IK'wiiiher 25, 1917 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



41 



Log Rafts to Cross the Atlantic 

 Not imicli is lii'liiK siiUl almiit li, Imt 11 Icy nut Ilmt will siiw I.L'.'.ii.iiimi 

 fiH't of luiiiliiT is iiliimt til starl from an Atlaiitii' port to cross to ICurop''. 

 Thoro is notliiiii: plii'iioiuounl in tlii' sizr of I hi' raft, nor is tln-ri' niuili 

 clonl't tliat It will safoly cr«»ss tlir ocean. I.arjicr rafts liavc nunic lonu 

 voyages on tiic I'acilic oci'an. ami tiic Atlantic presents no );rcalcr ililli 

 cultlvs. Tlie towinj; of sucli rafts will lesson tlie (Icmanii for ships. Tlie 

 cost of tile diains ami otiier appliances \ised in tile construction of tlie 

 raft is $:!0.iioi): Imt tlie same material can be uscii avaiii ami attain. 

 Tile rafts cannot l>e (iestroyiMi Iiv sulMiiarines. 



Building Permits for November 

 Biiiltliii;; constnictiiin for Novciuhcr was in actual xolumc perhaps less 

 than ono-half that for Xoveniher, lOlii. In estimated value, the huiiding 

 permits issued during the month in 114 principal cities of the country 

 decreased 4il per cent. MaliinK aliowance for the higher costs of construc- 

 tion this year, the actual shrinliaBe is proliabiy in excess of .")0 per cent. 

 The ofticial tij:ures of permits issued in tliese 114 cities, as received by tlie 

 .ImreirrtM i'outritrtof, Ciil<'ago, total .'f4^',..'i(i4,tJS2, as compared with $72,; 

 007.t>^^i for November last year. In :;2 of tlie 114 cities there are com- 

 parative ;:ains. 



Perhaps tiie most serious phase of tliis unfavoi-able siiowing is that 

 present construction is not keepins up w'itli requirements. In ordinary 

 times building in many centers may be just a little ahead of current 

 demand, but as a general rule the law of supply and demand applies. 

 That law of supply and demand is now susiiended by the abnormal busi- 

 ness conditions, so that, generally siieaking, the current construction work 

 is far iiehind tlie actual necessities. This is clearly sho^vn by the permits 

 in cities, wliere tliere is a severe famine in liotises. ,\t >V;isliington. for 

 example, where there is great scarcity of houses, the building permits 

 issued in Ni>veniber feli slightly below those of a year previous. And in 

 Pliiladelphia. Newark, N, .1.. Bridgeptirt. Tonn.. and scores of other cities. 

 where liouses are greatly needed, a blight has fallen upon new construc- 

 tion. This shows that housing conditions an- rapidly tending- to become 

 worse and that one of the vital American questions will soon be — how 

 can tile con.stniction of a sntHcient number of houses be i>rought about? 



Tile total number of Iniildings for whidi permits were issuetl in 114 

 cities in November was iri.l2.s. as coiii|>arcd with 2.'!,4."f! for November. 

 last year. 



Statistics on Wood Exports 

 Iiuring September last, the total vahii' of forest products exported from 

 the Vnited States to all countries was $."1. 770,323. Kor the correspond- 

 ing niontii in llIK^) the value was .$."i.070.fi42. showing a slight gain in 

 the exports of tliis year over those of last, based on September figures. 

 For the nine months ending witii .September, the value of exports was 

 as folbiws: lftl7. .$47..")S:',.107 : lillG. .$4.').:!l."i,()0G ; ini.5, 5;40.:i;«.2!»4. 

 The gradual increase during the corresponding periods in three .years is 

 due more to advanci- in value tiian increase In quantit.v. 



