Published In the Interest of Hard^'ood Lumber, American Hardwood Forests, Wood Veneer Industry, Hardvi^ood Flooring, 

 Hardwood Interior Finish. Wood Chemicals, Saw Mill and WoodworKing Machinery. 



Vol. XXI. 



CHICAGO. JANUARY 25, 1906. 



No. 7. 



Published on the 10th and 25th of each month ty 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



Henry H. Gibson. President 



Frank W. TUTTLE. Sec-Treas. 



OFFICES 



Sixth Floor Ellsworth BIdg., 355 Dearborn St., Chicago, 111., U.S.A. 



Telephones; Harrison 4960 Automatic 5659 



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 Entered at Chicago Postoffice as Second Class Matter. 



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 publication date. Advertising rates on application. 



Meeting Dimension Stock Association. 



The next meeting of the Hardwood Dimen- 

 sion Association will be held at the Grand Hotel, 

 Cincinnati, Wednesday and Thursday, February 

 21 and 22. 



At this time details of the organization will 

 be completed and work of great interest to hard- 

 wood dimension producers will be inaugurated. 



Change in Date of Annual of National Hard= 

 wood Lumber Association. 



The dates of the annual meeting of the Na- 

 tional Hardwood Lumber Association have been 

 changed to Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4, 

 with headquarters at the Gayoso Hotel, Mem- 

 phis. This change was necessary owing to the 

 fact that the Locomotive Engineers of America 

 had secured an earlier reservation of all the hotel 

 accommodations between the dates of May 9 

 and 21. 



General Market Conditions. 



With many varieties of hardwoods iu short supply there is a 

 marked impulse on the part of manufacturers to advance prices 

 on such items to a point that will retard rather than stimu- 

 late a normal volume of business. The conditions of the market 

 today are such that the future is a problem to the manufacturer, 

 a puzzle to the wholesaler, and rather hopeless to the consumer. 



I ' I - - 1, -jaree and high priced, while others are plentiful 



at low values and with little demand. This situation makes the fu- 

 ture quite uncertain. This second wave of prosperity over the coun- 

 tr_v seems to be stirring up the labor classes in an ardent desire to 

 share in what appears to them the vast profits of manufacturers and 

 merchants, and the cost of labor added to the increased cost of ma- 

 terial is now so high that people who would naturally continue large 

 building operations are inclined to delay them until the possibility 

 of lower cost may obtain. 



The general buOding woods have gone much higher iu proportion 

 than the majority of hardwoods. It is thought that the present high 

 plane of white pine, hemlock, long and short-leaf pine and North 

 Carolina pine values are likely to be shaded somewhat before spring, 

 and comparatively few buyers are placing orders for future de- 

 livery. 



In all hardwoods, where high prices now obtain, there is not one 

 item where the price based on cost and scarcity would seem to be un- 

 duly high, but there is always the menace to extraordinary values 

 in that they retard buying and consumption. It is well to guard 

 against this tendency, and the hardwood trade can exercise no bet- 

 ter judgment than to employ conservatism in not raising prices at 

 this ordinarily slow time of consumption to a very much higher 

 figure. 



On the other hand, there are sundry hardwoods, notably gum, 

 maple, birch, beech, elm and basswood, that are relatively low priced, 

 and under natural conditions should command considerably more 

 money. 



While there is nothing in the market situation to warrant anxiety 

 about the future, stUl this note of warning is sounded that conserva- 

 tism may prevail in the best interest of the trade. 



Undeniably oak is in very short supply and will remain so for a 

 good while to come, and the prices at which it is sold today are 

 not unduly high. The same is true of many of the minor southern 

 hardwoods. Red gum, from its intrinsic merits, especially the good 

 end, should command a much higher price, and this statement is also- 

 true of maple, birch and basswood. Poplar and Cottonwood have now 

 attained a very fair basis of value, which they will both probably 

 maintain. On the whole, one cannot look on the situation in other 

 than an optimistic way, but it will be wise for lumbermen to go 

 slowly on immediate material advances in price schedules. 



Convention of Hardwood Dimension Association. 



As noted at the head of the editorial columns of this issue of the 

 Haedwood Record a meeting of the Hardwood Dimension Associa- 

 tion and all others interested in the present or prospective manufac- 

 ture of hardwood dimension material will be held at the Grand hotel, 

 Cincinnati, on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 21 and 22. This meet- 

 ing will be presided over by Edward L. Davis, presiijent of the asso- 

 ciation, and from the pledges of persons interested, there is an 

 assured attendance of representatives of at least a hundred and fifty 

 concerns. At this meeting steps will be taken to elucidate the best 

 methods to be employed in the production of hardwood dimension of 

 all varieties; the best systems of seasoning the stock wUl be ex- 

 plained; standard sizes and grades will be formulated, and a just 

 basis of values suggested. 



Much interest is attached to this forthcoming meeting of hard- 

 wood dimension producers over the fact that the Hardwood Manu- 



