September 10, 1919 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



51 



incur serious losses. Tbis prospect lias been followed, naturally enough, 

 by holding back with shipments on this side, and some of these shipments 

 have been offered in the domestic market, augmenting the offers of lumber 

 and bringing on a somewhat easier tone in some of the divisions. It is not 

 that any real recessions have occurred in the home market, but that a 

 limit appears to have been set to the marking up of the figures. For a time 

 a seller could get virtually any price he chose to name ; now the buyer 

 has come to consider and at times to decline oft'ers in some divisions. It 

 is said by one member of the hardwood trade here that red gum, intended 

 for the foreign trade and held on this side, has been offered at $80 per 1000 

 feet, against 51100 asked for the same grade in the Memphis region. Of 

 course, it is not to be inferred that the hardwood trade has actually weak- 

 ened. The demand continues to be excellent and the mills have not yet 

 caught up with the deficiency ; but the point is also made that the check 

 upon the foreign shipments can hardly fail to hold up the rise and may 

 eventually bring on a reaction. For the pre.sent stocks are in good request 

 and the mills are able to find ready takers, with no danger of overproduc- 

 tion, the working forces still being below the old ones in point of efficiency 

 and the transportation facilities leaving much to be desired. The southern 

 mills especially are hampered by a lack of railroad cars. Stocks held 

 hy the yards here seem to be equal to the consumption. 



COLUMBUS 



The hardwood trade in central Ohio territory continues strong and 

 active in every way. Demand for all varieties and grades is good and 

 is about equally divided between the retail trade and manufacturing plants. 

 Higher prices prevail and there is no disposition to cut prices to force 

 trade because of the insistent demand. 



Retail stocks are not very large and in some instances are considerably 

 broken. Dealers in the rural sections are especially anxious for shipments, 

 as rural building is good. Building operations generally show improve- 

 ment and the indications point to continued activity in that line. A large 

 majority of new building projects are dwellings and apartments. 



Factories making boxes, furniture and implements are still good buyers. 

 Woodworking concerns are in the market ; in fact there is a general move- 

 ment to cover before higher prices are announced. Surplus stocks in the 

 hands of manufacturers are rather small. Car shortage is holding up 

 shipments to a certain extent, but not a great deal of inconvenience has 

 been caused up to date. Dry stocks are not large in any section. 



Prices are higher and the new list is well maintained. Quartered oak 

 at the Ohio river sells at $200 and FAS at $150. There is also a strong 

 demand for poplar, chestnut and basswood. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



For the first time in many days prices appear to show some signs of 

 staying "put." There seems to he more stability to the market than at 

 any time since the meteoric rise began late this spring, and from Indica- 

 tions, the constantly shifting price panorama which has been the rule 

 heretofore, is about ready to settle down and become a little more tractable. 

 No one expects that prices will drop or that the market will show any 

 signs of breaking for some time, but a few are very much of the opinion 

 that next year's prices will be a good deal below the present level. Lately 

 there has been a falling off in demand, and the feverish rush to get items 

 regardless of price has given way to a show of caution on the part of 

 buyers. Dealers are expecting a let up in purchases during the next few 

 weeks, many pointing out that the present agitation on the cost of living 

 topic will tend to slow down big purchases. However, the demand with 

 the musical cabinet factories and automobile body builders is good to 

 excellent generally, and business with those manufacturers is expected 

 to continue. Stocks have been short all along the line, but lately ship- 

 ments have been getting better, and with the fir.st half of the present 

 month rather quiet it is expected that the yards will have a chance to 

 replenish their depleted stocks. 



EVANSVILLE 



There has been a little slackening up in trade with the hardwood lumber 

 manufacturers of Evansville and southern Indiana during the past ten 

 days or two weeks, and in the opinion of the manufacturers this has 

 been due to the general agitation against the high cost of living through- 

 out the country. The lumber manufacturers assert that for some time 

 there has been a general clamor for cheaper lumber, and in many cities 

 building operations have been held up by prospective builders, who have 

 been holding off buying materials in the hope that the bottom would drop 

 out of the prices. While prices on hardwoods in this section have held 

 firm during the past two weeks, there have been no further increases in 

 the prices, and it is predicted in some quarters that there will be few 

 more if any increases during the next four or five months. Some manu- 

 facturers seem to think that lumber has gone about as far as it will, 

 while other manufacturers declare that prices are bound to keep on 

 Increasing due to the fact that there is a scarcity of lumber in all parts 

 of the United States. Many of the mills in southern Indiana have not 

 been running steadily this summer because owners were unable to get all 

 the logs wanted. While logs are still scarce the situation is some better 

 than it was two or three months ago. One large lumber manufacturing 

 concern in Evansville reports that it is storing logs for the coming winter, 

 although it is not getting as many as it would like. Log prices remain 



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I Plain & Qtd. Red & White i 



OAK 



AND OTHER 

 HARDWOODS 



= Even Color 



Soft Texture | 



MADE (MR) RIGHT 



I OAK FLOORING I 



= We have 35,000,000 feet dry stock— all of = 



^ our own manufacture, from our own tim- ^ 



= ber grown in Eastern Kentucky. = 



I PROMPT SHIPMENTS | 



i The MOWBRAY I 



I & ROBINSON CO. I 



E (incorporated) s 



I CINCINNATI, OHIO | 



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% LUMBER 



When you want 5/8 lumber remember us. 

 We're 5/8 specialists in all kinds of woods. 

 All of our 5/8 is sawed from the log — 

 not resawed — and shows good widths and 

 lengths. We offer the following dry 

 stock for prompt shipment : 



100,000 5/8 No. 2 Com. Poplar, 6" & wdr. 

 20,000 5/8 No. 3 Com. Poplar 

 80,000 5/8 No. 2 Com. Sap Gum 

 22,000 5/8 No. 3 Com. Sap Gum 

 35,000 5/8 No. 2 Com. Plain Wh. Oak 

 17,000 5/8 Is & 2s Qtd. White Oak 

 10,000 5/8 No. 1 Com. Qtd. White Oak 



OTHER THICKNESSES 



30,000 4/4 Is & 2s Soft Maple 

 100,000 4/4 No. 1 Com. Soft Maple 

 60,000 4/4 No. 1 Com. & Better Elm 

 15,000 4/4 Sap Gum Box B, 13-17 



WRITE FOR OUR COMPLETE LIST AND PRICES 



NORTH VERNON LUMBER CO. 



NORTH VERNON, INDIANA 



