46 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



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The Mail Bag 



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B 200 — As Secretary Doster Sees the 

 Situation 



Cincinnati. O.. bVb. 28. — Editor Hahuvtood 

 Record : Agreeable to .vour request tor infor- 

 mation. I submit to .vou tlie following as my 

 observations on the hardwood situation as 1 find 

 it from several weelis" traveling in producing 

 sections of the South. There is a much lighter 

 stock of low-grade lumber in the hands of pro- 

 ducers than is the general supposition. The 

 slight increase in orders for low-grade stock 

 given in December and .lanuary has taken the 

 most of the low grade out of first hands. 



•Hie less-than cost price at which low-grade 

 slock has been .selling for years makes no incen- 

 tive for manufacturers to produce any more 

 of this class of material than can be avoided 

 (in fact, they produce as little as they can>. 

 The larger percentage of logs running heavy 

 to No. 2 and poorer are left in the woods. Again. 

 a good many southern mills are now engaged in 

 cutting dimeut-iou. and clean up this class of 

 material themselves, thus shipping nothing but 

 clear stock, and avoiding the freight charge on 

 worthless material. 



It is my belief that low-grade stock will surely 

 command a much higher price in the near future, 

 based on the simple equation of supply and 

 demand. 



High-grade stocks have been moving some- 

 what slowly for months, but right now many 

 good orders are being placed. There is every 

 indication that there is going to be little oppor- 

 tunity for the manufacturer to make any accumu- 

 lation of dry stock in either high- or low-grad.' 

 material for months to come. Consuming manu- 

 facturers evidently are just awakening to the 

 possibilities of using low-grade lumber in the 

 manufacture of turniture, boxes, specialties, 

 interior tinish and planing mill products to their 

 manifest advantage in the way of cost, but as a 

 matter of fact there is very little of this class 

 of stock to be bad at the present time. 



It must lie borne in mind that the majority of 

 fac-tory operators are running, and have accepted 

 future contracts requiring large quantities of 

 lumber, and their stocks are lower than they 

 liave ever been. 



To my mind hardwood conditions are such that 

 the strongest arguments are presented for an 

 Increased range of values. There certainly is no 

 accumulation of any kind of hardwood material 

 in the hands of producers. 



.Advers" conditions are confronting every manu- 

 facturer in producing sections. All wint«r long 

 the river mills have been forced to shut down ; 

 logging In the mountains has been suspended, 

 both with river and mountain mills, on account 

 of the extreme cold weather and snow. Simul- 

 taneously In the Mississippi valley section, where 

 the country has been under water, practically 

 every sawmill operation has been suspended. 

 Since the ice has disappeared in the rivers, the 

 water has become extremely high, and right 

 now at Cincinnati the gauge is forty-flve feet, 

 which Is within eight feet of the danger mark, 

 and the river Is still rising. 



The Hardwood Manufacturers' Association has 

 not yet employed an assistant secretary, but 

 expects to make a selection of one very shortly 

 to assist In carrying on the department of the 

 bureau of grades and commercial reports, and 

 several new departments and divisions that 

 have been mapped out for the coming year, 

 which win give added Information of value to 

 the members of the association. 



Lewis Doster, Secretary. 



B 203 — The Mahogany Situation 

 New (jrleauH. Feb. 21. Kililor ILikdwood 

 Record: Answering yours of the liith, we have 



to advise that your iufot-matiou as to the 

 change in the mahogany situation is correct, and 

 we have beeu forced to advance our prices $10 

 per thousand in the last ninety days. 



The total quantity of mahogany imported 

 into Kurope for ISni was 222.144 tons, against 

 180,0a2 tons for 1010 and 143,871 tons for 

 1909. This refers to logs only. In addition, 

 we have exported a larger amount of lumber 

 than ever before, amounting to 10,000 tons, 

 which is not included in the above. 



The continued advance in the price of ma- 

 hogany logs in Europe to higher figures than 

 have prevailed in many years, would indicate 

 that the demand for mahogany in Europe was 

 greater than heretofore. We have no positive 

 data on the imports of mahogany into this 

 country, but the amount of mahogany lumber 

 manufactured last year was probably greater 

 than for iniO. I'JUO and 1908. 



Erom the expression of opinion which we 

 have had from almost every furniture dealer 

 in the United States, architects, manufactur- 

 ers of furniture, interior finish, and other wood- 

 working establishments, there is no doubt that 

 more mahogany lumber is being used than ever 

 before. Mahogany for interior finish, furniture, 

 car building, boat building, and other work, is 

 more popular than ever before. A great many 

 concerns that formerly made a line of oak and 

 luahoganv. now devote themselves exclusively 

 lo mahogany, or at least most of their designs 

 are in mahogany. We do not believe that the 

 sale of mahogany veneer is as great as it was. 

 in spite of the general popularity of this wood 

 and the increased consumption. This seems to 

 be due to a general prejudice buyers have against 

 I be use of veneer, and the advertising of solid 

 mahogany by several of the large manufacturers 

 of furniture. 



The increased use of solid wood in place of 

 veneer is also partly due to the much lower 

 cost of mahogany lumber at the preseul time, 

 compared to former years. Firsts and seconds 

 Honduras and Mexican mahogany have been 

 selling in Grand Itapids, Mich., at .$25 per 

 thousand less than they sold for fifteen .years 

 ago, although the cost of the logs at the pres- 

 ent time is thirty to forty per cent more than 

 it was then. 



In spite of the recent advance in the price 

 of mahogany lumber, the present selling price 

 is far below the prices prevailing four years 

 ago. This is explained by the use of larger 

 .steamers, operatiug larger mills, and more intel- 

 ligent and economical manufacture and handling. 

