32 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



he will be able to in a little while and he there- 

 fore refuses to make concessions to meet the 

 views of buyers. 



A gratifying feature is the improvement in 

 the foreign demand as reflected in Increasing 

 inquiries for American hardwoods and a larger 

 volume of business in that direction. The in- 

 quiries are mostly for thin quarter-sawed white 

 oak, inch and thicker plain white oak, inch and 

 thicker ash and thin firsts and seconds red 

 gum and clear saps. Prices offered from abroad 

 are better than they have been for some time 

 and some of the trade are of opinion that the 

 tide has turned and that the excellent domestic 

 call for lumber is to he supplemented by a larger 

 demand from abroad. 



Plain oak continues exceptionally strung and 

 shipments arc as large as the limited ofiferlngs 

 will allow. Quarter-sawed white oak is improv- 

 ing in tone, thouirh there is no betterment noted 

 in quarter-sawed red, for which the call con- 

 tinues only moderate. Ash is in good de- 

 mand in all grades and cypress continues a read}- 

 seller. Prices on both of these woods are quite 

 satisfactory. There is furtlier improvement noted 

 in the demand for gum and it is beginning to 

 dawn upon buyers that the supply of gum lumber 

 is by no means large. Prices, too. are slightl.v 

 better. Cottonwood is in urgent request. There 

 are very few box boards to be had .and prices 

 received for them are from $5 to ?7 per thou 

 sand above what they were less than six months 

 ago. There Is a dearth of wide firsts and sec- 

 onds and prices on these have enhanced sharply. 

 Common and cull cottonwood, owing to the large 

 box shook business, is in active demand at high- 

 er prices. There is a pronounced scarcity in 

 Jill grades and everything favors the producer. 



Allied industries are in excellent condition 

 and this fact, coupled with the wonderful pros 

 pcrity now prevailing, the phenomenal amouui 

 of building in progress, and the scarcity of lum 

 ber throughout the South, makes the outlook for 

 the year appear strikingly good to the average 

 lumbermen here, while to some the prospects are 

 more roseate than they have been for a number 

 of years. 



Kansas City. 



While it is too early to predict with certainty 

 what the trade for the spring will be, every 

 thing points to great activity and a steady de 

 mand for all kinds and grades of hardwoods. 

 Locally the situation is exceptionally good. Last 

 year was a record breaker in building at Kansas 

 Cit.v. but architects and contractors say that 

 present Indications point to even greater activity 

 this year. When It comes to the general de 

 mand for factory stock, railroad material, etc.. 

 the whole.salers give It as their opinion that the 

 activity which characterized the business of the 

 past few months of 1005 will conlinue for an in 

 definite period, and that the demand will con- 

 tinue In excess of the supply for prompt delivery 

 for several months. 



The price situation is good from the viewpoint 

 of the wholesaler and manufacturer. No year 

 has closed with the markets so generally sus- 

 tained as did 1905, and contrary to the usual 

 experience the markets grew stronger as the yeai- 

 drew to a close. Prices arc firmer now than they 

 were a couple of weeks ago, and the tendency Is 

 upward on some kinds of lumber, and there Is 

 no sign of approaching weakness on anything In 

 the hardwood line. Plain oak Is at a record 

 price, $40 per thousand having been asked for 

 this stock f. n. b. the mill within the past week. 

 Louisiana cypress has advanced on most Items 

 of uppers within the past thirty days and Ark- 

 ansas cypress Is following this advance. I'oplnr. 

 gum and ash all show an upward tendency. All 

 wholesale centers report the greatest firmness 

 all along the line, and It Is the opinion of well 

 posted hardwood people here and elsewhere that 

 Indications point to further advances In the near 

 future. 



The situation from tho ufn,i.)...,i r ^'blf. 



ments and ability to handle business promptly 

 has never been more unsatisfactory, and the out- 

 look from the buyer's standpoint is not at all 

 encouraging. The southern mills were handi- 

 capped by bad weather for fully eight mouths of 

 last year. They did not get well started until 

 about .\ugust, and from that time have not been 

 able to keep even with orders, let alone pile up 

 stock for future consumption. During December 

 the mills were handicapped by more or less bad 

 weather, and from now on they cannot figure to 

 run with any certainty. Mill stocks in shipping 

 condition amount to practically nothing, and 

 stocks of green lumber are lighter than ever 

 before at this time of year, while with most mills 

 the larger part of the lumber in pile is already 

 contracted for. It is estimated conservatively 

 that mill stocks are thirty percent lighter than 

 a year ago. With the exception of a few of the 

 larger plants, the mills have no logs ahead to 

 speak of and enter the new year in poor shape 

 to handle an active demand. To add to the 

 troubles of the mill men, the car shortage which 

 started in several months ago seems to have 

 grown worse as the year advanced. The railroad 

 companies liave been promising that this month 

 there would be an improvement, but up to date 

 this improvement is not apparent, and the hard- 

 wood people here .'ook for slow shipments and 

 slow delivery of cars after leaving the mills 

 through January at least, and possibly for the 

 next two or three months. The mills that cut 

 railroad stock are loaded up with orders for 

 months ahead, and some firms have contracted 

 for all the stock they can get out for from six 

 to nine mouths. Xo one in the manufacturing 

 end of the business is anxious for more new 

 business at present and the mill men who are 

 abreast of the times and posted on the markets 

 are demanding and getting more for their stock 

 tlian ever before. 



