48 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



business. Factory trade is showing up remarli- 

 -ably well in the requisitions. Purchasing agents 

 aire asking for more lumber and seem more will- 

 ing to pay a good price for their stock than last 

 year. Trade with the mining and industrial 

 concerns has very seldom been better in this 

 district than just now. Railroad work will 

 require an enormous amount ot" lumber next year. 

 and the prospects for oak sales on this account 

 were never twtter. In fact, oak is now so scarce 

 that it is almost impossible to get enough good 

 white oak to fill the orders. Yard trade is a 

 :iittle quiet this month on account of the in- 

 ventory season. The prospects are that it will 

 he very much better as soon as spring building 

 starts, for stocks are low and contractors look 

 I'tr a much better building season next .year. 



BALTIMORE 



\\\i\\ the year drawing to a close, interest in 

 the results of 1012 is intensified among lumber- 

 men. It is known in a general way. of course, 

 that the trade has been very active for some 

 months, and that the inquiry continues to be so 

 .brisk as to cause a general scarcity of stocks. 

 Under the influence of the inquiry and the inade- 

 quacy of the offerings, prices have gone up until 

 •oals is perhaps higher than it has ever been, 

 while the weak spots in chestnut have been 

 strengthened until there are none left, all other 

 hardwoods being in satisfactory shape, with the 

 single exception of extra wide poplar. 



The producer of lumber, provided he has a 

 good lot of timber and an effective mill organi- 

 zation, stands in the way of making large prof- 

 its, for intending buyers do not haggle over the 

 price, being intent chiefly on their ability to 

 get what they want. The manufacturers have 

 been and still are in a position to dispose of 

 their output as fast as it could be gotten ready 

 for the market. In numerous instauces they are 

 behind in their deliveries, and it has happened 

 often that lumber was sent out green, buyers 

 being in urgent need of supplies. 



^'arying explanations are given, some members 

 ot the trade taking the view that the present 

 apparent scarcity is due not so much to a com- 

 parative increase in the demand as to the short- 

 age of last winter, w-hen for several months 

 the mills' were entirely out of it. The fact is 

 emphasized that when the severe cold bad 

 abated, heavy rains transformed the' roads into 

 •quagmires and rendered it impossible to get 

 logs to the mills and lumber away from plants. 

 The flr.st halt of the .vear. therefore, must be 

 credited with a material deficiency in the pro- 

 duction, and this shortage has not been in real- 

 ity made up. though under circumstances of 

 an indifferent demand there ought to have been 

 a consideralile gain in the production over 

 the distribution in, the latter half of the year, 

 the weather having been such as to favor mill 

 work. .Account must be taken ot the fact, how- 

 ever, that labor has been scarce during the 

 gri'ater part ot the year, and manufacturers 

 have often been unable to get workmen in suffi 

 cient numbers to run plants at their full capac- 

 it.v. On the other hand, the distribution was 

 much impeded, first by the stevedores' strike here, 

 which lasted for about two months, the steam- 

 ship companies finding it impossible to get 

 their vessels loaded, and the coastwise traffic 

 being similarly affected. After this difficulty 

 had been removed came the advance in the ocean 

 freight rates, which naturally caused hesitancy 

 among the exporters because of the fact that 

 the increase assumed proportions which made it 

 necessary to adjust the trade upon a new basis, 

 for the augmented expense could not be absorbed 

 by the shippers. This impediment is still exert- 

 ing a decided influence upon the trade. When 

 all these factors have been taken into account, 

 however, the fact remains that even though ex- 

 ports were checked, the oft'erings in the domestic 

 market did not show any indications of becom- 

 ing larger, which ought to have been the case 



unless the domestic requirements at the same 

 time expanded. The conclusion, therefore, is 

 almost unavoidable that an actual shortage of 

 lumljer exists and that this is primarily, perhaps 

 solely, responsible for the present high prices 

 and the firmness in the market. 



flooring is moving very fast at top prices. All 

 mills are running full time and will do so all 

 winter in an effort to stock up for next season. 



COLUMBUS 



The lumber trade in Columbus and surround- 

 ing territory is holding up remarkably well for 

 the time of year. Trices are stiff and there is 

 a good demand for all grades of hardwoods. A 

 continuation of the good business is expected. 

 The hardwood market at this time is very active, 

 there being a good demand for oak, especially 

 in flooring and quarter-sawed stock. The lower 

 grades of hardwoods are also a strong point in 

 the market, especially ash and poplar, and 

 lliere is a good demand for chestnut in the 

 sound wormy grade. Yellow pine does not show 

 much activity at this time of the year. The 

 factory trade continues good with manufac- 

 turers and millmen wishing to lay in large sup- 

 plies. The yard trade is a little slow and 

 dealers seem to think that prices W'ill drop, 

 after which they will stock up. The car situ- 

 ation shows a slight improvement over the past 

 week, but is still felt in certain locations. 

 Building operations are active. 



