7" 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



strated theii- ability to take care of themselves ; 

 let us now devote the attention to No. 3 common 

 that the subject warrants. 



Maple in all thicknesses of No. 2 common and 

 better is in the strongest position it has ever 

 been in the history of this industry. Thick 

 stock is short in supply and the demand un- 

 usual and of maple flooring stock it Is very 

 evident there is not enough to produce as much 

 maple flooring as was produced during 1910, and 

 It is doubtful if there will be enough to produce 

 the 1!)11 requirements. 



Michigan hard maple apparently reached the 

 apex of production in 1907 and has started 

 tobogganing tlowu the other side. .\ssumtng 

 that the Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers* As- 

 sociation repre'sents SO per cent of the cut in 

 Michigan, the cut of hard maple lumber during 

 the year 1907 was 365.000.000, while on the 

 same basis for the year 1910 the cut was only 

 .315.000.000, and the estimated cut for 1911 is 

 less than was (he estimate for 1910. 



One of the largest users of maple lumber has 

 been and probably will continue to be the maple 

 flooring manufacturer, but a larger proportion 

 •of the maple lumber produced each year is going 

 into some other use than maple flooring, and it 

 will be greatly to I he benefit of the manufac- 

 turers of maple lumber to encourage that use of 

 maple, as it should be with maple the same as 

 it has with oak. cherry, walnut and other val- 

 uable woods. No maple lumber should be put 

 into flooring that will bring more money for 

 some other purpose. The high line of No. 3 

 common, No. 2 common and the lower line of No. 

 1 common will ijroduce maple flooring in about 

 the proportion of grades consumption demands. 

 and when a larger proportion of the better grades 

 are put into maple flooring there is a surplus of 

 <;lear and the price of that grade suffers propor- 

 tionately. 



The use of firsts and seconds maple for agri- 

 cultural implements, the framing of flour mill 

 and other heavy machinery is constantly grow- 

 ing in favor : so much so that there is an actual 

 shortage In supply at present. For many of the 

 purposes for which firsts and seconds are now 

 used, a good No. 1 common will answer the re- 

 •qulrements equally as well and the use of high- 

 grade No. 1 common should be and can be en- 

 couraged at prices beyond what the maple floor- 

 ing manufacturers are paying. 



Reasoning: as we have heretofore on the basis 

 ■of supply and demand, the price of the grades 

 •of maple lumber used for maple flooring should 

 advance at least .$1 per thousand and probablv 

 even *2 per thousand, but the manufacturers of 

 maple flooring are going to ask for lower prices 

 because they are selling maple flooring at lower 

 prices and the reason is soon found on a careful 

 study of the maple flooring situation. 



Statistics compiled by the Maple Flooring 

 Manufacturers' Association will show that durin" 

 the year 1909 (he members of that association 

 Ro^''"/'''! l-*6^00O.0On feet and shinned 1.50,000- 

 000 teet, and during the year 1910 thev pro- 

 duced 16.5 000,000 feet and shipped 155.000.00rt 

 feet. It does not require a very astute business 

 man to detect the reason for unsatisfactorv 

 prices tor m.iple flooring during 1910 and at the 

 present time from the standpoint of the manu- 

 facturer of maple flooring, hut thev seem unable 

 to see the cau.se and apply the rem'edy. 



It is apparent that the manufacturer of maple 

 lumber must not only point out the cause but 

 prescribe and apply the remedy. The cause 

 should be apparent to everyone — 165.000,000 feet 

 of maple flooring produced and 155,000.000 feet 

 shipped during 1910. Need we look further for 

 a reason? If an undersupplv of a little over .3 

 per cent in 1909 made a good market, what will 

 ?5,,?^i''^'ilPP',^' °f approximately 6 per cent in 

 1910 do to the market? Enough for the cause 

 ^^".9'^. ^°'' *'>'' remedy and how to apply it. 

 Statistics compiled by the Michigan Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association show that on Jan- 

 uary 1, 1910, based on the assumption that the 

 association represented -SO per cent of the cut in 

 Michigan, there was a total, all sizes and thick- 

 nesses, of maple lumber. No. 2 common and bet- 

 ter, sold and unsold in the hands of manufac- 

 turers. 120.000.000: while on January 1 1911 

 there was only 83.000.000 feet : a decrease of 37,. 



000,000 feet, or more than 12 per cent of the 

 entire cut, and as there was but a small de- 

 crease in the amount of No. 3 common this 

 decrease falls almost entirely on No. 2 common 

 and better, making a decrease in the total stock 

 of No. 2 common and better of over 17 per cent. 



As a large proportion of the maple lumber 

 used in the manufacture of maple flooring is 

 4/4 No. 2 common and better, a comparison of 

 that size and grade will give a more definite 

 bearing on its relation to maple flooring. Based 

 on the same assumption that our association rep- 

 resents SO per cent of the cut in Michigan, our 

 statistics show a total stock of 4/4 No. 2 com- 

 mon and better maple in the hands of manufac- 

 turers, sold and unsold, of 95,000,000 feet Jan- 

 uary 1. 1910, as against 70,000,000 feet January 

 1, 1911. All of which is very conclusive evi- 

 dence that the manufacturers of maple flooring, 

 while producing during 1910 10,000,0()0 feet more 

 of maple flooring than they shipped, they also 

 reduced the amount of this stock in the hands of 

 the manufacturers of maple lumber 25,000,000 

 feet. 



Can the members of the Maple Flooring Manu- 

 facturers' jVssociation produce 165.000,000 feet 

 of maple flooring during 1911, or will it be pos- 

 sil^le for them to produce more maple flooring 

 than will supply the demand during the .year 

 1911? Every reliable source of reasoning says 

 no. All trade indications point to a larger use 

 of maple flooring during 1911 than during 1910. 

