56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



W A NT E D 



All Kinds of High-Grade 



HARDWOODS 



S. E. SLAYMAKER & CO. 



WKST VIRGINIA''8rRUCE LDMBER CO.. ^'^*^ Avenue Buildinjr, 

 Caaa, Wrat Virginia. 



NEW YORK 



Mutual Fire Insurance 



Best Indemnity at Lowest Net Cost 

 Can Be Obtained From 



Boston, Mass. 



The Lumber Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 



The Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Company, 



Mansfield, Ohio. 



The Pennsylvania Lumbermen's Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



The Indiana Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Company, 



Indianapolis, Ind. 



The Central Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Company, 



Van Wert, Ohio 



$141,000.00 



In Savings DIVIDENDS Returned 

 This Year to Policy Carriers of 



The Lumbermen's 

 Underwriting Alliance 



Possibly there is no good reason why 

 YOU were not among these beneficiaries. 

 If it is a matter of eligibility, and you 

 feel that your plant does not at present 

 comply with all requirements, confer 

 with us anyway. Let us see if it cannot 

 be brought up to an acceptable standard 

 at no greater cost than will be justified 

 by the prospective saving on insurance 

 rates. 



U. S. Epperson & Company 



Attorney and Manager 

 1101 R. A. LONG BLDG. KANSAS CITY 



"l'l"'i' gnides of cottouwood, however, are comparatively slow. Sap gum 

 in till' upper grades moves well but rod has shown little If any Improve- 

 imnt recently though there has been considerable increase In the number 

 of imiulrles. Cypress Is still slow with the exception of shops, which 

 move pretty well. Export business Is still rather quiet. 



=-< NASHVILLE >■= 



Unsettled and sevcrr winlry Hiiillur diiriiii; the month of March had 

 the elTect of curtailing the dcinand for liardwood lumber in this market. 

 .\prll opened with more favorable weather, and it is believed that a 

 material Increase In business will be shown this month. There Is a 

 good demand for plain and quartered oak. Poplar In some grades is 

 also in fair demand. Orders are also being received for ash, hickory 

 and other lines in moderate way. Itetail trade has i)een more active on 

 account of more building o|ierntioiis. 



=-< LOUISVILLE >- 



A considerable improvement in the demand for hardwoods has been 

 in evidence since the first of the month, buyers having come to the end 

 of their rope as far as reserve stocks are concerned, and having decided 

 to place some of the orders which they have been holding up awaiting 

 either a definite indication as to business conditions or a break in the 

 market. While the general business situation has not been more closely 

 defined than heretofore, lumber prices have not relaxed, either ; and there 

 being no further excuse for holding off, buyers are coming into the 

 market. The opening of building operations is going to help conditions, 

 while spring business with the furniture retailers and others will move 

 enough goods to keep the furniture manufacturers working to fill in their 

 stocks. However, general conditions in the furniture trade are probably 

 below normal just now. The demand for quartered oak is excellent, and 

 prices are firm. Plain oak is aliout the same, no special change being 

 reported. .-Vsh is showing improvement, as is Cottonwood. Red gum 

 is also said to be picking up. Some export business is making its appear- 

 ance. Chestnut is in good call. 



=-< ST. LOUIS y 



Only a limited volume of business is being done by the local hard- 

 wood distributors but nevertheless trade is fairly good, all things con- 

 sidered, and it is growing better with good prospects in sight. While the 

 local stocks are of good size and pretty well assorted, the distributors do 

 not hesitate to buy when bargains are being offered by the manufacturers 

 as it is well known that the country yards have depleted stocks and must 

 replenish them when business begins. Plain-sawed white oak is most in 

 demand with quartered red and white oak a close second. The better 

 grades of red gum and thick ash are also in fairly good request. Prices 

 on all items are being well maintained. The cypress trade is showing 

 a gradual Improvement. Many small orders are coming in and more 

 will come with pleasant weather. The majority of the orders are for 

 mixed ear lots. The factory trade is not so good as it might be, although 

 it, too, is showing an improvement and will I>e much better when general 

 business conditions are improved. 



=-< MILWAUKEE >-= 



The hardwood business seonis to be improving slowly. Plenty of in- 

 quiries are being made, a fact which leads wholesalers to believe that 

 there are better things ahead. Actual orders from retailers about Wis- 

 consin are coming in at a better rate, as stocks are light at most yards. 

 The average dealer seems to have finally come to the conclusion that 

 prices are sure to go higher and that the longer the placing of orders is 

 deferred the greater chance there is of paying a higher figure. 



Late developments seem to show that some of the large hardwood con- 

 suming concerns have enough stocks on hand to last them for a time, 

 so it may be expected that these concerns will buy as little as possible 

 until new stocks are in shipping condition. Most of the smaller concerns, 

 however, are not stocked up so heavily, and wholesalers are looking for 

 an improved demand from this source. 



The decreased log cut of northern Wisconsin and Michigan during the 

 past season is expected to result in higher prices for all lines of northern 

 hardwood. No winter was experienced until the latter part of January, 

 so that very little skidding or hauling was done until after February 1. 

 Most concerns were fortunate in finally getting all their logs to the 

 sidings, but the total cut was much smaller than had been anticipated. 



Hardwood prices are holding firm, although few advances have been 

 made as yet. Birch and basswood are in good demand and it is reported 

 from the lumber country that birch logs are selling as high as .$25 per 

 thousand on the cars, at least .$2 or .$3 higher than the selling price of 

 a year ago. Maple is iu good request, a natural result of a better in- 

 quiry for maple Uooring. Southern oak, especially plain oak, is firm and 

 is in leading demand among the southern hardwoods. 



liuilding permits issued by W. D. Harper. Milwaukee building inspector, 

 (luring the first three months of the present year, represent an investment 

 of .fl. 744. 002. as compared with $1,609,441 during the corresponding 

 period a year ago. This represents a gain of .*1.34.,5(>1. Inspector Harper 

 is confident that building operations will attain a new high point 

 during UI14. 