CINCINNATI 



Weather conditions are again ideal for lum- 

 bering, after a touch of winter, which only 

 lasted a few days last week. The fall this year 

 has been remarkable for beautiful weather, and 

 every line of trade has been benefited more or 

 less, especially the building trade, which has 

 ueen one of the heaviest in several years. Con 

 sequently the retail lumber dealers have done a 

 very big and profitable business in all kinds ot 

 building lumber and millwork. Planing mills 

 have been rushed to supply the demand right up 

 to the present time, and owing to the weather 

 holding out so long and favorable to building 

 operations, builders have gone right ahead with 

 new work. The hardwood dealers have been 

 much benefited by this big building season, as 

 this year hardwoods are largely used for interior 

 finish in place of yellow pine. Plain and qiiar 

 tcred oak is used to a great extent, but much 

 red gum has also been used this season and the 

 results are so satisfactory that architects will 

 not hesitate to recommend it to prospective build- 

 ers of homes who are seeking something different 

 in finish. 



Stock is coming in more freely than for the 

 last couple of months and the dealers are get- 

 ting some stock ahead and will be big buyers all 

 winter, taking all offerings of hardwoods in all 

 kinds and grades at reasonable prices. At 

 producing points millmen report plenty of logs 

 and plants running full time Willi favorable 

 weather. The demand is quite up to the pro- 

 duction ; in fact, nearly all of the mills are 

 sold ahead, many of them well into next season 

 and at stiff' prices. The dealer who is not cov- 

 ered for several months' supply is not in any too 

 strong a position, and will find much difficulty 

 in picking up hardwoods from which to supply 

 his trade. This supply will come mostly from 

 the small millman and the buyers are so numer- 

 ous in the producing fields among both large and, 

 small mills that it will be quite a problem for 

 the dealer to get what he will require. 



Trade conditions are about as good as could 

 be expected for this time of the year. Prices on 

 all stock are high and none of the dealers are 

 looking for cheap lumber, as they know it is not 

 to be had. Plain and quartered oak are very 

 much in demand. Low-grade cottonwood is very 

 scarce, as is the same in poplar, gum, basswood 

 and buckeye. Thick ash is very high in price 

 and called for daily in quantities. The high 

 grades in hardwoods are most in demand at this 

 time and are bringing good prices. Hardwood 



INDIANAPOLIS 



The hardwood trade in this locality has been 

 about ten per cent better than it was in 1911. 

 Hardwood men are especiall.v well pleased with 

 the volume of 191*J business, considering the fact 

 that tor the lirst six months of the .year the 

 business was behind that of the corresponding 

 period of last year. 



Business has not slackened up so far in De- 

 comber, as was expected, but has been better 

 than it was during the corresponding period of 

 last year. Prices are steady, with no indica- 

 tions of a decline soon. The principal demand is 

 for plain oak with a fair trade in ash. 



Hardwood men report that the car shortage is 

 loosening up and that they are no longer both- 

 ered or inconvenienced on this score to any 

 great extent. The tratle as a whole is in a very 

 satisfactory condition. 



MEMPHIS 



The car situation is considered very much 

 better. The movement of both timber and lum- 

 ber is showing some increase as a result of this 

 rondition. The improvement is quite notable 

 from many points in Arkansas and Mississippi. 

 where cars were exceedingly scarce only a short 

 time ago. It is not possible even yet for all 

 shippers to secure their full quota of cars, but 

 the improvement now in progress is quite rapid 

 and the outlook is regarded as decidedly more 

 favorable. 



The movement of timber to Memphis continues 

 on a pretty liberal scale. It is noteworthy, how- 

 ever, that there is such activity on the part of 

 luanufacturiug plants that there is little, if any. 

 accumulation of logs at local yards. Most manufac- 

 turers say that they have enough logs on hand to 

 last them for only two or three days. There is a 

 great deal of timber awaiting transportation to 

 Memphis, and it is possible that the log supply 

 of local plants may become a little fuller. How- 

 ever, this depends very largely upon the ability 

 of the railroads to furnish all the equipment 

 that is needed. Although the situation in this 

 respect has very much improved, the 'S'alley Log 

 Loading Company says that it is still restricted 

 somewhat in the handling of log shipments by 

 scarcity of equipment. 



One ot the features of the hardwood situation 

 has been the tendency toward improvement in 

 export demand during the past few days. There 

 have been numerous inquiries, and it is said 

 liy prominent exporters that they could do a 

 large business if transportation problems were 

 solved. The railroads west ot the ilississippi 

 river are still refusing to issue through bills ot 

 lading on hardwood lumber shipment intended 

 for export with the result that shippers are 

 having a great deal ot trouble. 



NASHVILLE 



The local demands tor liardw lhkIs are .good 

 for this season of the year, when trade is gen- 

 gerally getting rather slack on account of th<' 

 holiday season and the time for the annual 

 taking of .stocks. 



Plain oak is scarce and the prices show an 

 upward tendenc.v. Quartered oak is more plen- 

 tiful and is maintaining high figures. Chestnut, 

 gum. ash and hickory are selling well. There 

 is continued good call for maple and walnut. No 

 change is noted in the poplar market. Other 

 woods are alH)Ut holding their own. 



There is much railroad traffic activity. Therj 

 are heavy log shipments reported on the Ten- 

 nessee river. Dry stocks arc getting low and all 

 available is in ready demand. Manufacturers 

 anticipate much activity beginning early in I'.ii::. 

 Some orders have already been receiveil for 



