January 25, 1922 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



5i^ 



section are either being operated on part time or are closed down alto- 

 getlicr. General business conditions continue to hold their own and there 

 is a feeling that 1922 is going to be a better trade year than was 1921. 

 Collections are holding their own very well. Few logs are coming into 

 the local market, due to the rains and floods in the logging districts of 

 the south and along Green and Barren rivers in western Kentucky. Log 

 prices are regarded as rather high. Lumber prices are holding their own 

 very well and no serious reductions are looked for between now and spring, 

 tor the reason that many of the mills report low stocks and when the de- 

 mand shows a picking up there is bound to be an upward tendency in 

 prices, the manufacturers and wholesalers declare. Wood working plants 

 in this city, as well as those at Owenshoro, Ky., and Tell City, Ind., are 

 being operated from 75 to SO per cent normal time. It is believed that a 

 little later on the furniture plants of Evansville will be able to operate on 

 a better schedule than at the present time. The outlook for the furniture 

 trade is much better now than it was a year ago this time and the manu- 

 facturers here who have returned from the Chicago market, report that 

 they secured enough business to keep their plants in operation for several 

 weeks to come. 



MEMPHIS 



The hardwood market is slowly gaining in activity as a result of the 

 better demand now being experienced as compared with the average of 

 the past several weeks. Both inquiries and orders are somewhat more nu- 

 merous, and, although business is not yet back to proportions shown before 

 the Christmas holidays, and the inventorying period intervened, members 

 of the trade here believe that there will be good buying by the end of the 

 current month or early in February' at the latest. Manufacturers of floor- 

 ing, sash, doors and interior trim are the best buyers at the moment and 

 these are taking fair quantities of oak and other southern hardwoods. 

 Wholesale interests are buying moderately while there is a fair volume of 

 orders from miscellaneous consumers. Export inquiry is rather more active 

 than a short time ago and members of the industry here who cater to the 

 foreign trade are disposed to look for somewhat heavier buying from 

 overseas. 



Furniture interests are not buying much lumber at present but the trade 

 here is very much encouraged over reports received from the Grand Rapids 

 and Chicago furniture markets. It is generally felt that there will be a 

 good demand from furniture manufacturers as the season progresses, thus 

 supplementing buying on the part of building trade interests. 



It is pointed out that the market is displaying a healthy undertone. 

 Failure of a more active demand to develop has not resulted in pressure 

 to sell on the part of holders and practically all sales effected are on the 

 basis of list prices. 



It is probable that there has been some increase in hardwood stocks 

 during the past several weeks, not because of relatively large production 

 but because of very limited shipments. It is anticipated, however, that, in 

 the very near future, unless demand fails to broaden as expected, ship- 

 ments will again exceed output. The production outlook is by no means 

 inspiring to either manufacturing or consuming interests. Log supplies are 

 the smallest in the history of the southern hardwood lumber industry and 

 the time of the year is at hand when logging is usually seriously held in 

 check by unfavorable weather developments. At the same time, the fact 

 remains that the number of crews actually In the woods shows a heavy 

 loss compared with the average for this time of the year and that log sup- 

 plies would be relatively light even if the crews at work should show some- 

 thing like 100 per cent efiQciency. 



BEAUMONT 



The e.xpected dullness in the hardwood market following upon the heels 

 of the holidays has duly put in its appearance. Very few orders are being 

 booked, but inquiries in limited quantities are coming in from all sections 

 of the country, which is looked upon as rather a healthy condition. 



There is a strong feeling of optimism among the manufacturers, and 

 this is further strengthened by conditions which would tend to prevent a 

 decline from present established prices. There are no stocks to speak of 

 at either the mills or at plants drawing their supplies from this section. 

 This, of course, refers particularly to upper grades. The production is 

 very low and it takes only a small number of orders to take care of the 

 cut. 



The fact that the Santa Fe railroad has made a cut of approximately 

 25 per cent on lumber from east Texas and west Louisiana points served 

 by that system to Beaumont is being commented upon very favorably by 

 the hardwood men. The action of the Santa Fe is looked upon as a very 

 favorable omen and if the same concessions can be secured over the Santa 

 Fe and other lines to the northern wood working plants, the situation 

 will be considerably changed. 



While it is too early to make any definite prognostications, hardwood 

 men look upon the situation as a whole as very favorable for a good year. 



LOUISVILLE 



The most encouraging news received is from the furniture shows, where 

 it is reported the manufacturers are taking good orders, and are feeling 

 satisfied that a good volume of business is to be done. Already a few 



VESTAL LUMBER 

 & MFG. COMPANY 



INCORPORATED 



Soft Textured Oak 



Poplar 



Black Walnut 



Tenn. Red Cedar 



KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 



BAND MILLS AT VESTAL 



A SUBURB OF K.^•OX^^LLE 



FONDE, KY., & DUFF, TENN. 



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Delta Hardwoods 



OUR ESTABLISHED POLICY 



IS TO PRODUCE ONLY THE BEST IN 

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 LUMBER. WE CARRY IN STOCK A 

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 SUPPLY ANY OF THE REGULAR 

 GRADES AND THICKNESSES OF OAK, 

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 IN UNIFORM QUALITY AND TEXTURE 



HARDWOODS 



THAT 



APPEAL 



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Double Band Mills 

 II 



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The 



BREECE 



Manufacturing Co. 



Arkansas City, Ark. 



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