28 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



hijjliclass hardwood dimcusiou material, and during the )iast few 

 months the requests are multiplied in number and in insistency. 

 Furniture manufacturers, c-hair manufacturers, office ai)pliance manu- 

 facturers and many others submit cutting Ijills of sizes that they 

 wish to purchase. One prominent buyer of this class of material, 

 which is a replica of many similar letters, writes that he has been 

 in correspondence with many houses whose addresses are listed with 

 Hardwood Record as manufacturers of dimension material, but has 

 had no results in securing a pennanent supply. The writer says 

 that if this were a matter of sporadic business, or the orders very 

 diflScult of jiroduction. he could understand it. but this is not the 

 case. Primarily he says he is in a position to dispose of any quan- 

 tity of dimension material, no matter how great, provided the wood 

 is of good quality and manufactured according to specifications. He 

 says that these specifications are stricter on grade than the inspec- 

 tion of firsts and seconds, and that the foreign market demands a 

 higher grade than the domestic market, but on the other hand, buyers 

 of dimension material are lenient in the matter nf lengths, and 

 are more lenient in the matter of measurement. 



In the making of dimension stock, sellers will be paid for the 

 stock on the basis of intervals of four inches in length, and minor 

 fractions in thickness and width. Thus a producer can achieve full 

 value for every foot of the grade furnished. The writer alleges that 

 there surely must be some serious-minded producers of oak and other 

 hardwoods in this country who are willing to undertake the whole- 

 sale production of dimension material. He further says that in the 

 matter of terms he will be willing to meet any reasonable demands 

 provided he is assured he can get exactly what he purchases, and if 

 necessary he will furnish the services of capable mill experts to 

 superintend the work of production. 



In connection with this correspondence the writer has submitted 

 a list of standard sizes of white oak dimension material, which 

 certainly is not made up of sirious items of ]iri»luction. A li.st of 

 these sizes is quoted lielow. 



White Oak First Grade 



Qr.\KTEHED : 



1". .") 4". Ci 4" iinil 2". !ivci:if.'c SI," til .si,(," Willi', 



i.'i pci* cent X,-l '.y to tj-l /IV. 



7.") per cent tlVj' and up lonfi. 

 l"i..HN ; 1". 1-1 ]("'. .")/4". l-:i/S". IVj". 1-.-, s" mill ■-'" lliirk. 



8 '4" to 8Vj" average wide. 



20 per cent 3-1/3' (o G-T/3', 



80 per cent (>%' and up Ion;,'. 

 QiAHTKKKii : 1". 2" thick. 10" and up. avpraKe 11 'j" In 1 L'" wiilr. 



ir, per cent 3-1/3' to 6-13'. 



85 per cent OM:' and up Ion;;. 

 Qi AUTKiiED : 3/8". ."i/8". %", 13/lG" thick, s" to .S', " nviTii;;e wide 



25 per cent 3-1/3' to (>-]/3'. 



75 per cent 6*^' and up loUR. 

 I'i..\in: 3/S". i) Hi", 5/8". 3/4" anil i:'. ir,". the same 



lengths and widtlis as the quartered, 

 iji AitTKitKI) : IVj" and 2" thick, 4%" to G-."v1(i" avera«e wide, 



25 per cent 3-1/3' to B-1/3'. 



75 per cent <!'/>' and up liiP!;. 

 grAiiTKKKo: %", '>/S". 3/4", 15/1(;" and 1" lliiek. 11" and up, 



average 12-2/3" wide, 0'4" to O'lo',/," Iohk. 

 QiAliTKHKi) Sruies : 1-1/Ki" thick, 3-!)/U!", 3-15/lG". 4-5/lt;", 4%". 



5-1/8", 5 Mi". 5-7/8". and G-o/lO" wide. 



3-1/3' and up, 5%' average long. 



Sun as to matters of specifications: This grade ;ill tii Ijc ol' lirst 

 quality, viz.: free from sap, knots, heart defect, wmiii iiiilcs, stain 

 or other defects; uniform in thickness; edges sawn jiarallel and 

 square, and measurements to involve intervals of '//' in widtii 

 anil ()" in length. All stock to be from three to four montliM' air- 

 dried. In this connection it is observeil that dimension stock must 

 have an ovcrmeasure of %" in dimension wlieti sawn green, so as 

 to measure full to size when air-dried. 



Hardwood Record is in possession of similar lists invulving numy 

 varieties of other woods, which are eagerly sought by scores of 

 buyers, and it .seems remarkable that in this day of overstock of 

 coarse grades of hardwoods, located at long dist.ances and mi liigli 

 freight rates from eventual consum|)lii)n, and at a liini' wlicii 

 every mauufaeturcr is harping on economies and efficiency in pro 

 ductioo, there are not some able ami broad-minded maniiiaituMMs 



who are willing to properly capitalize and undertake ciimprehensive 

 dimension production. 



With a well-organized sales department to enable dimension iiiaiiu 

 facturers to nuirket a large number of sizes, good No. - and 

 poorer hardwood lumber, and notably so if bought untrimmed and 

 unedged, will show a cutting value in excess of fifty per cent, and 

 will show a qualit.v of product that will command a price not 

 only in tlie markets of the United States, but abroad, in excess of 

 the value of firsts and seconds. It will not do to install a dimen- 

 sion plant of the peanut stand variety, because akin to a flooring 

 plant there are too mtiny kinds and sizes to be consiilered. It must 

 be a jilant of size, and an ordinary institution of this sort should be 

 figured on a capacity to cut into dimension stock at least two 

 hundred thousand feet of lumber daily. A dimension plant, even 

 of this size, does not involve a large capitalization either to cover 

 the cost of the plant itseir\)r of the raw material. 



