56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



August 25, 1922 



VENEER 

 DRYING 



MACHINERY 



PROCTOR &^ 

 SCHWARTZJNC. 



PHILADELPHIA 

 CATALOGUE ON REQUEST 



STRABLE 

 Lumber & Salt Company 



SAGINAW, MICHIGAN 



Manufacturers 

 Hardwood Lumber, Maple Flooring 



ALL GRADES AND THICKNESSES 



MODERN DRY-KILNS AND PLANING MILL 



Insist upon 



Wolverine Maple Floorin*; 



"Best by Test" 



?o'/MlSe'FiS," Maple, Birch, Basswood, Elm, Beed, 



The Teggii^Linhber Co. 



High Grade 



Northern and Southern 



Hardwoods and Mahogany 



Specialties 



OAK, MAPLE, CYPRESS, POPLAR 

 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 



the bumpiT Southern craps of cotton and ric ■ and other cr ihi coming on 

 for movement in huge quantities the situation is destini d to grow from 

 bad to worse : unless, of course, the strilie can be settled right away and 

 all transportation facilities be hastily put back in statu quo ante helium. 

 The embargoes are embarrassing, and more particularly that one of the 

 Illinois Central declining to move hardwood lumber into the coal regions 

 of the Allegheniis. 



There have been no changes in prices worthy of note within the past 

 fortnight ; the manufacturers and wholesalers holding out tirm'y for their 

 regular set quotations, even though the consumi rs in many parts of the 

 country continue persistently to liid for lumb r at figures somewhat less 

 than the prevailing prices. The consensus of opinion is that the price of 

 hardwoods is in tor a rise in the near future, and that this advance is 

 most likely to be general and not confined to any particular kind, quality 

 or grade. 



On the score of demand, it might be added that there is nothing par- 

 ticular to be coniplained of just now. The ni-T i-t has i e n. for the past 

 three months, and still is, rather quirt, but it has not been any more so 

 than is gencral'y expected for the s ason of the year and already as the 

 autumn season approaches inquiri* s ar.' beginning t(t come into thi' market 



in ever-increasing volume. The agricultural trade and especially the 

 farmers are already placing orders for substantial quantities of hardwoods 

 and present indications are that the hardwood people of this section will 

 do a thriving business this fall with these customers. 



The export movement continues about as usual, with substantial quanti- 

 ties of hardwoods moving into the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy, with 

 none so far penetrating into Germany or France, but with prospects reason- 

 ably bright for these two countries, also, soon to be placing substantial 

 orders and a general improvement in the export business. 



MILWAUKEE 



A car shortage, traffic congestion, an active demand and general firmness 

 are the features of the Milwaukee hardwood market. The demand is very 

 heavy aa.d mills are not capable of meeting it under the present circum- 

 stances, with fall orders pouring in, and many buyers trying to protect 

 themselves from future possibilities by getting in now all the lumber they 

 are al)le to use within the next few months. 



Hills have all the business they can find cars for. Transits are in big 

 demand and are rapidly taken-. Mills are suffering from a short.ige of 

 equipment with which to ship out their lumber, also from a shortage of 

 logs, many of the Wisconsin plants have shut down because of lack of 

 logs. Similar reports came into the Milwaukee market from the northern 

 peninsula of Michigan bearing the same tales. Operations are curtailed 

 and prices continue to advance. 



Most of the important consumers of the Milwaukee hardwood market 

 are l)uying heavily with an eye to future complications in the strike 

 situation. Large buyers are searching the market for stoclis that can 

 be bought for quick delivery and are liberally adding to their stocks in 

 fear that the car shortage may make it impossible later on to fill require- 

 ments. Other Milwaukee consumers are holding back because of the car 

 shortage fearin.g its effect on their own business. Flooring and interior 

 woodwork manufacturers are the leading purchasers ; automobile body 

 manufacturers are second on the list of active consumers. The agricultural 

 implement industry is making great strides and is now becoming an 

 important consuming factor. Tiie buihling boom has started a new 

 movement of hardwoods, fall buildincg beginning anew its inroads. 



GRAND RAPIDS 



Tin- iiicrcasin-: ilcinaiul for hardwood has received a tompurary setback 

 in th«- pas;t few days. This is due to the holding up of orders iu some 

 iif the furniture factories at request of buyers who had placed their con- 

 tra<-ts during the recent market. The unsettled railroad situation is 

 rt'sponsihle for this action. 



Tr;nisp(irlation to the smaller lumber camps has been temporarily sus- 

 pciidrd until .si'ttlenu'iit of the strike. Shipments of furniture and hardwood 

 pnidutls from Grand Kapids, however, have not been materially affected. 



The veneer market is firm with indications of an immediate rise in birch 

 veneer because of the rapidly vanishing available supply that is easy to 

 reach at reasonable cost. 



Lnmher prices continue to advance and it is predicted by those keeping 

 in close touch with the situation that there will be a shortage in the woods 

 available for furniture and automobile body building immediately following- 

 the ironing exit of the transportation (luistion. for mill production is 

 reported low. 



TORONTO 



Comparatively little business is being done by hardwood dealers and 

 mills in the Canadian market, but there are liberal requisitions from the 

 United States, which continues to absorb most of the Canadian offerings^ 

 Ontario stocks are rapidly becoming depleted and are fast reaching the 

 vanishing point as far as consumers are concerned, but industrial plants 

 are apparently marking time in view of what they think is a possibility 

 of lower prices. It is estimated that if there was half of the normal 

 demand for hardwood in Canada the available stocks would be all cleaned 

 up. What Canadian business there is going is mostly in one or two car- 

 load lots and what stocks are on hand are mostly of U>w grade, and the 

 market is in such a condition that no nuttter what price inducements are 

 held out sales are not closed. There is a slight demand for the thick and 

 better grades of birch, maple and ash. No. 1 common and better in G/4" 

 and .S/4" and 10/4" birch is being inquired for, while maple in 3/4" and 

 r, 4". No. 2 common and better, has also started to arouse some interest, 

 lint tile vfilume of sales is very small. Furniture manufacturers are tak- 

 ing some 4/4" ash and No. 2 common and better for kitchen cabinets, 

 refrigerat'irs and other lines, and prices remain the same on most lines 

 of hiniliiT. although on the better grades in 4/4", 5/4" and 6/4" there has 

 been an advance of from two to five dollars. It is stated that most 

 operators in the East are getting ready for woods operations and are 

 already sending cutting crews to the bush, and it looks as if logging 

 operations will be carried on in most sections on a slightly more active 

 scale than last year. Generally speaking, a spirit of optimism prevails 

 in the Canadian hardwood market, and although for the moment busi- 

 ness is dull, the outlook for satisfactory business is considered fairly 

 bright. 



