52 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



August 10, 1922 



BUFFALO 



The BufEalo Lumber Dealers' Association has invited all members 

 of the local lumber trade to attend an outing at East Aurora on 

 August 22. Golf games, with prizes, will be the chief feature of the 

 outing, and a baseball game will also be played. Supper will be served 

 at the Elma M. B. Church. 



One of the drawbacks to the lumber trade is the shortage of fuel 

 for the lake steamers. This always used to be in unlimited quantity, 

 but now if a lot of fifty tons is found anywhere it is the exception and 

 the prices run up to JIO a ton or more. This not only cuts down the 

 speed of the steamers, but adds materially to the expense. It it keeps 

 on until fall, the result will be that some of the lumber will be left on 

 the upper-lake docks. In the meantime the additional cost of trans- 

 portation by rail will have to be taken into consideration by the sellers. 



The Crescent Furniture Company, Warren, Pa., is to make an addi- 

 tion to its plant. A four-story building, 28 by 50 feet in size, and a 

 dry kiln, 50 by 36 feet, will be erected. This with a large amount 

 of new machinery and other equipment will greatly increase the pro- 

 duction of the plant and will afford room for the employment of addi- 

 tional workmen. The company is also increasing its capital stock from 

 J100,000 to 5150,000, most of the increase being taken by the employes. 



A. J. Elias, president of G. Elias & Bro., lately issued a statement 

 calling attention to the needs of Buffalo's harbor and showing how 

 little had been done toward its development. He said, in part: 



"The harbor facilities of Buffalo have always* been insufficient. 

 Had proper improvements been made from time to time in develop- 

 ment of our harbor facilities, our city would be the largest and most 

 important on the lakes. Take, for instance, the development of the 

 Buffalo River, to which I have in the past given a great deal of atten- 

 tion. It took about fifteen years to get the city to undertake this 

 improvement, which Is yet incomplete." 



The Hardwood Market 



CHICAGO 



Trading in hardwood lumber on the Chicago market continues 

 only fair, the slackness of demand being due largely to the failure 

 of the furniture industry to increase the volume of its demand fol- 

 lowing the July markets, or of the railroad shopmen or coal strikes 

 to be settled. Buyers' confidence has been disturbed and many pur- 

 chases are being deferred, because of the strike situation. Hardwood 

 flooring demand remains good and it is believed that with the settle- 

 ment of the two national strikes general business will again become 

 spirited. During the past fifteen days prices have undergone only 

 minor fluctuations. 



BUFFALO 



The hardwood trade has quieted down of late owing largely to the 

 labor disturbances around the country. Buyers are also on a vacation 

 in many instances and do not intend taking on mucli more stock right 

 away. Automobile concerns have been postponing some of their 

 purchasing, owing to the uncertainties In the trade. They are hopeful 

 that the late reductions in prices are going to be helpful in making 

 sales. Furniture concerns are also holding back business to a large 

 extent this montli. 



The most hopeful feature is the activity that continues in the build- 

 ing hne. Building is going ahead in a brisk way, with a prospect of 

 doing so for some time to come, unless it should be slowed up by a 

 lack of materials. This has been threatened recently by the troubles 

 on the railroads and at the coal mines, but it is believed by lumbermen 

 that these matters will be straightened out soon. The Southern mills 

 are finding it more difl^cult to move lumber, as a number of embargoes 

 are In force, and the number of cars to be had is growing smaller. 



Building in this city has l^een on a larger scale this year than ever 

 before, and while some lumbermen have been looking for a reaction 

 In this line, it is not yet in evidence. Many large office structures and 

 business buildings, as well as homes, are likely to be built during 

 the remainder of the year, and builders are very busy now. 



PHILADELPHIA 



The general liardwood situation in the metropolitan district of Phila- 

 delphia may be described as fair. While excellent business is being 

 booked for woods used in house construction, while industrial buy- 

 ing Is steadily improving and the furniture and box people are enter- 

 ing the market more and more, the deplorable situation in low grades 

 more than offsets the good points of the market. 



