56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Si.|)t.-mlicr 10. 1021 



Thomas Forman Company 



DETROIT, MICHIGAN 



Lumber and Interior Finish 



WHOLESALE AND RETAIL 



FOREMAN'S FAMOUS FLOORtNO 



OAK AND MAPLE 



We Specialize in Less than Carload Shipments 



Are You Marking Time or Killing Time? 



Many business men who are 

 complimenting themselves for 

 theii ability to "hold their 

 own" right now are destined 

 to be rudely awakened with a 

 realization that they have not 

 been marking time, but kill- 

 ing, it. Marking time implies 

 action — action preparatory to 

 movement. 



It is hard to prepare if you do 

 not know what you are pre- 

 paring for. You cannot af- 

 ford to guess. The Brook- 



mire Economic Service gives 

 you definite, accurate, forward 

 advice; our Consultation De- 

 partment aflfords you the ad- 

 vantages of having your indi- 

 vidual problems individually 

 analyzed and discussed. 



The cost of the complete serv- 

 ice is within the means of 

 even the most modest enter- 

 prises — a few cents a day. 



Write today for all details and 

 fi L-e current Bulletin M. 



"The Original 



System of 

 Forecasting from 

 Economic Cycles" 



BROOKMIRE 



ECONOMIC 

 SERVICE, INC. 



25 W.45thSt. N.Y. 



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 Flooring 



"Best by Test" 



Maple, Birch, Basswood, Elm, Beech 



The Bitrii to foUnw 

 for Mapio Flooring 



The Tegge Lumber Goi 



High Grade 



Northern and Southern 



Hardwoods and Mahogany 



Specialties 



OAK, MAPLE, CYPRESS, POPLAR 

 Milwaukee,^ Wisconsin 



gets wi'll under way. The belief Is gaining ground that the bottom of the 

 di'pifsslon has really been reached and that anyone who enters Into com- 

 niltnients now tan do so with something like assurance that the quota- 

 tions will not recede materially. 



BOSTON 



While it is true Ihat the whidc lianlwooils traile here is unsatisfactory 

 ami not at all up to normal, yi-t there is eneouraginK news about the trade 

 licre at present which augurs well for this month and the fall in the 

 npinion of many. Most of the hardwoods wholesalers here report an 

 iniprovement l)olh in demand and incjuiry. This is not an improvement of 

 Ijcjom size but the kind of bettering which sensible men say means the 

 lieginning of lietter things. There is a little more liuying by the house 

 linish people and consideral)ly more inquiry. That is certain. This 

 afl'ects about a fifth of the total hardwoods trade here. There is more 

 demand and inquiry from the hardwoods yards and from the furniture 

 people. While it cannot lie said demand is really at all substantially ini- 

 Ijrtjvcii in l)usiness with the musical instrument, piano, automobile !}ody 

 or <liair making industries, tliere is a little more inquiry from them. Tiiere 

 is a slight strengthening of the market noticeal)ie. There is still weakness 

 in tile common grades, but the weakness in the upper grades is growing less 

 and dealers are realizing the lessened supplies in these grades. Theiv has 

 ln-en a little advance in white ash here and there is talk of more a<lvances 

 Itecause of the scarcity of better grade stock. Maple is still pretty cheai> 

 and some bargains are still to be had but firmness is looked for. There 

 is more inquiry for both red and sap birch, and a little more demand, so 

 they are strengthening. With the characteristic quality of the mont'i of 

 August of bringing dullness to the whole lumber traile here, better busi- 

 ness is looked far as a matter of course, if for no other reason. There is 

 more oi)tiniisin among the hardwoods people than for a long time past. 

 Yet there is lots of room fiir iniprovement. for all is not yet rosy. 



COLUMBUS 



A (lecidoil improvement in tlio ti»ne ()f the lianlwcMni tnulf in oontral 

 f»hio has taken place during the past fortnight. Buying is of better volume 

 ;inil inquiries are more numerous, making a better feelin.g in all localities. 

 It is believed that the worst of the slump is now over and that a continu«'d 

 betterment will be shown from this time on. 



Retailers are still the best feature of the trade. Dealers' stocks are not 

 large and a fair run of business from yards has been booked. These orders 

 are generally small, as dealers are loath to accumulate stocks for the 

 future. Mi.xed cars appear to be the rule. Factories are also placing 

 tirders rather actively and this is helping out to a large extent. Furniture 

 concerns which had good shows earlier in the season have worked up their 

 old stocks and are buying rather actively. Railroads are placing inquiries 

 preparatory to buying later when satisfactory financial arrangements can 

 be niaile. Box factories are also buying well, principally ktw grade stocks. 



There is a continued scarcity of the higher grades of oak and poplar. 

 and consequently the demand is being switch to medium grades to a certain 

 extent. Shipments are coming out promptly from all sections. Prices 

 are stronger and there is not nearly as wide a spread as formerly. Pros- 

 pects for the future are considered good. 



CINCINNATI 



Optimism has taken the place of pessimism in the hardwood circles in 

 this district, and there is a feeling expressed on all sides that the middle 

 of this month will see a decided change for the better in market condi- 

 tions. A slight improvement has already been noticed, especially in the 

 demand for No. 1 common, as prices on this stock have advanced from 

 $2 to !f5 a thousand. Finish and flooring stocks are scarce, due to the 

 fact that the mills are not accumulating this material, but simply keep- 

 ing in pace with the demand. Cheap stock is rapidly disappearing from 

 the market, and there are a good many inquiries out for firsts and seconds, 

 especially in walnut, oak. poplar and gum. Furniture manufacturers have 

 sliown better activity than any of the other wood consuming industries. 

 r)uring the past tw() weeks they have bought gum and oak in No. 1 common 

 and better and sending with their orders the intimation that the revival 

 of business on an extensive scale is just right around the corner. The 

 railroads are still holding off placing orders and many hardwood dealers 

 have practically given up hopes of getting any real business from this 

 source this year. Oenerally speaking, the volume of business during the 

 month of .Vugust was not large and for tlie most part the items purchased 

 were used for fill-in purposes. Prices also are a bit firmer and collec- 

 tions while slow are somewhat improved. Retailers are placing small 

 4>rders mostly to fill in depleted stocks in order to be in a jiosition to take 

 • are of the fall demand. The outlook is too uneeriain tor any predictions. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



Little improvement is to be seen in the liardwoOfl situation here, in 

 fact some grades are a tritie weak to quoted prices of a etiuple of weeks 

 ago. Building is proceeding and at the present time the biggest group 

 of consumers of hardwoods here is the sash, door and interior trim manu- 

 facturers. Tlie furniture trade is doing some buying, but most of it ap- 



