December 25. 1916 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



47 



things in shape for the new year. Business has lieeu, however, moving 

 along all right and all iip-town mills report that they have been getting 

 a fair lot ot business. Manufacturers are of the opinion that there will 

 be sharp advances in prices on some grades of lumber after the first of 

 the year. Walnut continues in good demand, but plain quartered white 

 oak has not been so active during the past month. The call for the 

 low grades of poplar has been strong and river mills continue to get 

 many inquiries for quartered sycamore. Ash is fair, elm is very strong, 

 and cherry and beech are moving along fairly well. The various box 

 and automobile factories have been buying Cottonwood in considerable 

 quantities during the past few weeks. Collections are good. Many 

 inquiries for export business are being received by the local manufac- 

 turers. Wood consuming factories are being operated on full time and 

 have been buying up a great deal of gum which continues in brisk de- 

 mand. The general opinion of lumber manufacturers and owners of wood 

 consuming factories in this section is that trade will start off all right 

 with the beginning of the new year. General trade conditions are very 

 good. Building operations are fairly active and most of the planing 

 mills are being operated on steady time. Sash and door men report 

 good trade. Many of the plow factories in Evansville are running extra 

 time. Wagon and carriage manufacturers report a live trade. Table, 

 desic and chair factories are doing a nice business. 



=■< NASHVILLE >= 



Considering all conditions Nashville hardwood dealers have wound up 

 a very satisfactory year for 1916. Business has shown marked improve- 

 ment throughout the year, and was moving most satisfactorily up to the 

 time of the big car shortage that came during the latter half of the year. 

 Prices have been fairly well maintained. Stocks are now much below 

 the average for the end of the year, and Nashville dealers look forward 

 to 1917 with optimism, and predict that business will hold good during the 

 year. Good demand and better values are predicted by some of the 

 strongest men in the trade. The year closed with the usual holiday 

 quietness. The car shortage continues to be a factor of important propor- 



tions. 



=-< LOUISVILLE y. 



Unless all signs fail business in 1017 will be as large as if not larger than 

 it was in 1916, which has undoubtedly been a great season. It is the general 

 opinion that business will be good whether the war troubles are settled or 

 not. In case peace is declared a big export movement is looked forward to, 

 and in case war is continued it is thought that domestic demand will 

 continue good on account of the general prosperity of the country. At 

 present there is a big demand for all kinds of hardwood, mahogany and 

 walnut being especially active, and walnut buyers are busy scouring 

 the country for logs. Oak and poplar are stiffening in price and demand, 

 while gum continues, to feature sales. Cottonwood is scarce and hard 

 to obtain. The same condition applies to chestnut. Veneers and glued- 

 up stocks can hardly be supplied, the demand being so great. The best 

 feature of the December market has been that consumers of hardwoods 

 haye not slowed up in their buying, but are placing orders and a lot of 

 new business is being carried over into the new year, the usual invoicing 

 dullness so far having had no appreciable effect. The outlook is for a 

 steady run of good business during the early part of 1917, it is said. 



-=•< MILWAUKEE >= 



This is a season of the holiday vacation for the hardwood jobbers and 

 from now until the first of January but little business will be trans- 

 acted. Most of the industrial plants using lumber will be shut down 

 for the annual inventory and the holiday rest period, so that there will 

 be very little for the salesmen to do. The condition of the hardwood 

 market, however, has been very satisfactory up to now. Practically every 

 item has shown strength and a general advance of $1 in each is reported. 

 Buyers have been in the market for stocks to be delivered after the first 

 of the year, but in view of the possible further advance there are but few 

 offerings. 



It is expected that the shut-down period will do much to assist in 

 relieving the car situation. Railroads have placed embargoes on eastern 

 shipments, which have not only held back deliveries of lumber but have 

 tied up many more cars whicn are standing loaded on track with various 

 merchandise and material. During the next week or ten days while the 

 lumber industries are closed down, there is a chance of having a supply 

 of empty cars coming back from the East so that when operations are 

 resumed there will be cars available to ship goods from here. Rush 

 order shipments during the recent period have been routed in round- 

 abont ways in order to reach the destination. 



Lumber concerns which have undertaken logging operations in the 

 woods have been favored with ideal weather. The labor situation has 

 also been improved to some extent. There are more men available now, 

 although it is stated that the help is unsatisfactory. The high wages 

 paid have induced many men to work in the woods who are not experi- 

 enced and consequently not so capable as the regular lumberjack. There 

 is so much wqrk that the men are continually drifting from one camp to 

 another so that the foremen can hardly tell from day to day how many 

 *^meD will be on the job. 



EXPERIENCE 



has long been conceded the best teacher 

 and the warnings of experience the most 

 rehable. The experience of insurance me- 

 diums specializing on lumber manufactur- 

 ing plants is that 75% or more of the an- 

 nual FIRE LOSSES occur after the 

 middle of July. 



Therefore during the period of hot and dry 

 weather it is vitally important that the LUM- 

 BERMEN know that they are fully covered 

 with INSURANCE, on every division of their 

 properties. 



It will also be the part of wisdom to place this 

 coverage where it will bring the greatest re- 

 turns in FIRE PREVENTION SERVICE. 

 You will make no mistake if you place your in- 

 demnity to its full carrying capacity with 



The Lumbermen's 

 Underwriting Alliance 



U. S. EPPERSON UNDERWRITING COMPANY 



Attorney in Fact 

 1116 R. A. LONG BUILDING, KANSAS CITY, MO. 



Over 



One Million Dollars 



in savings has been returned its members by the 



Manufacturing 

 Lumbermen's Underwriters 



and there remains to the credit of members orer 



Nine Hundred Thousand 

 Dollars 



The membership, which is constantly increasing, 



is now composed of nearly four hundred and fifty of 

 the best saw mill plants in the country. Insurance in 

 force exceeds thirty-five million and nearly three 

 million dollars has been paid in losses. If you have 

 a first-class plant adequately protected and are inter- 

 ested in low cost fire insurance, correct policy forms, 

 an inspection service which may save you from a dis- 

 astrous fire, with the certainty of a prompt and 

 equitable adjustment in case loss does occur, and 

 wish a list of members and annual statement we will 

 be glad to hear from you. 



Rankin-Benedict Underwriting Co. 



HARRY B. CLARK Attorney in Fact 



WMtem Representative _ r^TT'tr »»/-» 



Portland. Ore. KANSAS CITY, MO. 



All Three of Us Will Be Benefited if You Mention HARDWOOD RECORD 