Summing up the situation briefly, there will 

 be no weak spots in the hardwood market dur- 

 ing the winter or early spring, and any changes 

 in price in the near future will be in the way 

 of advances. The demand is not going to be 

 fully supplied if the buyers are in a hurry for 

 their stock, and the wise ones will place their 

 orders a long time in advance of their needs. 

 Wholesalers will have all the business they can 

 take care of for the next few months and will 

 have to decline considerable trade, as stocks in 

 the wholesale yards are low and poorly as.sorled 

 as a rule, and shipments from the mills will 

 be slow for an indefinite period. 



Minneapolis. 



The inventory season is on, and the ijast two 

 weeks have been a period of comparative quiet. 

 The market has not been as dull as usual during 

 the hollda.vs, however. The factories are begin- 

 ning the year with light stocks, and most of 

 them have a good line of business In prospect, 

 so they will necessarily be in the market right 

 along. The city trade In flooring holds up well, 

 but there Is hardly anything coming from the 

 retail yards outside. They are making inquiries, 

 however, as to prices and stocks of flooring, 

 siding, wagon stock and other yard materials, 

 and will be sending In orders within a month foi' 

 their spring trade. 



Birch seems to be the leading seller, as far 

 as volume of business goes. The upper grades 

 are going fast and are largely taken by manu- 

 facturers of Interior finish and furniture. An 

 advance In prices Is looked for before spring. 

 Jmw grade stock Is taken to some extent still 

 by veneer door makers. liasswood uppers are 

 not active, and the supply Is still ample. Bass- 

 wood culls are stiff In price and not very plen- 

 tiful, as the box trade Is turning from white 

 pine to a large extent and stocking up on this 

 wood, which affords a better grade board for 

 the same price. There Is practically no northern 

 oak In the market, and a dealer starting out the 

 other day to buy culls was surprised to find no 

 cnnsidernble stock even of that. .Southern oak 



is selling well and its principal demand now 

 comes from car shops, where they are short of 

 material for making repairs, and are having 

 considerable trouble to get what they need. 



Ash Is practically exhausted and what there is 

 left is being held at fancy prices. Refrigerator 

 factories and other users of ash are forced to 

 look for substitutes. Kock elm has been used 

 so extensively of late as a substitute for oak 

 that it is also becoming scarce, but there is a 

 good supply of soft elm in sight. 



The recent snow storm is reported to have put 

 the woods in first rate shape for logging, and 

 operators are all busy, being anxious to get their 

 mills in operation soon and take advantage of 

 the scarcity predicted for next spring and sum- 

 mer. 



Louisville. 



In reviewing the hardwood market here It 

 may be said that gum is the most remarkable 

 feature. Strange as it may seem, enormous quan- 

 tities have been and are being used right along, 

 and yet it continues to drag in price. This may 

 be accounted for in part by the fact that the 

 heavy volume of gum consumed is being used by 

 virtue of its cheapness, especially in the pack- 

 ing box trade and among the furniture factories. 

 But this does not prevent some wonder that 

 gum manufacturers have not taken more pains 

 with their stock and striven to get better prices 

 for it. The use in high-grade gum for face 

 woods is increasing and the .scope broadening all 

 the time, but more effort in pushing the wood is 

 necessary. There is need for an awakening 

 among the mill men, especially in the South, 

 who cut a fine quality of gum logs and sell the 

 lumber mill-run for no better prices than can be 

 had for common sap. Box factories will give 

 as much for, and frequently prefer, common sap 

 to mill-run, which gives gum manufacturers an 

 opportunity to get something out of their up- 

 pers, an opportunity that is being steadily 

 neglected. 



In oak deliveries are a little slow in some 

 lines, because of the ditficulty of hauling on 

 country roads and the scarcity of cars. The 

 demand is good and prices have not only in- 

 creased materially this winter, but the tendency 

 continues upward. The same Is true of poplar, 

 while In chestnut the demand easily exceeds the 

 supply. 



JANNEV = WHITINQ LUMBER COMPANY 



Wllol.l -.AM-. C.\sH lU'Vl KS 111- 



SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN WHITE PINEAND HARD- 

 WOODS, SQUARES, BALUSTER STOCK, ETC. 

 Yard and Oifice 1 151 Beach St. Pier 52 North Wharves 

 PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



WHITING MANUFACTURING COMPANY 



wani:factiikkhs op 

 BAND SAWN STOCK WIDTHS IN 

 HARDWOODS AND WHITE PINE 



ABINODON, 



VIPOINIA 



[cottonwood 



GUM and HARDWOODS 



SPAEPCKELEICHT LUMBER CO. 



Mills: 



Ciiiro, III. 

 Miirketl Tree. Ark. 

 ArlmriNaa City, Ark. 

 Hlythevllle. Ark. 

 CJrccnville, Miss. 



General Offices: 



Tribune Buildinii, 



CHICAGO 



•^ 



