January 25, 1921 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



61 



encouraging than that at home. Buying is to a large extent held in abey- 

 ance, and. If anything is wanted, the prospective purchaser usually holds 

 out for a price tliat is not to be considered. 



COLUMBUS 



The hardwood trade continues rather quiet in central Ohio territory. 

 Buying on the part of dealers is still very much restricted as a result of 

 the general unsettled conditions. Buying on the part of manufacturing 

 concerns is also limited and as a result the volume of business Is cur- 

 tailed. The tone of the market is not as good as formerly, although an 

 improvement in that way has taken place since the first of the year. 



Retail stocks are rather low. With few exceptions stocks are light and 

 badly broken and this Is taken as an Indication that they will be com- 

 pelled to enter the market soon. Retailers in the rural sections are look- 

 ing around the most as their stocks are in worst shape. Indications point 

 to a rather active building season but some builders predict it will be 

 rather late in opening. Architects are busy on plans and specifications 

 for considerable construction work. 



Factories are holding off, believing that prices may become lower and 

 on the other band many of the factories liave suspended operations and 

 this is having a marked effect. Box concerns are the best customers at 

 this time. Some orders are received from Implement and vehicle concerns. 

 Furniture concerns are not in the market so far. 



Prices are still on the downward trend but more strength has developed 

 during the past few weeks. It is realized that price is not the leading 

 question as little stocks could be sold at any price at this time. Inquiries 

 are more numerous than usual, and collections are slightly better. Oak 

 and poplar are the strongest points in the market. 



CINCINNATI 



Like Barkis, members of the Cincinnati hardwood trade are "willln' " 

 and not fain to believe that the next month will show a better demand. 

 Inquiries coming in are taken as indications that there is going to be 

 some business in the near future. Believing the old axiom that there 

 cannot be smoke without fire, members of the trade believe that the recent 

 inquiries are forerunners of business to come. On this belief the market 

 assumed a firmer tone and prices showed renewed strength. Another fact 

 that lends to the optimism Is the (act that retail stocks are reported as 

 low and it is but a natural conclusion that heavy buying can be expected 

 from this quarter almost at any time. The railroads are perhaps the best 

 buyers, but, like all other industries, are buying only for Immediate needs. 

 Veneers and panels are very quiet, but it is believed that renewed building 

 activity In the spring will bring this market to a steady basis. Furniture 

 manufacturers are exhausting their old stock and are expected to enter the 

 buying field shortly. The gist of the consensus of opinion of the trade is 

 that while the next few months will bring forth a little better business, 

 real activity in the market is not expected before spring. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



The demand for hardwoods remains mighty dull In Indianapolis. In fact 

 there is such a small demand that it almost is negligible. But regardless 

 of this fact prices have fallen no lower and the trade here is expecting 

 no lower prices. Among the industries, there can be seen some signs of 

 an Increasing activity in business, but these activities are small when 

 compared with a normal volume of business. Some of the manufacturers 

 of talking machine cabinets say they are receiving a few orders, but not 

 sufficient to keep the plants working anything nearly normal. The 

 announcement that some of the large automobile plants may begin quan- 

 tity production the first of the coming month has caused some increased 

 activity among the body building plants. The handle factories declare 

 there is no business to speak of. because of the lack of demand for brooms, 

 brushes and similar articles. 



Buying has been reduced to a minimum. Although some of the plants 

 in question have no extra large stocks on hand, they appear to want to 

 wait until they see business ahead more closely than at the present. They 

 frankly say they do not want their money tied up in stocks with business 

 at Its present level no matter how low prices go. The little demand for 

 hardwoods appears to be coming from the retail yards, where some busi- 

 ness is being done because of late construction work. This demand is 

 light, however, and is not up to normal. 



EVANSVILLE 



Things have been rather dull with the hardwood lumber manufacturers 

 of Evansville and southern Indiana during the month of January, and 

 while trade has been a little better than It was during the month of 

 December, the Improvement has been very slight. Manufacturers, how- 

 ever, are taking a more hopeful view of the situation and are of the 

 opinion that business will gradually improve during February and that by 

 the first of March there will be a picking up in business. The number of 

 Inquiries has Increased during the past month. Many of the large mills 

 in southern Indiana and western and northern Kentucky have closed 

 down for the lack of business and the lack of logs. A few of the mills, 

 however, continue to run. Pew logs are coming in now from the logging 

 sections of the south and logging operations along Green river In western 

 Kentucky also have .slackene^l up some during the past month. There Is 



VESTAL LUMBER 

 & MFG. COMPANY 



INCORPORATED 



Soft Textured Oak 



Poplar 



Black Walnut 



Tenn. Red Cedar 



KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 



BAND MILLS AT VESTAL 



A SUBURB OF KNOXVILLE 



FONDE, KY. 



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i Plain & Qtd. Red & White I 



OAK 



Even 



Soft 



Color AND OTHER Texture = 

 HARDWOODS | 



i©f^ Yellow Poplar | 



MADE (MR) RIGHT 



I OAK FLOORING 



I PROMPT SHIPMENTS 



1 The MOWBRAY I 



I & ROBINSON CO. I 



= ( I N CO BPOB ATED ) = 



I CINCINNATI, OHIO | 



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