As waa the ease with the yrar 1914, the |iruii><iit yonr him tainted out 

 jurt ail eventful. Shipbuildini;. which in provioim vonrM win really tlio 

 staple of tho timber trntio, liiui bc«n reiiiiirkiilily |>iMir when compared 

 with the two j>reviomi yoant; in fact, it hiw only lieoii a mere shadow 

 of its former self. The flajw of work done in nil the yards on the 

 t'lyde ha* l>een confined to ntlniirnlty riM|iiirrnient». Taking into con- 

 sideration that the timber trade lookK to KliipynrdH for lar);e ordcrH, 

 it will be Koen that it has Ufu hard hit. Tlii' returns for the yvar have 

 just been publishetl, and are as foUown: 



l'(i<fl«. T'tni. 



Inlt. .''17 04I».;i:!il 



Of » Je contributed 12tJ 21.'..((t;o 



Tl.i- - .. Tory much n-dueed output compsn-d with ln»t year, thu 



llKur>>« [or I'.it'l belnic: 



VcJiteh, Ton*. 



Bnt|. ' ■■ ' •■ 1.204 1.722.1.'>4 



t « iilrlliuioil :tO" 40O.2.'.s 



.\ir t factor in the timl)er trade is housebuilding, but 



his section has experienced a long [icriod of depression. The demand 



.or bouses during tho year has been abnormal, owing to tlie fact that 

 Ikrgo numbers of people have t>ecn flocking citywards from nil ports 

 •rf the country toward tho large munition factories which have sprung 

 "■p. However, building operations have been practically suspended 



iwing to the shortage of men, and the increa.sed cost of material. In 

 /earn when the building traties have l>een at their best, the activity of 

 IttOM engaged in the timlier industry has always been i>ronounced, and 

 yhen siHiner or later tlio revival in housebuilding comes, it will give « 

 welcome fillip to tho business of tho timber dealers. A notable class 

 CS wood consumers are the- cabinet and furniture manufacturers gen- 

 .vally. The demand emsuiating from these sources during the year has 

 been moilestly small, and in any case the rcijuircnients have been filled 



O a large extent from the cheaper classes of furniture woods. 



American Hardwoods — Oak 

 The demand for oak boards was fair ihiring the first nine months, 

 but later tlie import faded away until only an occa.sional carload 

 arrived. The natural consopience was that buyers looked to stored 

 stocks to supply their requirements, and these came in for much higher 

 figures than were ever anticipated. Holders of course had the ball at 

 Jieir feet, and could naine any price. There was very little call for 

 prime stock, the principal demand being made for the lower qualities. 

 The arrival of railway oak scantling was much on the same lines as 

 iormer years, but with regard to wagon plank?, consignment parcels 

 ■rf these practically dropped. As usual, large orders for railway 

 mantling were placed toward the end of the year, and in all cases at 

 •neatly enhanced prices. With regard to the freighting of these goods, 

 ^eat difficulty luia been experience*! because shipping agents will not 

 book orders ahead, and this makes a very unsatisfactory method of 

 business. It has therefore been found advisable to book contracts 

 Tabject to freight room l)eing available. 



Walnut 



This wool iKi.s i-o|Mj||inded a ready sale, and the few parcels coming 

 in have been sold at enhanced figures. This class of wood is being 

 largely used in the man\ifacture of aeroplanes. The other hardwoods 

 18.11 for no special remark. 



Softwoods 



Silver pine or West Virginia spruce has arrived in huge consign- 

 jents throughout the first half of the year, and in all cases were 

 quickly disposed of. Many parcels arrived here on contract for 

 English buyers, and were consigned here in order that they would 

 get a quicker despatch than if landed at say Liverpool or London, 

 where the chances of desp.itch were very far behind. In numerous 

 eases also the various lots were consigned from here direct to France, 

 there to be used for the repairing of aeroplanes. The most suitable 

 sizes seemed to be 18 ft. and up long, by 8 to 14 inches wide, by 2 

 and 3 inches thick. Canary white wood or poplar lumber has been 

 well to the fore, although like many of the other softwoods the lower 

 grading predominated. The demand for ash logs was^risk, and good 

 prices were obtained owing to the lack of stock. At all times it must 



—20— 



... mind that the demand for hickory li.^ . ......;.. m thin 



market, and only first cliuw stock should be sent forward. For ash 

 present prices aro running over 4 nhillings per cubic fout, Hhile for 

 hickory .'> to .l'^ shillings |ht i \diii foot liaxc U>en paid. 