Misunderstanding Regrading New Buildings 

 Reports iiave reached lumbermen in many parts of the country that the 

 Chamber of rommerce of the I'nited States advocates the suspension of 

 dwelKng-house builrling during the course of the w'hr, and that a bulletin 

 containing tliat advice has been widely distributed. Tt appears that the 

 matter has been misunderstood, as shown in the following extract from 

 a letter written to a lumber company in Wisconsin h.v Secretar.v fJoodwiii 

 of the national cliamber : 



We iiave nr>t urged any one tc» discontinue huiUling during tite con- 

 tinuance of the war. I'ossild.\- tile statement to which you refer originated 

 in misinterpretation of War Bulletin No. 2i; issueil by our committee on 

 co-<tpiTation with the t'ouneil of National iiefense. Our c(.iiimittee was 

 merely pursuing its general imrposi' of placing before our nieinbers au 

 thoritatively the position it found in oflicial quarters. 'i'he reference 

 of till- ciimmittee was to new enterprise id' any "kind. .\ test as to tlie 



ailvlsability of new enterprises iiad I n suggesteti by the t'ouncii of 



National Defense. The importancr' of applying this test was empiiasized 

 by our committee. We assume that no thoughtful business man difTers 

 regarding the advisabiiitj* of the use of the test in question. 



It is our liope tiiat the gi>vernnieiit will lud fin<l it necessary to slate 

 that any article or any .-ictivit.v is unessential in :i time ui war. .\fti*i- 

 many <-oiifi'rences witii othcials" we I'eid conhdeut that wi' can say there 

 is not in contemplation any such llsl <>< ii<m-essenti!|l articles or Indus 

 tries as has been inentioned in frequent rumors. ilesponsible officials 

 now appari-ntly plan to niaki- liecisiiuis alioiit the preference of one in 

 dustry. or oni' .article, over another, only wlien there Is a sliortagi* of 

 materials, etc. When the sliortage is past even tiie article or iminstrv 

 of least preferenc*' will tlius be in a position to fibfain its supplies and 

 continue. 



Pushing Foreign Trade 

 .\ year ago the Bureau of I'oieign and liomestic Conimerce. Washing- 

 ton. i>. ('.. had thirteen special agents traveling in foreign countries for 

 the luirpose of studying the markets and looking out for opportunities 

 tor expamliug .\iiiericnn business. 'i'o<lay that force lias been doubled. 

 Tills e.\pansifui gives a hint of fiir value placed on our fondgii commerci'. 

 not onl.v during tlie war, but afterward. We are looking for ail pcissibb' 

 opportunities to push our commerce, and the foundation is being laid 

 while tlu' war is still being fought. Itecause it will hi- a mlght.v bus.y time 

 oftiT tile war ends, provided it enils in victory for the T'nited States, 

 wiiich Is the only conclusion to which the business men of this country 

 look forward. The trade agent's work can be made parlicularly efre<tive 

 at this time. ,\ tliorough survey of tlie wiiole business world will enable 

 our traders to take quick advantage of every opportunity. 



Women to Plant Forest Trees 



^^' 'n are being traiiieii u, i.ike iharge of ilie plaining of lorest trees 



in Knglaml. Thi. nurseries id' that couniry liavi- on hand l(J,(iiiii,OUO 

 trees which must lie planted this ycwir or they will be a total loss, ami 

 ihere are no foresters to oversee the work. Special training ami instruc- 

 tions are being given wo n to lit tl i to undertake this work for land- 

 owners who have ground ready for planting. 



Tariff Commission's Report 



The United States Tariir Commission, wiiich was organized for work 

 .\prii 1, 1!II7, has Just submitted to Congress its lirst annual report. The 

 commission is charged with tlie Investlgalhin of (he administration and 

 the fiscal and industrial elTects of tile customs laws of this country, includ- 

 ing their relation not only to the I'l'deral revenue but to the industries 

 Id' the country. It has power, further, to investigate commercial treaties, 

 preferential agreements and economic alliances, and the conditions and 

 causes affecting the competition of foreign industries with those of the 

 Tnlted States. Huriug the short time the commission has been at work 

 it has not had opportunity to do much more than look the field over and 

 see in what quarter constructive work can be done. Particular study is 

 being given to the suliject of trade after the war. Complicated problems 

 will have to be worked out in order that the I'niied States may liold its 

 old ground and g;ii[i new. 



