Juiii' 111. i:p:.m 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



61 



Delaware, is tlif lioomer and the large wholesaler, on the utlier hand, is 

 the one wliose opinion of thp market is one of donht. There is. however, 

 one ooniiiion basis: nearly all aure.. (hat the eorner has heen turned toward 

 good business. 



The past thirt.v days has wiuiessed a eliango In tlie hardwiM.d business. 

 For three months the small dealer, who "stuek" with hiKh-priced storks, 

 enter.d the market to obtain business at almost any cost. I'"or sixty days 

 I'hiladrliihia witn.'ssed one of tlie worst price-cuttlnE wars in years. The 

 little fellow uei-ded money— evi.n a few of the middle-sizi'd dealers w.^rc^ 

 e<|nally KUilty— and he took ailvantaw of the turn in business conditions 

 to take orders at almost any price. The larjje dealers remained firm, know- 

 ing that prices would advance and when <|uotations were asked, the lart;e 

 dealer was from *10 to $CiU over the price-cutter. The result was that 

 the ptirchaser did an enormous armnint of "shoppinK" before he placed his 

 order. This price war had a very detrimental effect on the market. The 

 writer knows of old firms chanKlng (|uotatlons four and five times to hold 

 old customers, whih' not a few threw away orders as a matter of business 

 |)rinci]ile. Today conditions have chaiiRed. The little fellow is about 

 cleaneil out and be is in a |>osition where he must buy at advanced quota- 

 tions, but the bi;; dealer finds himself in a propitious position on a rising 

 market. Tlnrty days has seen low srade Hoorln;; slilTiMi. IukIi jzradi's more 

 staple and the senoral tone of the market in a vastly l>etter position. 



The largest purchasers of hardwood, such as the Victor Talking Machine 

 t'ompany. Baldwin's, and several furniture factories in this district, are 

 watching the market with cat like eyes. .\11 need enormous supjilies of 

 hardwoods and all are wondering wdietber this Is the right time to buy. 

 The dealers likewise are watching and their confidence in the upward trend 

 of the market is exeniplifieil in their ri'ticeiice. The big felhiw knows that 

 the market will go up and he can afford to wait. 



Probably the largest dealer in this territory maintains that one must 

 ci>nsider conditions as improved, that the turn has been made in the right 

 direction, but he predicts no boom or no business of more than han<l-to- 

 mouth basis during the summer. .\n interesting sidelight on the market 

 is found in the correspondence of the hardwood dealer. This week has 

 brought letters friun the mine operators asking quotations on lots from 

 200 to 300 cars of mixed grades. 'I'his is the first time quotations of this 

 size have been asked since the height of war days. Whether the inquiries 

 presage (»rders remains to l)e si'en. In addition, a number of English firms 

 have been writing to Philadelphia dealers for prices. These letters state 

 that business will be forthcondng provided financial arrangements may be 

 made. The low freight rates are attracting the foreigner, but only the 

 largest dealers are consideritig the question as it is necessary to giv*^ 

 extended credit. 



PITTSBURGH 



The strike of the building trades in Allegheny County is the one big news 

 item in the lundjer business trnlay. This started June 1 and Is likely to 

 continue for some time. Neither side shows any disposition to give in and 

 unle-ss something uniooked for occurs at the conference this morning, the 

 contractors are pretty sure to aiiopt an "open shop" policy and figlit it 

 out to a finish. Thirty-five planing mills have already resumed operations 

 on this basis with about 300 men employed so that the retail lumber yards 

 are not so badly crippled except for orders. Building is practically at a 

 standstill here and building permits are falling off accordingly. Yard 

 trade, outside the city where towns are not affected by strikes, is somewhat 

 better. Business in coal mine stocks has practically stopped. Railroad 

 buying is confined mostly to bridge timliers. ties and poles. Industrial 

 buying is very slow. Even automobile trade, which showed a little improve- 

 ment last month, has slumped again. Nobody is buying lumber except for 

 current needs and orders are very badly broken. 



CLEVELAND 



Immediate improvement in the hardwood market situation here following 

 the cessation of hostilities between eniplo.ver and employe In the building 

 trades, and which was expocte<l by not a few in the trade, has been signifi- 

 cant by its absence sinf e hostilities came to an end on .Tune 1. In fact in 

 the opinion of some leaders in trade there has been even less demand for 

 hardwood materials since the first of the month than there was even during 

 May wlien the strike was in full swing. OI>servers have pointed out that 

 the building public is still too wary to be influenced by the apparently 

 peaceful atmosphere in the building trades, and will be content tor the 

 time being to play a waiting game. Hence few new orders and equally 

 few inciuiries for materials for private work. On the other hand the 

 quietus put upon tlie strike, and the tact that public work started imme- 

 diately upon an agreement on the part of operatives to return to work, 

 has brought forth more in(|uiry. and more demand, for public work use. 

 and in this connection a considerable amount of maple flooring has been 

 absorbed for schord work, as well as some interior finish, it being the aim. 

 apparently, of authorities to rush school work to completion Iwfore the 

 fall term starts. Aside from this there is little daylight ahead tor the 

 hardwood distributor, for even the manufacturing interests have failed to 

 respond, as was expected at this time. Orders from automobile manufac- 

 turers and other industrial factors using quantities of hardwoods are still 

 of the hand-to-mouth character, reflecting in a way the slower outlet for 



A NAME that shculd be 

 on your inquiry list for 

 hardwood lumber. 



American 



Column & Lumber 



Company 



Brunson Bldg. 



COLUMBUS, OHIO 



OAK & HARDWOOD 

 DIMENSION STOCK 



Ma nufacturer* 

 of 



West Virginia 



SOFT 

 YELLOW 

 POPLAR 



PLAIN 

 WHITE 

 OAK 



PLAIN 



RED OAK 



QUARTERED 

 WHITE 

 OAK 



WHITE OAK 

 TIMBERS & 

 PLANK 



CHESTNUT 



BASSWOOD 



MAPLE 



HICKORY 



BEECH 



BUCKEYE 



BIRCH 



BUTTERNUT 



ASH 



CHERRY 



WALNUT 



SYCAMORE 



BLACK GUM 



HEMLOCK 



LOCUST 



r 



>i 



Delta Hardwoods 



WHAT DO YOU WANT? 



SOME CONSUMERS OF HARDWOOD 

 LUMBER DO NOT GET VALUE FOR 

 THEIR MONEY. OFTTIMES IT IS BE- 

 CAUSE THEY DO NOT STUDY THE 

 SOURCE OF THEIR SUPPLY. AR- 

 KANSAS IS THE HOME OF THE BEST 

 HARDWOODS. OUR DOUBLE BAND 

 MILLS ARE LOCATED IN THE CEN- 

 TER OF THE BEST HARDWOOD PRO- 

 DUCING REGION OF THE STATE. IT 

 WILL PAY YOU TO INVESTIGATE. 



GET THE FACTS 



NOW _, I 



Ihe I 



— -— BREECE^ 



Double Band MiUs Manufacturing Co. 

 II Arkansas City, Ark. Portsmouth, Ohio 



V. 