The subject of qrganizing a comprehensive manufacturing in- 

 ilustry in dimension material is worthy of the consideration of 

 lumber manufacturers of Memphis and vicinity, and quite a num- 

 ber of other centers of hardwood production. In Memphis low- 

 grade lumber has been a drug on the market for years, and it has 

 reached a point where sawmill men in that city are not safe in 

 buying anything but the highest grade of logs, as the purchase 

 and manufacture of low-grade logs Invariably show a loss. The 

 hardwood industry of Memphis could be perpetuated for many 

 years if the low-grade lumber product could be marketed at even 

 cost. The present situation not only there, but at other lumber 

 centers, is such that the aggregate of the lumber manufacturing 

 business is rapidly going into a decline, unless some plan is worked 

 out to secure a logical disposition of low-grade lumber and log 

 output. 



LATE GLASGOW TRADE REPORT 



i;i;isaow, Niiv. :ii, itiii. 



Husines?i in this niarkel Is not what can be called brisk, although there 

 is a general tender.cv towai-ds improvement. Recent arrivals of hard- 

 woods have met with :i good reception, especially plain oak, sap gum 

 (hazel pine), and the lower grades of poplar. First and second plain 

 oak and poplar ai'e in \evy poor demand, the prices shippers ask not 

 being obtainable in this market; No. 1 common and No. 2 common 

 northern oak. 4/4" 5.4" 6/4" and 8 4" has sold ver.v well ex recent 

 arri\'ais. espec-ially 5/4" and 8/4". Soutliei'n oak sbijiped out from 

 New Orleans on the othoi- hand has not sold well, nuite a number of 

 carliiads finding their way to the public stores. It is very difficult to 

 e\en get im.\'i'rs to look at ii shiTinieiit when it arrives, tiie name of the 

 steamer, and imrt from which she has sailed being enough. There has 

 been i.iiiitp a i|iiantit\' of iiojilar logs landed from recent arri\'als. but 

 the fiuality nf these has left much to be desired, allliough. I;ikin,g it all 

 nver. most of them ha\-e lieen sold, very few parcels having fmirid their 

 wa>' lo the stores. Oak logs are in steady demand, good prices being 

 realized for really first class parcels of fair a\-erage size: indeed, not 

 one lot of oak li gs has found its wa>' to store, all being sold ex qua>". 

 Any parcels arriving will meet with a good reception, and will sell at 

 a. price to give shippers a moderate profit. Tt is some time since an\- 

 oak logs ha\'e been shiiiped \'ia New Orleans, and it is ,iiist as well for 

 those who used to consign tliese. as some of the shippers must have 

 bad a \'ery sharp loss. Piactically the same remarks apply to these as 

 to the oak board shipped from thai port. They all seem to be big 

 growth wood, and very liable to split: in fact, some of the shipments 

 came in in a siiocking condition. \\'alnut logs and lumber, if of first 

 class ouality. should sell well, practically nothing having arrived for 

 some lime now. There is v^ry little doing in iiuarlered oak. Con- 

 signing should be a\-oided, especiall>' the lligher grades, Hircll logs 

 are 111 .j;uod demand, practically no stock being held. .\ny arriving 

 will meet with read.\- sale. Malioganj- is in good and reaily request, 

 especiall.v Ilimdurns lo^iS and lumher. Oak staves are in fjilr deninnd. 

 both ill whiskey and oil barrel iiuallties: higher prices ale ruling. 



As alread.\- staled, business here is fair, shivi-lndlders being exceed- 

 lngl,v bus\-, with a (luantity of woi'lv to lake them well into next .year. 

 There will be a very good demand for all kinds of wood from this source 

 for some lime lo come, Oabinet makers note gooil prospects for im- 

 provement, and it is expected that some gfiod lines of nak. etc., will 

 lie i>lac<'il with these bu>'ers before the ,\'ear closes: in fact, the tend- 

 enc.\' lias been for some time not to lay in stock. Init to wait to see if 

 liimbef weri' going to ease in price, jind instead of Ibis lalving place, 

 the values. In most cases, liax'e been much enhanced, and are still 

 likely lo gii higher with the Increased frelglit. handling, etc.. which 

 musi now he paid, Tlw wagon trade is in a iieallhy condition, and 

 some very good emiuiries and orders liave emanated from this source, 

 TlK- onl.v dark cloud In the horizon is a Ihn-atened general stopiiage 

 ol the railway men. 'I'lils troulile has been brewing for some time 

 now, the situation liavlng been saved the lust time by the governiiient 

 steiiplng In and forming conciliation boards, but apparently this Is 

 not now to the liking of the men, and they are al pri'sent ballotling 

 as to wliellier tiley sliould still recognize Ihi' agreenieiit. or come out 

 on strike. It is liopcd by .'ill parties that some amiealile arrangement 

 can be arrived al, as otlierwise it will iiaralyze llie trade of the counlr.v. 

 It is. liowever. oli\'ious tliat the go\'ernnient will again have lo step in 

 and arrange terms sultahle to botli masters and men. as a general 

 strike eoold never be tolerated by tin- public for any length of lime. 



