56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



hut the showing for October was fairly salisfac 

 fory and compared favoral>ly with the same 

 month of hist year. I'lain oak. maple and birch 

 are still among the woods most in demand, deal- 

 ers predicting higher prices for maple and regard 

 it as a wood that has been selling too low, con- 

 sidering the growing demand for it. and i« 

 getting nearer to its approximate vaUie. Ash 

 and chestnut are in fair demand and elm is 

 getting its share of attention. Basswood con 

 tinnes quiet. 



PHILADELPHIA 



There is no appreciable change In the hard 

 wood situation in the last fortnight, and it is 

 the general opinion that none of a positive char- 

 acter may be expected until after .January. 191i'. 

 Stocks of the better grades are well controlled 

 and the manufacturers avoid piling up their 

 .vards until demand improves. Buying continues 

 from hand-to-mouth and for immediate needs. 

 i5n account of car shortage in many quarters, 

 tlie shipping of goods is subject to more or less 

 delay. A greater activity in the eastern textile 

 mills of late has been of benefit to the box 

 makers, whose business has been considerably 

 interrupted for some time. There has baen a 

 drop in sales in the boot and shoe factories, how- 

 ever, owing to a raise In prices, which naturally 

 will affect the box man and the box lumber. 

 Building work is gradually falling off, and 

 although supply houses are still rushed, it is on 

 old contracts which will keep them busy well 

 into the winter months. Other hardwood con 

 suming industries are moving along evenly, but 

 purchases are of a compulsory nature rather 

 than from any inclination to stock up. It is 

 the belief that no one cares to increase the pile 

 before the tirtie of stocktaking, but whatever the 

 intention, stocks remain low, and replenishing 

 will no doubt be necessary after the first of the 

 new year 



PITTSBURGH 



FSailroads are buying more lumber and paying 

 better prices than for some time, factory trade 

 is improving. Government work is calling for 

 large requisitions of big hardwood sticks. The 

 market for furniture stuff is opening up as fast 

 as the manufacturers consume the stocks that 

 had accumulated before the strike. Ties are 

 selling actively. Yards are buying stock only 

 as they need it. I'riccs are much firmer than 

 at any time since last spring. Only the low- 

 grade lumber is accumulating. All good stock 

 finds a ready market or is being held by manu- 

 facturers pending better business conditions 

 generally. 



BOSTON 



This market Is still unsatisfactory. Some 

 dealers have had a fair volume of business but 

 they admit that they have been obliged to work 

 harder than ever before to bring about this re- 

 sult. Salesmen who travel outside of New Eng- 

 land appear to be getting more inquiries for 

 stock than are coming In unsolicited from nearby 

 trade. This may be due to the fact that the 

 distant trade is not worked as hard as that 

 nearer home. During the last few days there 

 have been more inquiries for the higher priced 

 hardwoods but no large demand Is reported. 

 Prices In most Instances continue well held, even 

 though demand Is not brisk. Buyers continue 

 to substitute the lower grades where they can. 

 The consuming manufacturers generally are 

 moderately busy. A few of the chair manu- 

 facturers have bci-n doing a large business and 

 have been obliged to work overtime to keep up 

 with their orders, I'lano manufacturers arc 

 fairly busy. 



Till- <:ill !ir plain oak is moderate. Manufac- 

 turers are holding prices fairly well. Quartered 

 oak. especially inch stock, is still easy and in 

 large offering. A little better Inquiry has been 

 reported for 1 'i and IVj inch stock. Poplar 

 is held with more firmness. A few w'eeks ago 

 some sales were made at marked coticessions. 

 which led to llic belief that prices would be 

 lower, but the market is again steady. .\sh has 

 been moving_slowly of kilo. One dealer reports 

 more call for cherry 



BALTIMORE 



An appreciable improvement in business ap 

 pears to have set in and most of the hardwood 

 manufacturers and dealers are hopeful regarding 

 the outlook. In some directions an advance in 

 prices has also taken place, especially in oak. 

 some grades of which are materially higher tlian 

 they were last spring. Increasing Interest in 

 export stocks is manifested, wliicli is attributed 

 to reduced supplies not less lliaii to an expan- 

 sion in reqirements. Under the conditions thai 

 prevailed during a largo part of the year the 

 shipments fell off until they ceased to keep pace 

 with the distribution, the result being that stocks 

 were gradually reduced until they seemed inade- 

 quate to meet probable wants, with an actual 

 famine in prospect. This made foreign buyers 

 disposed to raise their bids and also influenced 

 them to relax somewhat their rigid i-equire- 

 nieiits. which the shijipers found Iheniselves 

 unable to meet. Tlie larger forwardings have 

 relieved the pressure at home to a material ex- 

 lent. Domestic demand also is increasing, and 

 prices are advancing. High grade wide poplar 

 still fails to bring the returns which producers 

 think such stock should bring, but the lower 

 grades are in good request, with the quotations 

 .iust a little higher than during a part of the 

 summer. The competition at producing points 

 is less active of late, which helps the wholesaler, 

 who is enabled to secure his supplies at lower 

 figures, while he is able to place them on slightly 

 better terms. Stocks are relatively small. No 

 extensive accumulations exist in any direction, 

 and oak and other hardwoods are moving with 

 sufficient freedom to take up the output of 

 mills. 



