- 

 phia. Pa. Bond was fixed at .'SIiiii.imki. 



Action was taken on a bill in equity fileil 

 by Dougherty. McKay & Co.. J. S. Moore *: 

 Co., and E. II. Morrow, creditors and stockholders 

 of the concern. The complainants averred that 

 the company was unable to meet maturing obli- 

 gations and that, if the assets wen> properly 

 conserved under a court receivership, enough 

 will l)e realized to meet the indebtedness. The 

 outstanding li.ihilities are estimated at .$1(>0.000. 

 and the assets .'f^OO.OOO. The company, through 

 its president. W. J. Harding, filled an answer 

 admitting the averments of the bill and joined 

 iu the application for the receiver. Judgments 

 were entered against the concern on Dec. 14 

 for $4n0.17, favor K. B. John.son : Dec. IG, $2,- 

 2.'i.''>.21, favor Miami Valley National Bank. 



