50 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



any lonerliif; of pilces iniiiilfosUMi in Ihe uiiU 

 liT of prln-s. II Is jus! a iiinttei' of biijui's 

 liKldhiK' iitr until tiii'.v nil- aliie to Jiuiuo as to 

 |iiolial)ii' Inulc conilitlons linrinR the (.•ouilng 

 spriUK and siininior. 



Columbus. 



.^iarlilMl ini|)rovi>in("nt lias Ih'cii imlcd In llu' 

 liardwood Iradi- in ((Mitral (.ililii within the past 

 foilulKht. Ofdets are laiger and more I'reciuent 

 and coutidence in tile liilure Is belns rapidly re- 

 stored. Hiiyhif; Is more general both I'roni the 

 dealer and from mannfactiirln); establishments. 

 whleh are Kindnally resuming operations. 



rriees are lirm under the Increased demand, 

 and Ihe policy of mill owners is not to resume 

 operations until cimdilions warrant such a move. 

 I'oplar Is still Ihe sinmscst point and prices are 

 practically unclmnsed. The weakness in No. i; 

 common which develop(>d several we(>ks ago is 

 gradually disjipj)earln,g. 



(Jiik is sironger also. Ash Is In better demand 

 and chestnut and elm are wanted in some di- 

 rections and prices are growing llrmer. 



Indianapolis. 



There is mine optimism than business in the 

 local hardwood market Just now. the increased 

 optimism being due to the encouraging outlook 

 of thi' local tinanclal situation. While ludl- 

 anapolls has been slower than any other city 

 in the state to recover from the liuancial strin- 

 gency, it Is generally believed that Ihe condi- 

 tions are growing better every day. 



Plants using hardwoods for manufacturing 

 purposes as a rule have small stocks, which 

 will mean lively buying when they resume with 

 full forces. I'rices are still weak but will doubt- 

 less improve with more plentiful money in 

 sight. 



It is reported that conditions in southern In- 

 diana are more favorable than In tills vicinity 

 and tiiat hardwood men are doing considerable 

 business with increasing iniiuiries daily. Trices. 

 conse(iuently. are steadier in the vicinity of Ev- 

 ansville than in Indianapolis. 



Milwaukee. 



Lumbermen of .Milwaukee report the demand 

 for hardwoods at the present time inactive and 

 say that the few .sales made are at low prices. 

 I'lenty of in()uiries come in but no sales result 

 from them. Stock is being held by the dealers 

 for higher prices, none caring to dispose of their 

 lumber at the low prices now prevailing, for an 

 advance in values is inevitable. The curtail- 

 ment in the production of hardwood has been 

 heavy and dealers believe prices will advance 

 as soon as there is the slightest demand. 



The Milwaukee retail yards still have a small 

 supply of hardwood in slock and are buying only 

 what Is absolutely necessary. All of the deal- 

 ers anticipate an early resumption of trade, as 

 practically all the manufacturing plants using 

 hardwood are again in operation and their pres- 

 ent supply will soon be exhausted. 



Bri.stol, Va.-Tenn. 



'I'here Is now a much better feeling in lumber 

 circles in this section, and indications are that 

 the policy of curtailment is serving to strengthen 

 the situation and to establish n lower and firmer 

 basis for future activities. While many mills 

 are still closed, a large number of those which 

 suspended during December are again in opera- 

 tion and others will resume very soon. More 

 inquiries are being received, and this is regarded 

 as the most encouraging feature of the situa- 

 tion. Manufacturers here fear the threatened 

 evil of overproduction and that this may result 

 in temporary setbacks. 



Confidence is reviving at a rapid rate, bank 

 reserves are rising, money Is getting easier and 

 withal the situati(m is infinitely better I ban It 

 was at the beginning of the new year. Kxporters 

 report that conditions with them are better, 

 though the market Is still ■■off." 



Cincinnati. 



IMnIng file hi~l lorliiigbl lliejc has been con- 

 sideralile change for Ihe better in tlie local hard- 

 wood sitiiarbui. There has been a nnu'e brisk 

 Inquiry for hardwoods and now that tlie m<m(>y 

 market has straightened out dealers are antici- 

 pating a constant Increase In business. I'oplar 

 is still Ihe best in tile line of hardw<H>ds. and 

 while there has not liiH-n any increase In prices, 

 sales are made al good values. Kealcrs here are 

 not oversliMked on that wood, and as a shortage 

 has been talked aboul they will not dispose of it 

 al concessions. Oak, both quartered and plain 

 white, is in better request and prices are steady. 

 Cottonwood and gum have been rallier quiet, but 

 towards tlie latter part of the week showed 

 added Impulse. Hickory, walnut and mahogany 

 have all experienced a lieller incpilry. and now 

 as the I'nrnilui-e and kinilriMl maniifaci urcrs have 

 resumed operalioiis the dcmaud for those woods 

 will soon show more activity. No trouble from 

 car sliorfage Is being experienced by dealers 

 here. 



Evansville. 



There lias liecu a slight improvement In the 

 hardwood market here during the past two 

 weeks. liKiuiries have been coming in more 

 freely and there lias been quite a lot of lumber 

 moving as most of the factories have given 

 orders for the completion of their old contracts 

 and are buying what lumlier they need to keep 

 running. They are buying very little for future 

 needs. Building has increased during the month, 

 a great many more permits being issued during 

 .lanuary than the two preceding months — this 

 branch of the business being favored much by 

 Ihe weather. .January being almost an ideal 

 niimth in this section, tjuartered red oak seems 

 to be about the best seller in this market with 

 scant stock in most cases, as most of the mills 

 plain-sawed their red oak while plain oak was 

 in such good demand. 