 A great deal of low-grade wormy that formerly 

 had no value, can now be sold for almost the 

 price of No. 1 common, which is another im- 

 portant factor. 



We do not anticipate an.v marked change in 

 the price of lumber In the next few months, and 

 feel satisHed that the logs now in sight will 

 be sutljclent to supply the demand until the 

 floods of June and July, in .Mexico and Hon- 

 duras. However, should flU' usual rise fail to 

 take place, there would certainly be a shortage, 

 as there is no surplus lumber in the hands of 

 the manufacturers, dealers, or consumers. 



Otis M.\nufactuiiing Co.mpany. 



B 204 — Lumber Trade Conditions Abroad 



-Nkw uklkaxs. La., Feb. 21). 1912.- Editor 

 Uauuwood ItEc'OKD : I am indebted to you for 

 your postal card calling my attention to an 

 editorial in the issue of Feb. 10 of your valuable 

 paper vinder the above mentioned heading. 



I had beeu in hopes of ascertaining a little 

 more about the subject and real purpose of the 

 investigation which is to be conducted in Eu- 

 rope by Mr. Seeker so as to write you on the 

 subject a little more intelligently, if possible. 

 I'ufortunatel.v the opportunity that 1 had hoped 

 would present itself to do tnls, has not mate- 

 rialized. 



II almost goes without saying, th.at I have 

 read the article in question with a great deal 

 of interest, and that I am heartily in accord 

 with everything you say on the subject. 



It is hard to conceive how a modern govern- 

 ment can spend the nation's money for a pur- 

 pose which is so obviously superfluous, and in 

 fact m.iy prove dangerous to a certain class of 

 its citizens, 1. e., the exporters of lumber and 

 otlier forest products. 



The arrangements made, apparently without 

 consultation of those most vitally interested in 

 the matter, cannot be too strongly denounced, 

 and I think that exporters' associations should 

 take a firm stand, and should try to discourage 

 further procedures along the lines started with 

 e\ery means that may be at their disposal. 



With this object in view. I am today writing 

 to the president and secretary of the National 

 Lumber Exporters' Association, and if you could 

 possibly suggest any further steps that could 

 be taken, I would certainly appreciate it. 



Again thanking you for the iutcrest you have 

 taken in this matter, I am. Yours very truly, 



HUi;i) FlIUlTUIKI.NfEK. 



Ludwig llaynuilui, -Mgr. 



B 201 — Wants Addresses of Manufacturers 

 of Wood Novelties 



New .\lbany, Ind., Feb. 2:i. — Editor 1Iauiiwooi> 

 Record : Shall be pleased to have you mail 

 us addresses of wooden novelty manufacturers. 

 Company. 



The writer of the above letter has beeu 

 supplied with the names of a few concerns 

 proiiucing wood novelties, and any others 

 interested can have the address by referring 

 to B 201, and writing this office. The writer 

 probably wishes to interest producers of 

 this line in a source of supply for dimension 

 material. — Editor. 



B 202 — Wants Locust Posts 

 Hastiugs-ou-Hudson. N. Y., Feb. 24. — Editor 

 II.iRDWooD Record: Can you tell us where we 

 can obtain 4x4 locust posts? 



We are unable to advise this correspond- 

 ent where he can obtain sawed locust posts 

 and anyone interested in developing a trade 

 for these squares can have the address by 

 referring to B 202, and writing this jiaper. 

 — Editor. 



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Meeting Lumbermen's Association of 

 Chicago 



The Lumbermen's Association of Chicago held 

 a general meeting at the Creat Northern hotel, 

 on Wednesday, I'ebruary 28. After an elaborate 

 luncheon, V. T Boles, retiring president, turned 

 the gavel to President Frederick L. Brown, and 

 stated that he delegated his position to a man 

 who, he had the confidence, would do a splendid 

 work for the Chicago lumber trade and for the 

 organization. He conipllmented .Mr. Brown and 

 the olllcers allied wllh him for their ability to 

 do intuh good for the Induslry. 



In accepting the gavel, which It Is said has 

 been in service for forty-four years, Mr. Brown 

 said that It afforded him great pleasure to be- 

 come the head of such an organization, and 

 promised to give the best there Is In him for 

 its benefits. He paid Mr. Boles and his admin- 

 istration a high triliiile loi- the good wiu-k they 



had accomiilished during the past year. lii 

 conclusion -Mr. Brown said that it Is his aiubl- 

 lion to see the time when the lumber manufac 

 Inter would consider '"'hicago the safest market 

 In the C0"''lr.v lo wht b lo ship his lumber. 



()u Invualifii. Vice-President Murdock McLcod 

 briefly addve.sed the meeting, which wtts fol 

 lowed b\ a few words bJ|>''Sreasurer Oeorxe J. 



I'OUi'. * ■ ". 



t)n Invluillon. Colin FylTc, attorney of the 

 Illinois Manufacturers' Association, addressed 

 the meeting on the subject of the Employe™' 

 Liability Aei, which law will go Into eSrct 

 May 1. Mr. Fyffe thinks that the law l.-s of n,, 

 alarming nature to the employers of labor; ;jgi 

 many things In It are difficult to uj'd,>i'S(^nd, 

 and of one thing he felt sure, vlj," that the 

 burden of the ajct wuidd fall ro.^e heavily oi) 

 the imployer than the employ-. He said that 

 iblrleeu nets had been passed iy different (totes. 

 some of which were Kood ard some bad, nnd of 



