HARDWOOD RECORD 



53 



increase after the stoek-takinj; perintl. Kiirniture eoucerns are imw en- 

 gaKed in tlieir semi-aDniml shmvs and of course there is dullness in that 

 department of the trade, liuiilenient and vehicle concerns are good buy- 

 ers. 



Retailers are also liuyinf; in limited quantities. Their inventories 

 showed that stocks were light and they are huyln;: sottie to replace stocks 

 which are needed at present. Kry slocks are only fair and as a result 

 prices are expected to be well maintained. The car supply is all that 

 can be desired and shipments are coming out promptly. Building opera- 

 tions in outsidi- work have practically stopped for the season but there 

 are many new buildings projected for the coming season. 



Prices are rather Arm all along the line. Some cutting Is reported but 

 these are Isolated cases. I'nder present conditions quotations are not 

 expected to decline to any great extent fur the coming few months. Col- 

 lections are not so good as might be desired. 



Quartered oak is firm all along the line both for firsts and .seconds and 

 No. 1 common. The same is true of plain oak which is selling well. 

 I'oplar is gaining In strength, .especially the lower grades. Chestnut is 

 moving well and the same Is true of basswood and ash. Other hardwoods 

 lire unchanged. 



=-< CINCINNATI >-- 



There is a very stroni: foeliiii: "f upiimism amont; luinln'niien over the 

 prospects for a luiich improved business. On every band on*' bears expres- 

 sions of confidence at the outlook. There is no question that the passage 

 nf the currency bill has had a lot to do with this feeling among the 

 dealers. The bill is considered by bankers to be a very good one. much 

 better than was expected. The amendments to the original bill, which, 

 by the way. was not at all approved, has had the effect of stimulating a 

 lack of confidence to one of expectaiion of much improved collections, which 

 alone should be of much assistance in restoring business to a normal 

 condition. Bankers claim that money will be much easier when the new- 

 law is in force and that they will be able to pursue a much more liberal 

 policy toward their customers. The factory trade, upon which so much 

 depends, is looking real gooil. and the chances are that in another month 

 they will be heavy purchasers of all kinds of stock, as it is a well-known 

 fact the.v are very low on stock on hand, having pursued the hand-to-mouth 

 policy so long that they have little on hand. They will likely let the 

 dealers carr.v the stock to considerable extent, as in the past few months, 

 but buying is bound to be on a much more liberal basis. Plain oak appears 

 to be strong: at least the many inquiries point that way. 



■< INDIANAPOLIS >- 



Hardwood lumiter int.-r.'Sts in Indiana [x .lis; uud vicinity are looking 

 forward to a moderate business in 1014. At present, of course, the market 

 is more or less inactive, the volume of business probably being smaller 

 than in .January of last year. 



Fair prices arc being maintained on all grades of hardwood, with the 

 possible exception of gum. which has suffered a considerable slump during 

 the last few months. Until the state can recover from the financial 

 situation that has existed since last August, no great improvement in 

 any line of business is expected. It can be said, however, that the 

 financial situation is gradually improving. 



=■< MEMPHIS >- 



TliH export market is i-athtr (|U!>-r nf tli.- intiment, and the reasons 

 assigned for this condition lie in th'^ tendenc.v toward lower ocean rates 

 and the consignment of large quantities of lumber to European firms. 

 The former makes buyers dispo.sed to hold off, in the hope of securing 

 advantage of the lower rates, while the latter has always been one of the 

 most disastrous features affecting the handling of legitimate business 

 ttetween exporters on this side and importing firms abroad. .\ i»rominent 

 exporter here is authority for the statement that the consignments on the 

 other side at present are quite large and that their presence makes bona 

 fide sales quite difficult to put through. He sa.vs that the markets where 

 these consignments are noted — principally Liverpool, .\ntwerp and Bel- 

 gium — are demoralized to such extent that the legitimate exporter is 

 handicapped beyond th** possibilit.v of effecting sales on a profitable basis. 

 The riamburg-.^merican line has reduced rates voluntarily five cents i)er 

 hundred pounds between New Orleans and Hamburg, and there is some 

 talk of lower rates on the part of some of the other steamship companies. 

 The latter, however, are still holding out for pretty full rates, so much 

 so that the committee recenti.v appointed by the Southern Hardwood 

 Traffic Bureau to make a thorough investigation of the alleged discrimi- 

 nation of th" steamship companies out of New Orleans against Memphis 

 and the Memphis territory Is still actively engaged in carrying out the 

 Instructions of this body. Ocean rates as a whole, however, are more 

 unsettled than they have been for a long while, and the knowledge of this 

 fact tends to restrain importations of lumber on a large scale. 



=•< BRISTOL y- 



The Bristol linnlMrmcn are eiicoiiraL-.-d at the outlook for bnsini'ss during 

 the remainder of the winter and spring. They expect a better demand for 

 hardwood ltiml>er than characterized the market during the closing weeks 

 of the past year. The yards in this section are fairly wi'll stocked and 

 the mills, as a rule, will get in good time during the winter. There are 

 fewer mills idle than Is usual at this season of the year. 



Mahogany and 

 Circassian 



Lumber & Veneers 



f^ The largest assortment of finest figured 

 Mahogany Logs, Lumber and Veneers in 

 the country can be found at the Chicago 

 plant of C. L. Willey. 



^ We are just in receipt of fifteen cars of 

 remarkably superior Circassian Walnut 

 Logs, large size, well-figured and of good 

 color, which are now being cut into 

 Veneers. 



^ A visit or correspondence from discrim- 

 inating buyers of all varieties of fine Im- 

 ported and Domestic Cabinet Woods in 

 Lumber and Veneer is solicited. 



^ You will not only find the Willey ware- 

 houses well stocked with a superb collec- 

 tion of Circassian, Mahogany, Vermilion, 

 Black Walnut and other fancy foreign 

 and domestic lumber and veneers, but 

 buyers are assured of prompt and pains- 

 taking service, and a quality of product 

 not usually obtainable. 



^ To visit the plant take Blue Island Ave. 

 car at the postofifice to Robey Street. 



C. L. WILLEY, Chicago 



Largest Fancy Wood Veneer 

 and Lumber producing plant in the world 



