64 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



April 10, 1921 



A NAME that should be 

 on your inquiry list for 

 hardwood lumber. 



American 



Column & Lumber 



Company 



Brunson Bldg. 



COLUMBUS, OHIO 



OAK & HARDWOOD 

 DIMENSION STOCK 



Manufacturers 

 of 



West Virginia 



SOFT 

 YELLOW 

 POPLAR 



PLAIN 

 WHITE 

 OAK 



PLAIN 



RED OAK 



QUARTERED 

 WHrTE 

 OAK 



WHITE OAK 

 TIMBERS & 

 PLANK 



CHESTNUT 



BASSWOOD 



MAPLE 



HICKORY 



BEECH 



BUCKEYE 



BIRCH 



BUTTERNUT 



ASH 



CHERRY 



WALNUT 



SYCAMORE 



BLACK GUM 



HEMLOCK 



LOCUST 



WE WANT TO SELL 



the follozving 



Dry Northern Michigan 



HARDWOODS 



BIRCH 



4/4 No. 1 & Btr 40,000' 



4/4 No. 2 Common 115,000' 



S/4 1st & 2nds 40,000 



5/4 Selects 80,000 ' 



S/4 No. 1 Common 60,000 ' 



5/4 No. 2 Common 200,000' 



6/4 Isl & 2nds 6,000' 



6/4 Selects 30,000' 



6/4 No. 2 Common 40,000 



8/4 No. 1 Com. & Btr... 35,000' 



SOFT ELM 



6/4 No. 2 & Btr 90,000' 



HARD MAPLE 



2 & Btr 40,000' 



1 & Btr 300,000' 



2 Common 175,000' 



1 Common 20,000' 



2 Common 175,000' 



2 Com. & Btr... 150,000' 



. 2 & Btr 60.000' 



BASSWOOD 



1 & Btr 200,000' 



2 Common 100,000 ' 



SOFT MAPLE 



2 & Btr 100,000' 



2 & Btr 11,000' 



Can furnish all kinds of 



Hemlock and Hardwood Crating 



Band mills at 

 Chassell and Ontonagon, Michigan 



C. H.Worcester Co. 



NOT INCORPORATED 



19 So. La Salle Street, CHICAGO 



1920. This gain, however, has been only relative and has not represented 

 an.vthing like a normal volume of shipments. Still, members of the trade 

 are very much encouraged over this development, and there is a quite 

 general disposition to believe that the worst has been seen and that the 

 market will gradually resume normal activity. There is no tendency to 

 expect any large gain in the immediate future. Consumers are showing 

 entirely too much conservatism in their purchasing to raise any hopes 

 along this line. But they are making more inquiries and those inquiries 

 are developing into larger business. This marks a tremendous departure 

 within itself because, for a very long while, it was practically impossible 

 to draw live inquiries much less secure orders. The situation may there- 

 fore be said to be, to that extent, improved. 



Perhaps the most disconcerting feature at the moment is the rather 

 spotted and vacillating character of the market. 



From the standpoint of prices, perhaps the best that can be said is that 

 these are more nearly stabilized than at any time during the past few 

 months. 



Production is failing to show material increase. The majority of those 

 operating their mills are doing so because they must take care ol certain 

 logs or because they must remove timber within a given time. 



LOUISVILLE 



Business is decidedly better with the Louisville hardwood trade, and 

 most of the local jobbers and manufacturers report that orders are much 

 more numerous, for better amounts, and that inquiries are coming more 

 freely, and are producing business, not merely being sent out to keep in 

 line with the market. Demand continues largely for common and better, 

 firsts and seconds being in the greatest demand. Low grades are hard to 

 sell, due in part to light activity in box plants, which are meeting keen 

 competition from the fibre' board and corrugated people. It is claimed 

 that jobbers are buying better as well as planers and retailers. Interior 

 trim and hardwood flooring are more active. Poplar siding is good, and 

 very promising. Car builders are buying more freely, and the automobile 

 trade is more active. Furniture lines and cabinet lines continue rather 

 dull and the veneer and panel people are complaining. Poplar has been 

 one of the best bets, with gum active. Quartered oak in firsts and seconds 

 is in better demand, and a bit scarce, although there Is plenty of common 

 on the market. Plain oak has been more active. Production continues 

 light, and with stocks being steadily reduced, and many big operators 

 closed down, better conditions in the market are in sight. 



ST. LOUIS 



There is a slight increase in the demand for hardwoods. Upper grades 

 of the principal woods have showed firmness during the past two weeks. 

 There is a shortage of mill stocks of Ihe better grades, as compared with 

 heavy surpluses of common lumber. 



About 45 per cent of the factory capacity of the furniture factories 

 was in operation during ^larch. Business has improved to the extent that 

 orders for immediate shipment have increased over those of January and 

 several plants which were closed down have resumed operation in part. 

 No stock orders are being placed and the buying for summer and fall, 

 usual at this season, has failed to develop. Due to keen competition 

 among the furniture men further price reductions have been noticed. 



The railroads have continued to remain out of the market, having done 

 little or no buying. 



MILWAUKEE 



Progress is reported in all In-anches of the hardwood industry toward 

 the goal of readjustment. While the demand for hardwoods remains far 

 below the normal line, it is getting away from a horizontal trend and 

 beginning to curve upward slowly but steadily. Conditions are not .vet 

 satisfactory, but the leaders of thought and action on the industry discern 

 substantial reasons for adopting an optimistic view. 



Much is expected as the result of the acceptance of a reduction of about 

 20 per cent in wages by men in the building trades of Milwaukee. New 

 construction also is expected to be speeded up by the development of a 10 

 per cent reduction in freight rates in lumber from the Pacific Northwest 

 territory. Wisconsin woodworking industries using coast lumber express 

 much pleasure over the reduction, which they figure to be the equivalent 

 of about %2 per thousand. It is encouraging to note that building opera- 

 tions in Milwaukee during the first quarter of 1921 are nearly .fSOO.OOO 

 in excess of the corresponding period of 1920. The construction of large 

 homes by well-to-do families is proceeding with vigor, furnishing some 

 very large requirements of fancy hardwoods. Flooring of all kinds is 

 moving better and a large business is expected during the remainder of the 

 spring and summer. 



While manufacturers of furniture and musical instruments are still 

 operating at reduced capacity, new business is being booked at an increas- 

 ing rate, as stocks in the hands of dealers are steadily depleted by con- 

 sumer demand. Such industries, however, continue to buy only from 

 hand-to-mouth, not for any reason of expectancy of lower prices, but 

 because of the irregularity of production. 



Considerable shipments of oak and elm ship timber are being made from 

 Couderay and vicinity to Great Britain, via Quebec. This class of timber 

 is scarce and bringing high prices. 



