58 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Over 



One Million Dollars 



111 savings has been returned its members by the 



Manufacturing 

 Lumbermen's Underwriters 



and there remains to the credit of members over 



Eight Hundred Thousand 

 Dollars 



The membership, which is constantly increasing, 

 is now composed of over four hundred of the best 

 saw mill plants in the country. Insurance in force 

 exceeds thirty-one million and nearly three million 

 dollars has been paid in losses. If you have a first- 

 class plant adequately protected and are interested 

 in low cost fire insurance, correct policy forms, an 

 inspection service which may save you from a dis- 

 astrous fire, with the certainty of a prompt and 

 equitable adjustment in case loss does occur, and 

 wish a list of members and annual statement we will 

 be glad to hear from you. 



Rankin-Benedict Underwriting Co. 



HARRY B. CLARK 



Western Represenlalive 



Port land, Ore. 



Attorney in Fact 



KANSAS CITY, MO. 



WA N T E D 



All Kinds of High-Grade 



HARDWOODS 



S. E. SLAYMAKER & CO. 



Fifth Avenue BuildinXi 



Repreeentlng: 

 WEST VIRGINIA SPRUCE LtTMBEB CO., 



Caaa, West Vireinia. 



NEW YORK 



The Tegge Lumber Go. 



High Grade 



Northern and Southern 



Hardwoods and Mahogany 



Specialties 



OAK, MAPLE, CYPRESS, POPLAR 

 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 



aildcd moi-o life to building operatious not only lu Milwaukee, but in vari- 

 ous' iiarts otf the state. A decided gairi for the pa.st week and the month 

 to date is shown by the figures at the office of the building Inspector. 

 During the past week permits were issued for building to cost $133,806, 

 as compared with .$87,325 the corresponding week a year ago. There have 

 been 110 permits granted this month up to date for structures to cost 

 .$213, lOU, as against 80 permits, representing an investment of $134,985 

 during the same period in 1913. 



The lumber business is beginning to show a little more life. Dealers 

 are meeting with a better trade and most of them are beginning to find 

 that their stocks are rather low and hardly at a point to cope with the 

 spring rush. Dealers all over Wisconsin have been making inquiries and 

 are now beginning to place some real orders for hardwood. The high 

 prices which are prevailing at the present time are deterring some deal- 

 ers from buying, but most retailers realize that there is little possibility 

 of prices going lower, in view of the decreasing stocks and the increasing 

 demand. 



Factory consumers are not coming forward so freely as wholesalers 

 might wish. While stocks on hand at most of the plants are far from 

 being large, there is an inclination on the part of manufacturers to buy 

 only enough to supply their immediate wants. The farm Implement 

 and vehicle concerns are buying more readily than other factories, as 

 the business outlook in their particular field is bright. Furniture manu- 

 facturers In Milwaukee and about the state are expected to place larger 

 orders from now on, while better Inquiries and a fair business are 

 coming in from the automobile manufacturing concerns. 



Prices in northern hardwoods are holding especially firm, with demand 

 good for birch, maple and basswood. Low grade basswood is picking up, 

 a natural result of increased activity among the box manufacturing 

 concerns. Offerings of oak from the south are fairly plentiful, but prices 

 seem to be holding their own and the market in this lini' is as firm as 



=-< ST. LOUIS y- 



There is a little more activity manifest in the hardwood situation 

 and there is a seasonable volume of business being done. The number 

 of orders is increasing and inquiries are coming in more freely than for 

 some time. The weather is still anything but favorable for business and 

 this is handicapping trade to some extent. The line yards and factories 

 are coming in for orders for their early spring requirements but they 

 are not buying as liberally as they would be doing with pleasant weather 

 prevailing. Plain sawed white oak seems to be most in demand and 

 quartered red and white oak are not very far behind. Red gum and 

 bone dry ash are in fair inquiry. The prospects for all items on the 

 hardwood list indicate an early advance in prices. Cypress conditions 

 show renewed life. Nearly ail kinds of cypress stock are being called for 

 and the number of orders are constantly increasing. Prices are also 

 gaining strength, especially on the upper grade material. 



--<,LIVERPOOLy- 



There seemed to be a better tone to the market during the past fortnight 

 and some good sales from stock were made. It is to be hoped, however, 

 that this will not be taken by shippers as a pretext for further consign- 

 ment shipments. The market has a long way to go before it really recovers 

 its normal condition and profitable trade is once again moving. The 

 timber quays are exceptionally busy, mahogany, hickory and oak planks 

 l>eing the chief features. Lumbermen state that they never before saw so 

 much mahogany and hickory land on the Liverpool quays. Quite naturally, 

 very low figures are ruling for both items. In the hickory market prices as 

 low as eighteen pence per cubic foot Liverpool string measure are ruling, 

 though this price covers wood mainly of inferior quality. Even strictly 

 prime parcels are going at 2s/4d and it is not necessary to say that these 

 prices are not profitable to shippers. The round hickory market is exceed- 

 ingly limited and very sensitive in the face of heavy arrivals. Buyers here 

 must have the stock, and if only a reasonable control of shipments were 

 made, shippers could easily receive much higher prices. Mahogany was 

 decidedly w-eak at the last sales and several bargains were moving. While 

 mahogany is still very heavily stocked, there are no signs that prices will 

 go much lower. An improvement upward is anticipated within the next 

 month or so. In view of the heavy stock Jt is unlikely that heavy ship- 

 ments will now be made, and though no immediate advance is likely it is 

 thought that the bottom figure has been reached. The bulk of the stock 

 is held in firm hands and there was no tendency at the last sales to throw 

 stock away. On .the contrary, brokers were inclined to hold for fixture 

 sales and some few logs were withdrawn in this way. Oak planks were 

 also again heavily imported during the past fortnight, but have sold sur- 

 prisingly well in view of the heavy stocks. Birch is very scarce and there 

 is hardly a log in the market of prime grade to offer. Quartered oak in 

 prime grades is in good request and holders of IVi", 1M>" and %" stocks of 

 white oak are nearly cleaned out. Tupelo buyers are not very busy at the 

 moment and prices have sagged. The market will come again, however, 

 if shippers will be patient, and for wide stocks an increasing trade is 

 looked for. Cottonwood is weak, as are also the common grades of poplar. 

 .Vsh lumber is very much overstocked and on no account should con- 

 signment parcels he shipped. .\sh logs have been fairly good, but consign- 

 ments are now foolishly pouring in and thi- future market is not con- 

 sidered very firm. 