Chattanooga. 



So far as the lumbermen of this city and sec- 

 tion are concerned, the financial flurry Is now 

 practically over. Lumbermen here do not be- 

 lieve, however, that the business of this year 

 will come up to that of last year, but they say 

 the situation has Improved much since the de- 

 pression came on. They are receiving many In- 

 quiries and some sales at good prices have been 

 made within the past few weeks. I'rices. how- 

 ever, are a little off. Oak is about .$l..jO per 

 thtmsand less than it was last year. Dry stocks 

 are somewhat scarce, and it is predicted that 

 prices will advance again in the near future. 



St. Louis. 



Hardwood conditiims show little change over 

 two weeks ago. There is a little increase In the 

 demand and more inquiries are comiirg in. but 

 buying is not improving to any great extent. 

 Conditkms are not any different from what has 

 been expected on account of the usual dullness 

 at this season of the year, although it was 

 thought that there might be a little betterment 

 before the usual spring buying, which will be- 

 gin about the first of rebruary. IJuartcred oak 

 Is in fairly good demand and the prices are 

 linn. The scarcity of this item causes this. 

 I'oplar and ash are pretty good sellers, when the 

 condition of the market is taken into considera- 

 tion. Low grade cottonwood and cottonwood 

 hoxboards are in fairly good demand. Plain 

 oak has little sale and prices are somewhat 

 weak. Jtist as soon as buying commences it is 

 thought that prices will stiffen on this item. 

 Cum conditions are just about the same. 

 Cypress conditions have shown no change. Fin- 

 ishing and edge grain flooring are scarce. 



Is r.ipldly resuming normal proportions are the 

 banks and the real estate men. The banks do 

 not care to announce the fact for fear that too 

 many people will want to come and draw their 

 inon(!y Just to see If they can get It, and the 

 real estate people say they do not expect things 

 to open up lirisk until Hie spring. The lumber- 

 men of Nashville, however, are among those 

 wiio believe that things are rapidly petting In 

 better shajje and that they will s(M.>n again be 

 normal. It is given out by them that the local 

 market Is firmer now than at any time since 

 Ihe banks took such radical action In regard to 

 Ihe payment of currency and the extension of 

 credit, which lliey did in the latter part of 

 October. \ general feeling of confidence pre- 

 vails and lumbermen all seem anxious to get 

 liack at things and be busy again. The encour- 

 aging reports of conditions in New York — with 

 Iilenty of money there — are being received here 

 with pleasure and are reflecting a liealthy glow- 

 to the business outlook. Lumbermen are look- 

 ing for brisk business in the near future and 

 good prices. There are signs of short stocks in 

 Ihe retail yards and this together with the cur- 

 lallment that was adopted by all the big yards 

 during Ilie Hnancial spell is expected to make 

 Ihlngs ipiile active. Wlille a belter tone obtains 

 prices are unchanged. Inquiries are more nu- 

 merous and collections are betier. t^iiite a num- 

 lier of the mills are sawing lumber that is com- 

 ing down the river, and most of them are get- 

 ting ready to reopen their country sawmills as 

 soon as conditions will warrant. Some in fact 

 liave already done so. The concerns are putting 

 their salesmen out again and this is expected to 

 prove a big factor in showing that confidence has 

 returned and people want to sell stuff. 



Nashville. 



About the only kind of business people in 

 Nashville who are not declaring that business 



Memphis. 



Demand for hardwood lumber is gradually Im 

 proving. The trade Is encouraged over the in- 

 creased number of inquiries which are taken as 

 the basis for expectations of material increase 

 in the volume of business In a short while. 

 Hn.vers have evidently been of the opinion Iliat 

 by waiting they would be able to force a further 

 decline in hardwood lumber but they have not 

 made much headway In this and the opinion is 

 held here that, when they discover that they 

 will he unable to bring about lower prices by 

 their hand to mouth policy of purchase, they 

 will enter the market on a larger scale at the 

 jjrevailing level. There have been some fair- 

 sized orders booked hero for various items dur- 

 ing the past fortnight and some of the shrewd 

 est observers of the market and general market 

 conditions express confidence In a decided turn 

 for the better in a short while. Production is 

 larger than a short time ago but this is com- 

 paratively small when taken in connection with 

 the normal for this time of the year. There is 

 no large accumulation of stock and the market 

 is not forced to carry a surpltis that proves bur- 

 densome. Uoth manufacturers and wholesalers 

 are facing the situation with c(mfidence and 

 there is almost, if not quite, complete absence of 

 pressure to sell, particularly of fcu^ced litpilda- 

 lion. 



There have been some fair orders during Hie 

 past few days for both red and clear sap gum in 

 Hie higher grades and the market thereon is 

 showing steadiness. The lower grades, however, 

 have been selling at a considerable decline. Cot- 

 tonwood aiipears to be holding its own fairly 

 well in the higher grades, while the lower are 

 ipiite steady under the stimulus of light offer- 

 ings and a good demand. Plain oak is rather 

 slow of sale but there is a fair business in 

 quarter sawn red and white, with the latter per- 

 haps a shade the more active. Popi.ar Is steady. 

 but the demand is rather quiet at the moment 

 and the steadiness is in some measure the result 

 of the lightness of offerings. There is consider- 

 able cypress for sale and the demand for this 

 is small, with the result that it is one of the 

 most unsatisfactory items of the entire list. Ke- 



