lO 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



raercial endeavor. The great work that has been accompHshecT in 

 the lumber industry during the past few years, through the medium 

 of associations, is now a matter of history. In these organizations 

 it is just as true that the individual intellect is no more powerful 

 than it was in the early history of the trade, but most lumbermen 

 now recognize that their associations furnisli a platform from which 

 things can be accomplished that were hitlierto impossible. It is 

 equally true that the war and bitterness of lumber commerce 

 arose from a misunderstanding and from a failure of the members 

 of one branch of the industry to appreciate those engaged in an- 

 other. It is further true that the cure for commercial misunder- 

 standing is acquaintance and the cultivation of good relations and 

 friendship. 



Mahogany. 



The trade situation in mahogany, the most important foreign 

 wood that enters into consumption in the United States, is but 

 comparatively little understood by the average lumberman. 



Until a few years ago the limited quantity of mahogany used in 

 this country came very largely through Liverpool brokers to the 

 Xew York market and was there sawn into lumber. Its use was 

 almost entirely confined to the East. Tirst and foremost it was 

 regarded as a precious wood and the price obtained for it, as com- 

 pared with present day values, was enormous. 



The splendid ph}-sical qualities of this wood attracted the atten- 

 tion of a good many astute lumbermen, and during the past decade 

 numerous individuals and companies have entered upon the direct 

 purchase of timber or forests in Central America, South America 

 and Africa, with the intent to broaden the field of production and 

 to make direct importations. The path of adventurers into mahog- 

 any enterprises has been strewn with failures. There probably 

 have not been half a dozen successful ones of any importance in 

 this line of commercial industry. A few of these people have 

 eitlier made money or had the reputation of making it in large 

 quantities. Since that time, notwithstanding the history of the 

 trade, numerous legitimately founded financial enterprises, or wild- 

 cat ones, have entered into the business. 



Primarily, the only large consumption of solid wood in mahogany 

 has been in the construction of railway passenger coaches. The 

 next largest demand has been in the making of furniture, but the 

 wily furniture producer in the making of "mahogany" furniture 

 has employed only a modicum of the real article, and has substi- 

 tuted many portions of his goods with birch and other woods 

 stained in the similitude of the genuine. It is therefore an axiom 

 of the mahogany trade that when car building is dull, the mahogany 

 trade is dull. 



To make a long story short, the imports of mahogany logs wliicli 

 have been very largely converted into lumber, have grown in the 

 last decade from about 20,000,000 feet to approximately 50,000,000 

 feet, and the consuming demand has not kept pace with production. 

 The result is that mahogany is slow of sale, that there is probably 

 two years' normal stock on hand, and that mahogany has reached 

 a stage where in relative value it is the lowest priced wood in the 

 United States. 



To the mahogany man of this country there are just two horns 

 to the dilemma: he must either restrict his business or must needs 

 widen the consumption of the wood. From the fact that several 

 of the most important of these enterprises today have millions 

 of dollars involved in great propositions on cither side of the 

 equator, it is going to bo pretty difficult for them to curtail their 

 operations without sustaining immense losses. On the other 

 hand, it would seem to the Hahdwoou Hecokd a comparatively 

 easy proposition to educate the general public to the fact that 

 mahogany is no longer a precious wood; that, while it ranks very 

 high in character, it can be sold almost siile by side with American 

 oak for the making of doors and interior finish for high-class public 

 and private liuiMings; that it can be sold more generally for the 

 making of furniture and for an infinity of other uses for which 

 oak and other of the best American woods arc now used. If 

 mahogany men would save their bacon, they must needs enter upon 

 such a cam[iaign. 



What American lumber trade papers have accomplished in the 

 past for cypress, maple flooring and gum can be done for mahogany, 

 and the business can be placed upon a satisfactory commercial basis 

 in this country, doubling in volume the present import of this wood. 



Overproduction of Coffins. 



It is alleged that the culliii :nid i-:isket uiaiuilMcturing outimt of the 

 Uuited States is considerably in excess of the demand. Fortu- 

 nately, or unfortunately, as it is viewed from the light of the manu- 

 facturer or from that of the consunior, the demand for coffins cannot 

 legitimately be increased. 



There are 163 manufacturers of coffins of various capacities in 

 this country. Nineteen of these manufacture 375,000 coffins and 

 caskets each year; 30 manufacture 300,000; 114 manufacture (51 ",000, 

 making a total of 1,347,000 coffins and caskets made annually in the 

 United States. 



An abstract of the mortality table of the twelfth census of the 

 United States shows that the total deaths for the preceding twelve 

 months were approximately 1,238,000. These figures would indicate 

 that the output of coffins and caskets is more than 100,000 in excess 

 of the demand. And the weakness in this commercial pursuit is such 

 that the public cannot be induced to increase their purchases by 

 the use of any of the mediums successfully practiced to stimulate 

 trade in other industries. It would therefore seem that there are 

 coffin manufacturers enough in the United States to fully take care 

 of the needs of the trade, and that the building of additional fac- 

 tories at the present time either presages financial loss to the inves- 

 tors, or the failure of some of the older concerns. 



Five years ago government statistics showed that there were $14,- 

 585,162 invested in the casket manufacturing business, ' and the 

 annual value of tlie product was slightly- in excess of the total capital 

 invested. 



It is undoubtedly true that the production of this class of mer- 

 chandise for years past has been quite a little in excess of the de- 

 mand, with the result that manufacturers have either been obliged to 

 do business at a very slight margin of profit, or meet with financial 

 loss. 



The foregoing facts are outlined at this time in the Hardwood 

 Eecokd as numerous cities in their overzealous attempts to induce the 

 locating of new industries fail to estimate with care the possible suc- 

 cess of any institution which they may choose to financially aid; 

 but, unheeding, take on and subsidize factories that are presaged 

 to failure before they are ever started. 



A Dimension Stock Convention. 



There is so much interest nuinifestcd bj' producers of hardwood 

 dintcnsion material over the proposed convention in that interest 

 that the IIakdwood Uecobd is safe in making the announcement 

 that a convention will be called in the city of Chicago about 

 November 21 for the purpose of forming a hardwood dimension 

 stock association. This convention will have for its objects an 

 analysis of cost of the production of dimension material, establish- 

 ing just grades, and an attempt to educate producers to a just 

 value of their product. The date of this meeting is not yet definitely 

 named, but it is hoped that the date may bo announced in the 

 Hakdwood Rkcokd of November 10. Those interested in tliis 

 movement who wish to participate are invited to send their 

 addresses to this office so tliat they may be notified of the exact 

 time of the meeting. 



Lifting of the Quarantine. 



The glad news lias come tliat tlie i|uarantine in the south country, 

 which iias prevailed for nearly three months, has been lifted. This 

 unfortunate calamity, traceable in part to actual yellow fever epi- 

 demic, but more largely to the scare incident to it, has cost the 

 South an inestimable sum. Lumbermen have been special sufferers, 

 owing to the fact that output lias been greatly curtailed, since 

 it has been impossible to make sliipments; and the embargo laid 

 agninct getting cither in or out of llic South has rendered it imjiossible 

 for buyers to visit the territory. The visit of I'rcsident Kooscvclt 

 to this formerly infected district during the lust few days will aid 

 materially in immediately reopening business. 