COLUMBUS 



Little change has taken place in prices lu 

 central Ohio during the last fortnight. There is 

 a steady demand from the yards and from 

 manufacturers, although neither are buying 

 ahead, the policy being to buy only for imme- 

 diate needs and wait for satisfactory (piotations. 

 One of the best features Is the bcllcr demand 

 from furniture factories. Retailers ai'e buying 

 steadily but moderately, although their stocks 

 arc very short throughout the territory covered 

 by Columbus .iobbers and inanufacturiTs. Favor- 

 able weather has aided building operations and 

 the deuiaiid for finish and flooring stocks has 

 been brisk. There Is a sc-arilty in the supply of 

 hardwood flooring and one lobber announces a 

 general advance of $:i a thousand on oak. 



Prices have ruled firm In every grade and the 

 Indications are that they will so continue. Re- 

 ports show a good demand for the lower grades, 

 although the better grades am sdll the more 

 active. 



CINCINNA Tl 



(VindiiloiiH in (Ills market are fairly satis- 

 factory, although operatorB regard biislness- as 

 sflll below normal. Furniture manufacturers are 

 buying more freely, but mostly In small lots. 

 Lack of confidence in conditions Is in evidence 

 among consuming manufacturers, which causes 

 conservative buying, but as eollccllons are good 

 II is thoughl that conditions will soon become 



iinrmal. linmand for oak in ilie manufacturers' 

 grades is active, the sales being mostly of com- 

 mon and better In quarter-sawed oak, and little 

 inquiry for highly figured stuff'. Plain oak, white 

 and red. good, dry stock, is somewhat scarce. 

 Ones and twos of liotb iiuart'-r-sawed and plain 

 oak are in a light demand. The call is prin- 

 cipally for red and ri'd and white mixed. Ileavy 

 oak timbers, car stock and ties are in good de- 

 mand. Chestnut is moving very well, and de- 

 mand for manufacturers' grades is brisk. In- 

 c|ulry for long ones and twos Is fair. Rough, 

 heavy and low grades are in fair demand. Red 

 gum. top grades, is In fair demanil, with active 

 inquiry from the furnilurf trade. Saps and 

 common are in brisk demand, with a shortage of 

 supply indicated. Ash for furniture and wagon 

 stock is in steady call. Heavy white ash is In 

 fair movement to the wagon trade. Stocks are 

 in fair shape to meet present demands. Hick- 

 ory continues to move steadll.v to the wheel and 

 shaft trade, hut the supply is scarcely equal to 

 the demand, "a good deal of stock presented not 

 being satisfactory. Mnmifactiirers' grades of 

 poplar is moving fairly, and there is a fair de- 

 mand for box boards. Panel stock is in fan- 

 demand. Wide auto stock is plentiful and some 

 sales are being made, but prices are low and 

 very unsatisfactory. Basswood, cottonwood, 

 buckeye and otiier hardwoods are in fair move- 

 ment. Buying for export trade is fair, and there 

 is a good demand for oak boards. Walnut Is 

 moving fairly. Ash is in good demand. Red 

 gum is receiving fair attention. Walnut logs for 

 export are scarce and demand active. 



TOLEDO 



.\lmost everything In the hnnhvood line Is 

 quieting down, and the movement generally is 

 low. Local stocks are well filled and dealers 

 are buying uolhing except lo fill in. There has 

 been but little export demand recently and ship- 

 ments have been curtailed somewhat. Furniture 

 plants have bought considerable hardwood and 

 are finding a fair demand for tlieir output, and 

 other manufacturing concerns are operating to 

 some extent, but there is little life in the trade. 

 Plain oak is moving fairl.v well at about ,'?.'i,t. 

 and the quarler-sawed is selling at .$","> to $78. 

 Hickory Is In some dcniand from bending con- 

 <eriis. and the scarcity holds prices well up. Id 

 fact, all hardwood prices are well maintained, 

 but it would not come as a surprise If there 

 should soon be some decline in some lines. Box 

 materials are plentiful and the demand is drop- 

 ping off somewhat. The building end of the busi- 

 ness is holding up and there is still a largp 

 amount of building business which will furnish 

 a market for hardwoods all winter. Indications 

 point lo an early spring opening if weather per- 

 mits, as many large contracts have been signed 

 for the coming of the new season. Railways 

 .'ire handling all shipments promptly. 



MEMPHIS 



Demand for hardwood lumber Is moderately 

 active, but prices show little change. There Is- 

 a striking absence of big orders but a majority 

 of the trade are kept reasonably busy, and the 

 aggregate turnover Is large enough to keep the 

 trade In good humor and extensive enough to- 

 .lustlfy nianufactm-lng on a somewhat larger 

 scale than has been wllnessed at this time for 

 sevi-ral years. Producllon has been full the last 

 few weeks and there has been practically no- 

 Increase In stock, which shows that the offtake 

 Is approximately as large as the output of the 

 mills In this city and section. Demand for plain 

 oak, red and while. Is very good and prices arc 

 well maintained. Quartered red oak Is bringing 

 fair prices and Is In moderale call, but there is 

 sllll complaliil regarding the slowm-ss of quar- 

 tered white OS well as regarding the compara- 

 tively low prices obtainable therftor. There I* 