 The manufacturers of maple flooring stock in 

 Michigan start the year 1911 with 25.000,000 

 feet less than they had at the beginning of the 

 .year 1910 and their estimated cut for 1911 is 

 less than their estimate for 1910. All of which 

 would indicate that there will be a demand for 

 every foot of maple flooring stock produced in 

 Michigan during 1911 unless there should be 

 some unforeseen and unexpected general business 

 depression. 



Chairman Ballon of the Railroad Committee 

 announced that this committee had no report 

 to make, as the matter on the subject of 

 change in railroad rates asked for by the 

 association was still before the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission. 



On motion, the Terms of Sale discussed at 

 a previous meeting were adopted as follows: 



"This invoice is due sixty days from this 

 date. If a discount is taken we will allow 

 twelve per cent annual interest for unexpired 

 time from date remittance is made. Freight 

 is net cash. These terms are effective April 1, 

 1911." 



Some desultory remarks were then made by 

 several members to the effect that much lum- 

 ber was bought as one grade and disposed of 

 as another and higher grade. The matter of 

 the inefficiency of forest protection from fire 

 depredation was briefly discussed. 



The matter of the establishment of a hem- 

 lock grading bureau was also gone into, as 

 well as the proposition to join with the Wis- 

 consin Hemlock & Hardwood Manufacturers' 

 Association in the joint rules for both states. 

 On motion. President Bigelow and Bruce Odell 

 were appointed a committee to attend the 

 meeting of the Wisconsin association on Jan- 

 uary 31 and make a report at the next meet- 

 ing of the association to be held at Detroit in 

 the middle of April next. 



Hardwood Record Mail Bag 



Seeks Thin Common Plain White Oak 

 The Record has a conimuuieation from a 

 leading American hardwood exporting house 

 in which it states that it is open to con- 

 sider proposals for one-half to a million feet 

 •of log run thin plain-sawn white and red oak, 

 No. 2 common and better, with not exceed- 

 ing 10% to 15% No. 2 common. Thicknesses 

 required are %", Ya", %", %", largely V2" 

 and %". The stock is to be cut and put on 

 sticks and shipped as required. The firm 



states it would be willing to make reasonable 

 advances to responsible parties as lumber is 

 put iu pile. 



Those interested in this requisition can have 

 the address by addressing Hardwood Record. 

 — Editor. 



January 25 Issue regarding willow. We do not 

 know in just what sizes willow is usually desired 

 and would like to have the information. Willow 

 can be had in unlimited amounts here. 



Anyone wishing the address of the above 

 writer can have it on application to this 

 office. — Editor. 



In the Market for Two-Inch Clear Oak 

 Sijuares 



The Record has a communication from a 

 large Indiana manufacturing house stating 

 that it seeks 2" clear oak squares, and re- 

 quires right now a carload that will run about 

 4,000 pieces 27" long, 4,000 pieces 36" long, 

 2,000 pieces 38" long and 2,000 pieces 46" 

 long, green or dry, red or white oak. 



The inquirer has been furnished with a list 

 of several oak dimension producers, and any 

 others who would like to figure on the busi- 

 ness can have the address by writing this 

 office. — Editor. 



Seeks Beech, Birch and Maple 



The Record is in receipt of a communica- 

 tion from a large eastern specialty manufac- 

 turing house stating that it is in the market 

 at the present time for three carloads of 3" 

 No. 1 common beech, birch or maple; 2,000 

 pieces 3"x4"-9' long beech, birch or maple; 

 substantially clear but occasionally a small 

 knot that does not affect the strength of the 

 piece would not be regarded as a defect. 

 It also is in the market for five cars 

 1^2" and 2" No. 1 common and better beech. 



Anyone interested in the above trade can 

 have the address on application. — Editor. 



Wants to Market Hickory Dimension 



A Jackson, Tenn., specialty manufactur- 

 ing concern advises that it has accumu- 

 lated some 30,000 pieces of hickory 6/4x 

 6/4-26" cut from winter felled logs which 

 is in excess of its foreign demand and 

 would like to market it in the domestic 

 trade. This is a size that is employed by 

 some vehicle concerns for spokes and any- 

 one interested in the purchase of this stock 

 can have the address of the inquirer by ad- 

 dressing this office. — Editor. 



Seeks Market for Willow 



Jackson, Tenn., Jan. 27. — Editor Hardwood 



Record : We have a lot of willow that will run 



from 8" to 20" long and straight body, and 



note with interest the item on page 43 of your 



Removal of Memphis Column Company 



The Memphis Column Company, which has 

 been located at Memphis, Tenn., for the past 

 five years, announces the removal of its factory 

 to Beaumont. Texas. It is expected the new 

 plant will soon be ready for operations, and 

 that the company will be ready to commence 

 shipments with the early spring trade. In 

 making this move to Beaumont, the Memphis 

 Column Company takes its entire factory, office 

 and sales organization, and the business has 

 been merged into a new organization known as 

 the Beaumont Column Company, the officers of 

 which will largely be the same as have been In 

 charge at Memphis, which arc as follows : Presi- 

 dent, Roland Morrill : vice-president, W. A. Pres- 

 ton ; general manager and treasurer, Wm. C. 

 Hall ; secretary, J. E. Thomas ; sales manager, 

 J. G. Mark. 



The new Beaumont plant will have a capacity 

 of about a carload of colonial columns per day, 

 which makes It one of the largest producers of 

 this line in the United States. 



