36 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



June 10. I 92 I 



terns with which the furniture industry is right now being revolu- 

 tionized. 



In the Middle West where the automobile industry controls so 

 largely, conditions are not so good and less is expected from the 

 dealers of this section than from the East. For a time when it 

 was announced almost daily that the automobile industry was 

 picking up, it was expected that general conditions would improve 

 and the furniture business along with it. But the automobile busi- 

 ness took another slump and things are still at something like a 

 standstill. 



In the agricultural states what with the drop in the prices of 

 all farm products, especially wheat and pork, the furniture busi- 

 ness has been poor and heavy buying from this section is hardly 

 to be hoped for. 



The south is flat. Last year's cotton crop not only remains 

 unsold but is mortgaged to the limit and the dealer down there 

 is unable to sell the furniture stock he already has, so who could 

 expect him to buy more? 



But in spite of all these conditions the manufacturers look for a 

 steady, conservative and wise buying in the July market. They do 

 not expect and indeed do not hope for any such conditions as 

 broke upon them two years ago. They have fairly well cleaned 

 up their old stocks and old patterns and are out with new furni- 

 ture in new designs and expect businesslike, safe and sane buying 

 during the coming six months. They are urging this, too, because 

 they honestly expect that business conditions will have greatly 

 improved before the holidays and they hope the dealers will have 

 a fair stock on hand in order that there may be no flood of orders 

 for quick delivery a little later in the season. 

 Opinions of Manufacturers 



The following excerpts from letters of manufacturers 1 have 

 received give a pretty fair indication of what conditions are and 



what may be expected — at least what the manufacturers expect: 



This from a big southern manufacturer: "Business with us 

 during January and February was very slow, but since then we 

 have succeeded in closing out all of our old patterns and now 

 have the factories running at a fair rate of speed on new goods. 

 We shall have a complete new line in the Grand Rapids market. 

 We don't expect to get rich at the July market. From what 1 

 can find out there is going to be a large number of buyers there 

 and while we expect to do more business than in January, we are 

 quite sure it will not be necessary to hang out any 'Sold Up* sign.** 



This from one of the biggest commission men on the market: 

 "Business is only fair a little better in the East than in the Cen- 

 tral West. However, we find we can give away quite a little mer- 

 chandise when we find ourselves in a philanthropic mood. We 

 believe, however, that prices will be pretty well stabilized at the 

 Grand Rapids market." 



An eastern manufacturer writes this: "Business has indeed been 

 very poor this spring, although we had our full share of it, but this 

 is not saying much." 



This comes from an old Michigan manufacturer: "Of course 

 we can only guess about the July market, but 1 am convinced it will 

 see prices at the bottom and that the retailers will accept that 

 fact as a fact and be willing to buy what little they need at the 

 prices quoted. We do not expect to do any cut throat pricing." 



A Wisconsin manufacturer writes: "This company has not 

 been complaining this season, as we have been kept moderately 

 busy since the first of March and business seems to improve each 

 week. We are very strongly in hopes that the July market will 

 show up nicely." 



These quotations are from manufacturers who keep very closely 

 in touch with conditions everywhere and ought to be a fair 

 barometer of what the July market will show. 



Next Evansville Market in August 



The second semi-annual furniture and stove market to be given 

 under the auspices of the Evansville Furniture Manufacturers' 

 Association at Evansville, Ind,, w^ill be given on August 29 to Sep- 

 tember 3, according to an announcement made a few days ago. 

 Advertising in the leading trade journals of the United States 

 will start at once. The manufacturers are greatly enthused over 

 the coming market and believe it will bring many buyers and 

 visitors to Evansville. The first market of the Evansville manu- 

 facturers was held in April and the manufacturers at Evansville 

 say that a poorer time could not have been selected for that mar- 

 ket owing to the bad business conditions that existed all over the 

 country at that time. Now things have picked up a great deal and 

 in the opinion of the manufacturers conditions are going to con- 

 tinue to get better. The personnel of the executive committee of 

 the Evansville Furniture Manufacturers' Association that will have 

 the work of arranging the details of the September market will be 

 the same as it w^as during the April market. The members of the 

 committee are as follows: Edwin F. Karges, the Karges Furniture 

 Company, chairman ; Gilbert H. Bosse, the Imperial Desk Com- 

 pany; Sol Reese, the Midland Furniture Company; Henry W. 

 Goebel, the Klamer-Goebel Furniture Company, and Clarence H. 

 Noelting, the Faultless Caster Company. It is expected that more 

 out-of-town buyers and visitors will attend the second market than 

 the first one. "Buyers who attended the show in April, carried 

 home the word to other buyers who had never before thought of 

 purchasing furniture and stoves in Evansville," said Gilbert H. 

 Bosse. "The men who came last time will be back next time and 

 they will bring others with them," Buyers came to the April 

 market from twenty-two states in the United States and from 

 towns in Canada, Mexico and Cuba. The sales at the April mar- 

 ket amounted to something over $100,000. The Evansville manu- 

 facturers are planning things on a much larger scale for the next 

 market. 



Evansville Opens Southern Depot 



The first of several contemplated distributing houses for furni- 

 ture made in Evansville, Ind., has been opened at Dallas, Texas. 

 Harry Schu, secretary and treasurer of the Crescent and U. S. 

 Furniture Companies; Oscar A. Klamer, head of four Evansville 

 factories, and Henry J. Rusche, of the Specialty Furniture Com- 

 pany, returned a few days ago from Dallas after completing ar- 

 rangements for the organization of the new center. F. L. Schum- 

 pert, who has represented Evansville furniture firms in Dallas, 

 will have charge of the center. Tlie men interested in the enter- 

 prise are O. A. Klamer, Klamer factories, president; Henry J. 

 Rusche, Specialty Furniture Company, vice-president: Harry Schu, 

 Crescent and U. S. factories; William M. Elles, of the Evansville 

 Desk Company; William A. Koch, of the Evansville Metal Bed 

 Company; Henry C. Menke, of the Indiana Furniture Company; G. 



E. Marstall, of the Marstall Furniture Company at Henderson, Ky., 



F. L. Schumpert and F. L. Schumpert, Jr. The center was opened 

 for the accommodation of dealers in southern territory, according 

 to Harry Schu. The furniture will be shipped to the warehouse in 

 Dallas and dealers in furniture will then order through Dallas. A 

 similar center in Minneapolis and Cleveland is contemplated in the 

 near future. The new^ company is known as the F. L. Schumpert 

 Company and it has been capitalized at $20,000. 



Benjamin Bosse, mayor of Evansville, president of the Globe- 

 Bosse-World Furniture Company and the Imperial Desk Company, 

 also connected with several other large manufacturing concerns of 

 that city, returned a few days ago from a business trip to St. Louis. 

 Mayor Bosse believes that the general business conditions of the 

 country are growing better day by day and that it is only a ques- 

 tion of time until trade will be booming again. 



