44 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



March 25, 1918 



E. A. Mercadal Lumber Co. 



WHOLESALE AND COMMISSION 



953 National Life Bldg., CHICAGO 



Northern Hardwoods Southern Hardwoods 



3 cars 8/4 No. 1 Com. & 



Better Birch 

 2 cars 6/4 No. 1 Com. & 



Better Birch 

 5 cars 1" No. 3 Maple 

 1 car 1" No. 2 Birch 

 1 car 6/4 No. 2 Com. Oak 

 1 car 4/4 No. 2 Com. Oak 



1 car 4/4 Fas Tupelo Gum 



1 car 4/4 No. 1 Common 



Tupelo Gum 



2 cars No. 2 Merchantable 



Hemlock 

 2 cars 1x4 Merchantable 



Hemlock Strips 

 1 car 1" Fas Basswood 



Strips 



Jackson & Tindle 



ELM and BIRCH 



4/4 to 12/4 All Grades 



Well assorted stock 



4/4, 5/4, 6/4, & 8/4 No. 3 

 Hardwood 



Mills at PELLSTON, MICH. 

 MUNISING, MICH. 

 JACKSONBORO, ONT. 



Main Office 



BUFFALO, N. Y. 



Send your inquiries to 



SALES OFFICE: 303-304 Murray Building 

 Grand Rapids, Mich. 



CINCINNATI 



Hardwood Manufacturers and Jobbers 



OHIO VENEER COMPANY 

 Manufacturers & Importers FOREIGN VENEERS 



2624-34 COLERAIN AVENUE 



C. CRANE & COMPANY 



Mantifacturers of Hardwood Lumber, Oak & Poplar especially 



Our location makes possible Quick delivery of anything In timber and bardwood 



lumber 



The Tegge Lumber Col 



High Grade 



Northern and Southern 



Hardwoods and Mahogany 



Specialties 



OAK, MAPLE, CYPRESS, POPLAR 

 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 



class of Iruiuiry, must he presumed to result in a great accumulation of 

 under grade and underslze production which, having been studied in to 

 many nuinufacturlng operations, will no doubt form a basis for a large 

 volume of business as soon as imsi-nl limitations are relieved. 



=-< BALTIMORE >-- 



The hardwood market here is much the same as it has been, with no 

 improvement in transportation, so far as can be learned, and with the 

 range of prices largely dependent upon ability to make delivery and the 

 necessities oi: the buyer. But even the lowest returns are attractive, and 

 the mill men as well as the wholesalers would be entirely willing to book 

 orders if they were only able to make shipment. At intervals the embargo 

 placed on shipments is raised by the railroads, but the time of move- 

 ment is never long enough or far-reaching enough to do the hardwood 

 trade much good, and as a consequence of the handicaps upon the distribu- 

 tion the business done is of comparatively small volume. Practically all 

 of the dealers here get plenty of inquiries, but they find themselves unable 

 to say when they could fill these orders, which prevents them from booking 

 the business. The Inills, of course, are in a better position than they 

 were to carry on operations, and the production is doubtless increased. 

 At the same time it is to be said that the general conditions do not encour- 

 age expectations that anything like congestion will result, if not for any 

 other reason, because labor continues scarce, with wages high and rela- 

 tively few of the plants being operated at their full capacity. The local 

 dealers are quite ready to augment their holdings and do all they can to 

 get in lumber, acting on the belief that the range of prices will remain 

 high or even go to a more advanced level, and that they cannot well lose 

 by preparing for a good demand. The chief problem appears to be that 

 of transportation, which has not yet been brought any closer to a solution 

 than before, even though the weather now favors activities of all kinds. 

 The hardwood men still find it expedient to make readjustments of their 

 line as fast as the need for such readjustments develops, and considerable 

 shifting in the business may be said to have taken place of late. Industries 

 that have been users of hardwoods to a considerable extent are more or 

 less aflfected by the war. situation and encounter a measure of unsettlement. 

 The requirements of some have doubtless been materially curtailed, while 

 others are apparently going along much as before, though the future holds 

 out uncertainties that are not to be calculated with. As for the exports, 

 they continue about at the rate noted of late, and if there has been any 

 increase in the foreign movement it must be attributed mainly, if not 

 solely, to the greater urgency of the needs abroad. 



=-< COLUMBUS >= 



strength is the chief feature of the hardwood market in Columbus and 

 central Ohio territory. Buying by both retailers and factories is more 

 active since the warmer weather has arrived and the "backbone" of the 

 winter is broken. Dealers are rather anxious to accumulate some stocks 

 for the spring building season. On the whole the tone of the market is 

 generally satisfactory and future prospects are considered encouraging. 



Retail stocks are not large in any section, and consequently orders and 

 inquiries are being received from dealers in larger numbers. Most of the 

 orders are for shipment in the near future, although some are for delivery 

 later on. The worst feature at this time is the slowness in receiving ship- 

 ments. Some improvement on certain southern railroads is reported, but 

 on the whole there is little to encourage lumbermen in the transportation 

 situation. Some embargoes are still in force and governmental regula- 

 tions are not helping the general situation to any extent. 



Factories making boxes and implements are the best customers at this 

 time. Some buying is also being done b.v furniture factories, although 

 the volume is not up to the usual records. The policy generally followed 

 by factories is to l)uy only for the immediate future. Collections are not 

 as good as formerly, although money appears to be easy. The reason 

 given is the demand for cash made by war charities and Liberty loan 

 drives. 



Quartered oak is in good demand and prices are advancing. Firsts and 

 seconds are quoted at $100 at the Ohio river. No. 1 common is quoted at 

 $68. Plain oak is also moving fairly well and advances aggregating $2 

 per thousand have been recently announced. Poplar is strong and the same 

 is true of chestnut and basswood. Other hardwoods are unchanged. 



•< CLEVELAND^. 



Not much change is noted in the hardwood markets of this district dur- 

 ing the last fortnight. There are few invoices and few cars coming In. 

 Such activity as there is seems to be confined mainly to oak and maple 

 flooring, and contrary to usual conditions at this time of year, there is a 

 weakness in these items, at a time when marked firmness usually is seen. 

 Oak is weaker than other descriptions, mainly because the principal out- 

 let, housing construction, is so far practically closed. Hence absence of 

 real demand. Although there is a slight shading of prices in the whole- 

 sale division of this market, the retail prices have not been altered. The 

 margin of profit, owing to increased cost of doing business, seems to be 

 so small, that at the high prices at which the material was purchased, 

 retailers cannot very well let go without sustaining a loss. Other hard- 

 woods are practically stationary here, as the principal outlet always has 

 been for interior finishing of residences and housing generally, and as 



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