I'Acirio Coast Woods 



The import of Taciflc const woods has Ijeen greater this year than 

 ever liefore, although it has been conflneil to one item, viz.: I'lirifir 

 coast clear spruce. To all port<< in the Unitol King<loni the import 

 has been very great, luid the co^t has. increiiwd greatly since the 

 Ijeginning of the year. During the latter months of the year there 

 was a falling olT in the import owing to the difficulty in obtaining 

 space to ship tho goods. Freight space in many cases was arranged, 

 but before tlio vessel reached its loading port it had been comman- 

 deered. The cause of such a <lemand for clear spruco is that it has 

 been found most suitable for nerofdiuies, owing to it>t clearness ami 

 lightness. The specilieation fovind to \m most suitable seemed to be 

 18 feet and up long by 8 to 14 inches wide, although at one time it 

 appeared as if any size would suit, .and it lay with tho holders of the 

 stock simjdy to name the price and they would get what was asked. 



Shipments of Oregon pine planks were not very frequent, and ttierc 

 were no cargo arrivals of logs or planks such as havo been the case 

 for many years past. Oregon pine deck planks arrived pretty regu- 

 larly during the first six months, but the demand for the s<rcond 

 ))art of the year has been jiractieally nil. Oregon j)ine logs were in 

 great demand the beginning of the year for admiralty requirements, 

 with the result that there is j)ractically no stock now on tho Clyile. 

 There has been no import of California redwood, the stocks importeil 

 during 1P14 being sufficient to copo with the demand although nny 

 ]planks coming in would have been quickly absorbed. Clear sugar 

 pine sidings have been slow of sale, and there was practically no 

 import owing to the high cost of import which is very detrimental to 

 the consumption. California j>ine boards were in fair request, but the 

 chief selling size was V-l'-inch iuid %-inch. The stock of %-ineh thick 

 is still fairly heavy, ami will supply this market's needs for some time 

 to come. The demand for California pine sidings has been limited. 



Canadian Wood 



The one item in the timber trade wliich has displayed real activity 

 lias been spruce deals. Right from the beginning of the year till the 

 close, the demand has continued active. This demand has emanated 

 largely from government enf^iiries. During the earlier part of the 

 year there was .i huge import of spruce from Canada to this port, 

 but quite a large jiroportion was immediately loaded into wagons, and 

 despatched to different parts of England and Wales for the construc- 

 tion of huts etc. This was accounted for by the fact that Liverpool 

 was so congested, and great delay occurred in the discharge of the 

 cargoes. This import, however, ceased toward the middle of the year, 

 and correspondingly the import dropped oflf. Notwithstanding this, 

 however, the import has been much above the average, and during the 

 past four months the wharfage accomodation has \wen taxed to its 

 uttermost. Numerous vessels arrive*! both from Canadian ports and 

 Archangel, and the storage space was filleil up in no time, as was also 

 additional storage ground which was opened. Selling from the quay 

 has practically been done aw.iy with, because it was fouml impossible 

 to keep pace with the arrivals owing to the shortage of labor and trans- 

 jiort facilities. Never before has such a state of affairs been known to 

 exist. 



Boxmakers have been exceptionally busy throughout the year, and 

 orders from that quarter show no sign of slackening. The chief 

 difficulty ha-s been the selling of the goorls owing to the jirices. Buy- 

 ers always put off and off purch.a.«ing, always in the hope that prices 

 would ease later, but contentions in that direction alw.iys jiroved fail- 

 ures. Prices all along have moved upward, and at present have 

 reached limits unheard of. The chief difficulty has been the question 

 of freight, and at present the freight asked for shipments is just 

 about the same as the f. o. b. value of the goods. Just now very little 



