October 25, 1017 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



49 



lion Is not coniptlpd ri'jnilarl.v rejranlinK usb, hickory. ooflonwniHl and 

 sunn* otht'i* hanlwiMuls. hut Ihc kiio\v|p<lKt' that only moUerate stocks nrr 

 Ihf nil»^ whrre (l<>tailt'il Inforniation Is to he had has raustnl a rovislcm nt" 

 Ideas about th»' miantit.v nf tht's** tithtT Items. ThtT*- was a dlsitosltion 

 for A whlU" to shade prices somewhat on hardwood luniher but just now 

 praelieally all ni'iuUers of the trade are refusing tt> make any concessions. 

 There is a Kood demand for eottonwood and gum in the lower grades and 

 jIso for thick plain oak In N/4 to lt>/4 In No. 2 cummitn and better, 

 'juito a good call is also noted for ash and hickory and for sap gum in 

 ■'•th the lower and higher grades. A fair demand prevails fur quartered 

 ..ik and red gum. Bnx hoards in eottonwiMid. gum and poplar are in ex 

 • llent request at full prices and oBferings are rather small. 



Increasing dirticulty is being experienced in effecting deliveries of lum- 

 ber I'ecanse of the growing shortage of cars. Conditions in this respect, 

 lumhormeu heliove, will become steadily worse until the maximum move- 

 niont of the cotton crop has been passed some weeks hence. 



=■< LOUISVILLE >= 



A numhtT of the large L<iuisvilli- hiiiiln r iiianulin-turers have been liusy 

 ill fall, hut m»)sl of them have been working on heavy g(>vernment orders. 

 Smaller concerns which haven't the capacity necessary tn bid on big govern- 

 ment contracts In man.v cases are not very busy. The furniture and auto 

 manufacturers are steadily buying some stook, but the let-down in the build- 

 ing trades has resulted in a slack denuUHl for interior trim, hardwood Iloor- 

 ing, etc. Venwrs are very active, and there is a good demand hero. Walnut 

 and mahogany are active, walnut especially so. while all high-grade woods 

 have been moving fairly well in the direction of the musical instrument 

 manufacturers. Thick slocks of oak, 4/4 to s/4. ash, elm, hitkory. etc.. 

 are moving well enough, while eottonwood is very scarce. I'oplar is in 

 I'elter demand, although siding is dull, the principal demand being for 

 t'oxboards. shooks, etc. 



The trade generally is of the impression that late fall business will be 

 good, and that prices will be maintained if they don't reach higher levels. 

 Surplus stocks are not heavy, but very few concerns are carrying any long 

 contracts through the fall, and hope to take advantage of being in posi- 

 tion to ship surplus stocks at current market prices. The surplus log sup- 

 ply is fairly good in most of the mill yards. 



=-< ST. LOUIS >= 



The hardwood situation is in pretty good shape. The demaii'l is quite 

 L'ood. and considerable business is developing. Mill reports state that 

 shipments are better but they still have many orders on their books that 

 they have not been able to get out. The local trade is more than satis- 

 factory, u good call coming from vehicle and box manufacturers, the latter 

 buying very freely because of the big amount of special work in the tilling 

 of war orders. Nearly all items on the list are being called for an<l are 

 iretting scan-e. It is pretty hard to till many of them. The heavies? 

 items in demand are oak. eottonwood and gum. Nearly all these items are 

 badly broken at the mills because <.f the heavy demand that has been 

 coming to them. 



The demand for cypress is also (luile good, the call ciuuing mostly from 

 the factory trade. It is fully as good as it was a year ago, however. 

 There are not many orders coming from the country yards as business 

 from that source is not showing up particularly well because building 

 o|M'rations have gone much below the average. Mills are doing quite 

 a good business. Prices <in all hardwooils are tirni and well maintained, 

 with the prospects of going higher, because of the anticipated heavier 

 lost in production and the scarcity of lalior. 

 WAR 



=< MILWAUKEE >- 



Nmiierons iiiitis in liurtlii-rn wi.^iuiisiii ;u'«' fUisiir-' (htwn in unliT to mali<.' 

 repairs ami rcplai-cint-nts ntH-essitatctl l>.v the onlinary \wnr aiitl It'ar on 

 t'<HiiiMnent. Iiul which has been accentuated tliis seasiin liy the extraor- 

 dinarily heavy clenianils. l-"or the most jiart. however, the i)lants will he 

 i(iie only lony enough to complete ovi'rhanlinff and will ixo into operation 

 f<»r full runs throuj^hout the winter, instead of reniaininjr <-Iosed until 

 spring, as in former .vears. The re<juirenients of lumber, especially hard- 

 woods, continue to tic of such vcdume that all available sawing ca|>acity will 

 be kept fully occupied for a long time ahead, Some mills will not be 

 able to do wlnt'er sawinB, as their supplies ot logs have been exhausted 

 and they must await new stoclcs, but many com'erus have been dcdng 

 logging all summer and will continue to operate without Interruption, ex- 

 cepting for repairs. 



The shortage of woodsmen continues to worry many lumber companies, 

 but it Is said that immediate rc(|uirements have been fairly well Illled, al- 

 though wages have had to be made uuusuall.v attractive, which will mean a 

 big cut In profits. Loggers have been thrust into the position of com- 

 peting with industries in the centers of population, and the iiresent wage 

 scale is the highest that has ever Ik-imi known. The sittuition is one whi<-h 

 doubtless will be reflected in an upward movement (»f Inndier |)rices during 

 the next six months, as costs have increaseil at a rapid rate all along the 

 line. Lumber has increased in price at a much lower rate than practically 

 nil other necessities and well posteil men hi the industry can sei> nuthiui: 

 bat advances ahead. 



An Tkr** of Ut will B« B«n«fitMl if 



Walnut 



Of Character and Color 



Manufactured at Kansas City, U. S. A. 

 Large Stock of All Grades and Thickness 



Thirty-five years' experience 



IN WALNUT ONLY 



Prompt Shipment, and 

 Guaranteed Inspection 



FRANK PURCELL 



515 Dwight Building, KANSAS CITY, MO. 



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1 Plain & Qtd. Red & White I 



I OAK I 



AND OTHER 

 HARDWOODS 



i Even Color 



MADE 



Soft Texture = 



RIGHT 



OAK FLOORING 



We have 35,000,000 feet dry stock— all of 

 our own manufacture, from our own tim- 

 ber grown in Eastern Kentucky, 



E PROMPT SHIPMENTS = 



1 The MOWBRAY I 



I & ROBINSON CO. I 



z: (incorporated) = 



I CINCINNATI, OHIO | 



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Yoti Mention HARDWOOD RECORD 



