January 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



49 



the large demand which must be taken care of mainly through the stocks 

 now on hand, will eventuate in materially higher prices before the year 

 becomes much older. 



The foregoing applies altogether to the domestic situation. But there 

 Is an increasing demand from Europe, and one of the big manufacturers 

 said in regard to this : 



■•I do not take much stock In the talk uf a big demand from Europe for 

 the purpose of rehabilitating the devastated portions of France and 

 Belgium. But 1 do attach vast importance to the talk of importing large 

 quantities of hardwood lumber from .\merica on the part of England. 

 Belgium and France for the purpose of rehabilitating the imlustries which 

 were put out of commission to a very large extent through the war. The 

 British government is maintaining timber control at the present time, 

 but I do not anticipate that this will last very long, for the reason that 

 the controller cannot handle the probbMU of securing the specml kinds 

 of stock which these industries need. I have seen a furniture factory tied 

 up because it did not have the special kind of timber required for table 

 legs 1 have seen a wagon factory stopped because it could not ship 

 wagons that were complete in every other respect except the poles which 

 had to be made out of a special kind of timber. Some of the big indus- 

 tries in England require as much as 25.000.000 feet of hardwood lumber 

 in different stages of drying or manufacture and the government cannot 

 look after all this. These industries are too Important a part of the indus- 

 trial and commercial life of England, Belgium and France to be allowed 

 to stop or remain closed flown because of lack of raw materials. I look 

 for a big foreign demand tor hardwooil liimlier from .\merica, and I lielievc^ 

 that this, coming on top of the indicated big requirements in America, 

 will materially strengthen the market and play a big part in bringing 

 about higher prices." 



=-< LOUISVILLE y- 



There has lieen a general improvement in the hardwood market during 

 the past ten days with inquiries coming in extremely well, and a very 

 fair volume of new business being placed on immediate shipment busi- 

 ness. The inquiries from the furniture trade are especially heavy, while 

 all lines are showing some improvement, and local demand is better than 

 it has been for any period in the past six months. Some very good orders 

 have been reported by leading local houses during the past few days, one 

 house having received a contract for immediate shipment of one million 

 feet of 4/4 common plain oak, another for 100,000 feet of 6/4 common 

 and cull poplar, and a third for 100,000 feet of thick poplar, consisting 

 of 2Vi-inch and up, the latter for export. Export business is not picking 

 up rapidly, due to prohibitive ocean rates and shortage of bottoms. How- 

 ever, it is believed that some of the eastern jobbers are beginning to place 

 orders in order to get stocks ready to take care of export demand. Prices 

 as a whole are very fair, and the trade is well satisfied in this respect. 

 Flooring is showing some little improvement, and there is a lietter outlook 

 for interior trim opening again. 



=< BEAUMONT >= 



Hardwood men are more pleased over the outlook than they have been 

 since the early fall and expect a gradual improvement in the demand as 

 the factories turn back to peace work. 



The demand for gum has already become very evident, while oak is a 

 close second. Inquiries, however, are coming In for all kinds and grades, 

 many of the consumers merely writing that they expect to be using the 

 normal amount of material shortly and to send along stock sheets. 



Inquiries for foreign accounts continue to come in, and the gradual 

 release of bottoms by the government is expected to make it possible to 

 take advantage of this demand. 



Mill men are taking more consolation in the labor situation than any- 

 thing else, for it indicates that they will soon be in position to take care 

 of the business offered. The improvement is from an efficiency standpoint, 

 and is largely due to men returning from factories and plants engaged 

 In war work, which have closed down or diminished their activity. A little 

 relief is being experienced from men returning from the army, the easy 

 positions and high wages of a few weeks ago not being open to them they 

 are asking for their old Jobs back and receiving them. 



=-< MILWAUKEE >- 



In the opinion of well-informed hardwood men, the coming season is 

 hound to be an active one, and at this time the producers of the North 

 are bending every effort to reach a maximum output, limited only by the 

 log supply and by conditions that the future may develop in view of the 

 tact that this is the period of reconstruction, or, rather, readjustment. 

 There has been a hesitancy on the part of some buyers to make purchases 

 In the usual volume, in the hope that buying may be done more advan- 

 tageously later in case a declining market develops. However, it becomes 

 more and more ajiparent that it is almost unreasonable to expect prices to 

 soften materially since the cost of production at this time is the highest 

 ever known and is above the level of the war time period. Logging costs 

 are far beyond the highest point ever known, and manufacturing costs 

 likewise are abnonnally high because of the greatly increased cost of 

 labor and other factors entering into the situation. 



The demand for hardwoods among industries Is increasing, but is not 

 yet in full swing. This is not considered unusual or unfavorable, as the 

 season is young. The inquiries that are being put out, however, indicate 

 that large requirements are in prospect. 



The movement of logs from the camps to mills of the North is rapidly 

 reaching normal, and mill operations in many sections are being increased 

 to a maximum as the result. 



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MANUFACTURERS AND WHOLESALERS 



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