Within the past 30 days the old price-cutting war has returned 

 in the low grade field, particularly In floorings. The keenest com- 



petition has resulted in a slaughter in prices with the result that 

 the widest quotations are given. Some dealers seem to insist that 

 they will get rid of their low grades, while others want a fair margin 

 of profit all along the line. As a consequence of the situation thf 

 public is doing more and more "shopping" before orders are placed. 

 Uppers are all firm and some slight increases have been recorded tiiis 

 past week. Oak, chestnut, douglas fir, Georgia pine and maple have 

 been doing excellently. Business is excellent and the largest yards 

 are still buying heavily. Some fine heavy timbers have been sold to 

 the shipyards having contracts for the caissons for the huge Delaware 

 river bridge. Shipyard buying on the whole is much better. 



CLEVELAND 



strikes and other labor troubles are having a bad effect on business 

 in general, but hardwood dealers in Cleveland say that so far the 

 hardwood industry has nothing to complain of. Shipments have not 

 been delayed, and although in some cases it has been rather difiicult 

 to keep the marlfet supplied to meet the demand, generally the men 

 in this industry have experienced no trouble to keep supply and 

 demand balanced. 



Hardwood dealers are finding a big market for their lumber among 

 the automobile manufacturers, and this market will continue if re- 

 ports made by leaders in the automobile industry hold true. 



Hints have come from different sections of the country that the 

 automobile business is dropping off, but inquiries made among Cleve- 

 land manufacturers prove facts to be otherwise. 



BOSTON 



The feeling in the trade that business will be better soon continues 

 and inquiries for both quick and long shipments are growing. Also 

 there is improvement in actual demand but it is not very great. How- 

 ever the hardwoods trade is always somewhat quiet at this time. Also 

 the great railroad strike is beginning to hamper business here, for 

 on the one hand worried consumers are anxious to order lumber at 

 favorable rates and get it here quickly to be on the safe side and 

 on the other hand wholesalers are finding that the railroad strike 

 is making it more and more difficult to promise such quick delivery. 

 Demand continues to improve for oak, particularly from the flooring 

 people, and for both red and sap gum and birch. The market con- 

 tinues firm, especially in the firsts and seconds grade. Prices are 

 about the same as during the past month, A feature of the market 

 at the present time is the improvement in demand for inside finish. 

 This was prophesied some time last spring as likely as soon as the 

 dwelling houses then started got on toward completion. There' is 

 quite a bit of inquiry noted from the furniture people. There is 

 much interest in and improved business in hardwood flooring. Prices 

 for white oak, maple, birch and beech flooring here are high and 

 firm. Though business is not at all active, there is improvement 

 noted in demand from the hardwood yards, the furniture people, 

 piano makers, and the railroad people. 



BALTIMORE 



Conditions in the hardwood trade at Baltimore are not greatly 

 changed as compared with any previous time in the last month 

 or two, but the indications of a fairly steady improvement are con- 

 sidered more pronounced than before, with some apprehension ex- 

 pressed Just now as to the possible or probable effect of the railroad 

 and coal strikes upon the movement of all kinds of freight. Comfort 

 is taken in the fact that at least some of the roads which bring hard- 

 woods are not primarily coal carriers, so that there is less likely to 

 be congestion on these lines. According to reports, cars loaded with 

 hardwoods in considerable number are being held in West Virginia 

 and adjacent States because of interference with traffic, and that 

 the mills experience more or less difficulty in taking care of their 

 orders. It looks as though the distribution of hardwoods would 

 attain materially larger proportions but for this handicap, which, it 

 is hoped, will soon be removed. The inquiry for stocks keeps up 

 'luite well, with the better grades of lumber especially by no means 

 Itlfiitiful. Furniture manufacturers in the north an deast seem not to 

 lie busy for the present, while the Information from those in North 

 I'arolina and other points in the South is more encouraging. 



COLUMBUS 



There is a steady demand for hardwoods from all sources and 

 trade is holding up remarkably well. Although the railroad shop- 

 men's strike is a bad factor, there has been no appreciable falling 

 T in orders. Buying on the part of retailers Is still the best feature. 

 1" alers' stocks are not large and in quite a few Instances they are 

 badly broken. Building operations, especially as to dwellings and 

 apartments are going forward actively and consequently there la 

 a tod demand from the retail trade. 



I ( torles making furniture, boxes and automobiles are good custo- 