I 



Hardwood 'News Islotes 



< MISCELLANEOUS >= 



Tile Soijthern Car Company, lligli I'l.int. N. C, has filed an involuntary 

 [letition in bankruptcy. 



I'ire loses are rc-ported as having sulfered by tlie .M. 1;. I'looring- Com- 

 pany, the Manhattan Woodworking Company and the New York Carved 

 .Moulding Comiiauy. all located in New I'ork City. 



J. I.. Joints has sold his interest in the I'lumbers Woodwork Company 

 of Aigoma. Wis, 



The Henderson Wagon Works is closing out its business at Hender- 

 son, Ky. 



The Dymond Colonial C pany. Ltd., Strathroy, (Int.. has been suc- 

 ceeded by the .Middlesex Furniture Company, Ltd., an incorporated concern. 



The Thomas K. Coale Lumber Company, i'hiladel|iliia. Pa., has re-in- 

 corporated under i'eunsylvania laws, its capital iieing .$100,000. 



The Elk Furniture Company is settling with its creditors at sixty per 

 cent, and the Peacock Furniture Company, botli of I^exington. N. ('., oder- 

 ing its creditors a fifty per cent settlement. 



An increase in capital stock to .«aiO.OO(l has been iil'ected by the l-;ni|iire 

 Chair Company. .lohnson Cit.v. Tenn. 



With a ^.'lO.OOo capital, the Maple Itidge Manufacturing ('ompany lias 

 incorporated at Hock, Mich. 



Tile Crand Wood Turning Coiupaiiy. located in New York City, lias 

 incorporated at .$5,000. 



.\t St. Louis. Mo., the Western Veneer Products Company and the K. N. 

 t'ollins Vehicle Woodwork t'ompaiiy has been ini-orporated. the former 

 with a capital of .$1011.1100 and the latter ^l.'.o.ooo. 



< CHICAGO >: 



The South Side Stair Company. Chicago, has filed an involuntary peti- 

 tion in t>aiikruptcy. 



The American Casket & Manufacturing Company has filed articles of 

 incorporation to engage in business in Chicago with a capital of $100,000, 

 The incorporators are: .\nton Kulcsza, Leonard Untkowskl. Theodore 

 (iiese and Stanley Skrzynekl. 



line of the important local gatherings during the past ten days was 

 the first meeting of the War Service Committee of the .Vaiioiiai Veneer 



& Panel Manufacturers' Association. Th mbeis attending were: 



I'.. W. Lord, Chicago; A. E. (ioriiam. .Mount Phwsant, Mich.; M. W. Perry, 

 .\lgoina. Wis.; K. it. .Morrison, .lamestown, N. Y.. and V. E. Kline. Louis- 

 ville. Ky. The results of the meeting are given in our veneer section of 

 tills issue, 



'I'bere were two iniportani gatherings of vehicle, wagon and implement 

 manufacturers in Chicago during the past week. Tlie I'arm Wagon Depart- 



nt of the National Veliicie & Implement Association held its annual 



meeting at the Hotel La Salle on Tuesday. Uecember IS. Forty prominent 

 farm wagon manufacturers participated in this session, which in addition 

 to the routine work took up various questions pertinent to tlie members. 

 The Plow and Tillage implement liepartiuent lield a full day's session on 

 Thursday. Ilecemlier 20, there being a good attendance of manufacturers 

 in this field. 



H. M. Curran. who has been prominent in I'orestry circles for a numiier 

 of years, paid H.\innvo<iD Kicioup a visit last week. Mr. Ourrau has lieen 

 spending several years in South .\inerlca for the purpose of investigating 

 the, possibilities of development of South .\nierlcan timber. ' He was in 

 charge of the devidopment of Phllipidne forest resources and on conipiet 

 log hi« work there took up South American investigation. He expects to 

 ri'turn to South .Viiierica shortl.v for tlie purpose of opening up for devel- 

 opment a certain large houndar.v of timber owned by eastern interests. 



