October 10, 1919 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



53 



will remain large and that the mills will experience not the slightest 

 liifficulty in disposing of their output. This expectation seems to be all 

 the more justified in the face of the information received here that the 

 production still falls much below the demand and that the deficiency is 

 sufficient to keep the quotations at a high level. The only division of the 

 trade that does not manifest any real buoyancy is that of exports. The 

 congestion on the other side of the Atlantic, combined with the paralyzing 

 effect of the transportation workers' strike in the United Kingdom, makes 

 it highly inadvisable to ship any lumber except on firm orders, and these 

 are not to be obtained unless they are for such sizes and grades as meet 

 the particular ideas of the foreign buyers. The outlook as far as the 

 domestic business is concerned, could hardly be better when it comes to 

 finding takers for the lumber turned out. And it is also to be said that 

 the consumption has not gone up so high as to dispose of all ideas of 

 further expansion. 



PITTSBURGH 



Hardwood prices are very firm in this market, and are likely to con- 

 tinue so for a long time. Stocks are badly broken and in many lines it is 

 possible to get only a sprinkling o£ the stock desired. It is espe^cially 

 hard to fill mixed orders. Mill.s in tri-state territory, according to the 

 best reports, will have to run steadily for probably tour months to get 

 back to normal stocks. Yard trade has been very much better, the past 

 two or three months. The steel strike has cut off a lot of industrial 

 business, but conditions, nevertheless, favor a strong, bullish market for 

 all kinds of hardwoods this fall. Furniture and factory trade is likely to 

 increase right along, for stocks bought early in the year are about used up. 



COLUMBUS 



strength is the chief feature of the hardwood trade in central Ohio 

 territory. Buying is active both by manufacturing establishments and the 

 retail trade, and in fact orders are pretty evenly divided between the two. 

 The volume of business is generally satisfactory and future prospects are 

 considered bright. Shippers and manufacturers believe that the trade 

 will continue to show firmness for some months to come. 



Factories making furniture, boxes and implements are the best cus- 

 tomers. Mill workers are also buying actively and all lines of consump- 

 tion are still in the market. Retail stocks are not large and some of them 

 are considerably broken. Retailers are buying mostly for present needs 

 and are showing very little tendency to accumulate stocks. Receipts are 

 not large, due largely to the car shortage, which is holding up deliveries. 



Shippers estimate the car supply at about 65 per cent of requirements. 

 Prices are firm at the levels which have prevailed for some time. No 

 cutting of prices to force trade is reported. Every change has been 

 toward higher levels. Rural dealers are fair buyers, as there is consider- 

 able activity in building operations in farming sections. Building is 

 progressing satisfactorily, as labor troubles are only minor. Fair weather 

 is stimulating building, which will go forward for some time. Quartered 

 and plain oak are both strong and there is a good demand for poplar 

 stocks. Other hardwoods rule firm. 



EVANSVILLE 



Hardwood lumber manufacturers of southern Indiana and Illinois and 

 western and northern Kentucky report trade quite active and a good many 

 orders and inquiries coming in lately. Many mills in this section are being 

 operated steadily, the log situation having improved a great deal during 

 the past month. Log prices are the highest ever known in this section. 

 Lumber prices have been steady and while there has been a tendency for 

 some of the grades to drop, the best grades are holding firm. Many of 

 the grades are scarce. Hickory has been short for some time, vehicle 

 manufacturers reporting that they are not able to get all the stock 

 needed. Plain and quartered white oak has been strong for several 

 months past and many mills report stocks about depleted. Gum is strong 

 and for some time furniture manufacturers have been buying in liberal 

 quantities. Furniture plants in Evansville. Owensboro and Henderson, 

 Ky.. Jasper and Tell City, Ind., are being operated on steady time and 

 many manufacturers say they never saw such rosy prospects for trade 

 and in many instances they are fully one hundred per cent behind in 

 their orders. Chair and table manufacturers also, report a fine trade. 

 Box factories are being operated on a better schedule than they were two 

 and three months ago. The retail lumber trade is fairly active and sash 

 and door men report better business than last year. Building operations 

 in this city for September showed a big increase over the corresponding 

 month of last year. General trade conditions are sound. Crop conditions 

 are fairly promising. Plow manufacturers say reports from the South 

 and Southwest are encouraging. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



The present unsettled conditions throughout the state has had so far 

 very little effect on the hardwood market, notwithstanding the fact that 

 other departments of the lumber trade have felt the consequences brought 

 about by the industrial upheaval in the steel world. High prices rule the 



