HARDWOOD RECORD 



31 



West to New York oi' to prepay ocean freight as required by the steam- 

 ship companies. The necessity to transport the samples across the con- 

 tinent, instead of sending thorn direct to Rio Janeiro from San Francisco 

 or Portland, is due to present shipping conditions on the west coast. 



That the Brazilian manufacturers have agreed to pay freight and 

 customs charges, however, has encouraged a Memphis concern to promise 

 to furnish cottonwood samples. The Forest Service is trying to get into 

 touch with other firms which could furnish the pine and basswood. 



Increased Lumber Prices in Ireland 



A recent consular report says that prices of lumber and timber in 

 Ireland have risen by from 1'5 to 30 per cent since last summer, according 

 to a prominent Liverpool dealer who supplies a good share of the Irish 

 trade. On lumber from the Pacific coast of the United States the in- 

 crease to local dealers in Ireland, has approximated $19.50 per standard. 

 St. Petersburg standard equals 165 cubic feet, or about $9.60 per thou- 

 sand feet board measure. The St. Petersburg standard is used almost 

 exclusively in the British wood and timber trade ; for ready computation 

 a standard is taken as equal to L',000 feet of American board measure, 

 although the actual board feet in a standard are 1,980. 



North Carolina Fire Notices Being Sent Out 



Although the new state forestry law was passed without any appropria- 

 tion for carrying out its provisions, the State Geological Board is taking 

 steps to enforce it as far as is possible without additional cost to the 

 state. 



Among other things this law requires the state forester, as state forest 

 warden, to furnish and have posted along highways and in other con- 

 spicuous places notices warning the public against forest fires. The 

 State Geological and Economic Surve.v is therefore having printed on 

 manila tag, posters which will \ie distributed to citizens of the state who 

 are Interested in protecting their woodlands from fire. 



This notice, in brief pithy sentences asks the help of the public in pre- 

 venting fires and emphasizes the damage done by them. It suggests how 

 fires may be avoided, and quotes short extracts from the law to protect 

 the forests of the state from fire. These' notices will be sent out to the 

 state forest fire correspondents and others interested in forest protection. 

 Those receiving them will be asked to post them along roads and trails 

 in or near woodland or around stores, post ofllces, and other public places. 

 -Applications for them should be made to the State Forester, Chapel Hill, 

 N. C. 



The great majority of forest fires in North Carolina are the result of 

 carelessness and it is believed that by calling the attention of the gen- 

 eral public to the damage done b.v fires and to the law for the protection 

 of the forests, many fires and much destruction may be prevented. 



Fuel for British Troops 



The London Timber Trade Journal says that fuel for the British troops 

 In France and Belgium is supplied from England at the rate of a thou- 

 sand tons of firewood a month and four hundred tons of charcoal. Since 

 the English army is considerably smaller than those of France, Russia, 

 .\ustria, and Germany, it is apparent that the total fuel bill amounts 

 to a considerable item. 



Wood for Artificial Limbs 



United States consuls in England, France and Holland have made 

 reports to this government on the prospective business in artificial limbs, 

 due to the present war. It is agreed on all sides that the demand will be 

 enormous, and some measures have been already taken looking toward 

 the supply. 



The two principal woods used by manufacturers of such limbs are 

 white willow and hickory. The willow constitutes the chief material. 

 Hickory furnishes the small pegs to which articulations are fastened. 

 Statistics credit the artificial limb industry in the United States with the 

 use of 687,000 feet of wood a year ; but crutches are included, and 

 doubtless they take more wood than artificial limbs proper. 



In almost all cases artificial limbs are made to order, and according 

 to exact measurements, though certain kinds are to some extent adjustable 

 and need only slight remodeling to make them fit. It Is apparent that 

 American manufacturers will work under difficulties if they reach out for 

 business in Europe. It has been suggested that the American manufacturer 

 establish a branch in Europe within reach of his customers, where he 

 can take measurements and fit the limb. The rough manufacturing of 

 supplies could be carried on in the American factory and the semi- 

 finished parts shipped to Europe. 



The European governments supply the money for buying artificial limbs 

 for their disabled soldiers and sailors. 



It will be seen that whereas the doctors and surgeons in every case 

 decide what a soldier needs and give the order, a strong personal element 

 enters into the business, and artiflcial-Iimb manufacturers must keep in 

 close touch with the hospitals where they are acquainted and where the 

 wounded are cared for. It is only by this method that orders can be 

 obtained, because each case is treated separately and there is no likeli- 

 hood of a demand for artificial limljs in quantities and by numbers and 

 sizes. Adjustable limbs are not popular, it being felt that they can not fit 

 so well nor be so strong as those which are made to order for a par- 

 ticular person. 



In the Paris telephone directory there are but fourteen artificial limb 

 companies classified, and In the local newspapers the advertisements of 

 only two are found. Outside of Paris there are no artificial limb 



manufacturers of importance. Catalogues of four manufacturers show 

 that the prices for artificial limbs are about as follows : For amputa- 

 tion below the knee, $50 to $90 : for amputation above the knee, $55 

 to $120 ; for amputation of entire limb, necessitating waist and hip 

 fastenings, $90 to $200. 



Cut and Shipment of Southern Pine 

 The -April Service Bulletin of the Southern Pine .Association states 

 that according to reports from 143 mills in nine states the lumber on 

 hand March 1 totaled 1,106,861,504 feet. The March cut was 376,- 

 453,167 feet; the March shipments 357,413,653 feet, having a balance 

 on hand April 1 of 1,125,901,018 feet. The increase in stocks in March 

 was 19,039,514 feet. The stock on hand April 1, 1914, was 980,804,854 

 feet. The- total exports through southern ports from March 13 to 

 .April 10, this year, were 35,015,656 feet. 



Building Operations for March 

 The March showing of building operations throughout the country Is 

 not without its good points to those who are not extravagant in their 

 expectations. There is a shrinkage as compared with March of last year, 

 amounting to 15 per cent, but the total is increasing steadily month by 

 month. Thus, the January footings were $34,712,718 ; those for February, 

 $40,872,773 ; while March yields activities represented by $53,162,521. 

 This expansion of building operations as spring approaches is normal, but 

 actual work does not begin in the northern states until ahout April and 

 there is therefore reason to anticipate further gains in the building 

 industry. 



The ofBcial reports of building permits issued during March in 63 

 cities, received by the American Contractor, Chicago, reach a total of 



$53,162,521, as compared with $61,393,181 for March, 1914, a decrease of 



15 per cent. Of the 63, gains are shown by 29 cities, among which Akron 



scores 52 per cent to the good ; Cincinnati, 57 per cent ; Evansville, 275 ; 



Newark, 100; New Haven, 94: Scranton, 140; Syracuse, 262; Troy, 301; 



Utica, 151 and Wilkes-Barre, 482 per cent. 



For the first three months of the year the building permits of these 

 cities total $120,567,277, as compared with $125,782,552 for the corres- 

 ponding period last year, a loss of 4 per cent. This showing for the 

 quarter would have been somewhat more unfavorable, had the totals of San 

 Francisco and several other cities been included, the construction work 

 in which last year was phenomenally large for special reasons. Details 

 are as follows : 



March, March, Per cent 



1915 1914 Gain Loss 



Akron $ 437.605 $ 288.160 52 



Albany 342,855 947,900 .. 64 



.Atlanta 267.417 561,644 .. 52 



Birmingham 154,555 230,595 .. 35 



Buffalo 830,000 660.000 26 



Cedar Rapids 152,000 170,850 . . 11 



Chicago 7,403,750 8,111,150 .. 9 



Cincinnati 1,356.124 863,810 57 



Cleveland 4,022,035 4.070,255 .. 1 



Columbus 519.200 655,995 .. 21 



Dallas 147,690 807,213 .. 82 



Dayton 112,465 363,885 .. 69 



Denver 181.130 311,610 .. 42 



Des Moines 119,365 275,750 .. 57 



Duluth 159,128 181,961 .. 12 



East Orange 86,732 214.608 . . 59 



Evansville 402,327 107,215 275 



Ft. Wayne ;;54,290 176.775 44 



Grand Rapids 260,425 1,239.253 .. 79 



Harrisburg 152.750 111,500 37 



Indianapolis 889.349 784.404 13 



Kansas City 848.595 1.516.380 .. 44 



Lincoln 97.450 73,000 33 



Louisville 518,100 654,400 . . 21 



Manchester 83,080 136,610 . . 39 



Memphis 379,835 370,300 2 



Milwaukee 942.921 696.183 35 



Minneapolis 1,372,530 2,093.915 .. 34 



Montclair 131,908 119,701 10 



Nashville 190,570 229,980 .. 17 



Newark 643.392 321.240 100 



New Haven 825,470 425.380 94 



New Orleans 194.385 230,609 .. 16 



New York City 14,081,951 16,447,662 .. 14 



Manhattan 4,965,380 7,912.254 .. 37 



Bronx 2,668.112 1,831,168 46 



Brooklyn 4,296,815 3,736.130 15 



Queens 1,906,152 2,831,855 .. 33 



Richmond 245.492 136,255 80 



Oklahoma 45,711 161,875 .. 72 



Omaha 332,860 321,165 



Peoria 159,175 500,285 .. 68 



Philadelphia 5,388,205 5,175,530 4 



Pittsburgh 1,006,997 958,616 5 



Richmond 284,826 539,848 .. 47 



Rochester 1,000,000 775,030 29 



Salt Lake City 209,385 307,150 .. 32 



St. Joseph 50,903 44,736 14 



St. Louis 1,268,878 1,450.034 .. 12 



St Paul 822,624 2,343,949 .. 65 



Schenectady 81,336 156.713 .. 48 



Scranton 116,974 48,808 140 



Seattle 689,675 923,480 .. 24 



Shreveport 47.479 122,503 .. 61 



Sioux Citv 167.675 286.635 .. 41 



Springfield 88.920 79,140 12 



Svracuse 520,533 143.700 262 



Toledo 763,258 556,928 37 



Topeka 56,030 46.220 21 



Troy 68,106 16,999 301 



Utica, N. Y 94,855 37,735 151 .. 



Washington 714.826 1,544,778 .. 54 



Wilkes-Barre 267,752 44,303 482 



Worcester 364,095 351,228 4 



Total $53,162,521 $61,393,181 .. 15 



