56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



WA N T E D 



All Kinds of High-Grade 



HARDWOODS 



S. E. SLAYMAKER & CO. 



WIC8T VmCIN^Jt'-^^Arl^E? I.CMBER CO.. ^'^"^ d^^"-^nuf^'''' 

 Ca».. U'Mt VIrElnia. NEW YORK 



Mutual Fire Insurance 



Best Indemnity at Lowe&t Net Cost 

 Can Be Obtained From 



Boston, Mass. 



The Lumber Mutual Ffre Insurance Company, 



The Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Company. 



Mansfield, Ohio. 



The Pennsylvania Lumbermen's Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



The Indiana Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Company, 



IndlanapollSt Ind. 



The Central Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Company. 



Van Wert, Ohio 



$141,000.00 



In Savings DIVIDENDS Returned 

 This Year to Policy Carriers of 



The Lumbermen's 

 Underwriting Alliance 



Possibly there is no good reason why 

 YOU were not among these beneficiaries. 

 If it is a matter of eligibility, and you 

 feel that your plant does not at present 

 comply with all requirements, confer 

 with us anyway. Let us see if it cannot 

 be brought up to an acceptable standard 

 at no greater cost than will be justified 

 by the prospective saving on insurance 

 rates. 



U. S. Epperson & Company 



Attorney and Manager 

 1101 R. A. LONG BLDG. KANSAS CITY 



bound to bring about a shortage of these items. Lumbermen with stock 

 other than inch, therefore, feel that there is no need to sacrifice the 

 price, but that they will be able to get what it is worth by holding it 

 a tow months. It is not easy to duplicate such stocks at present. 

 Quartered oak is in good demand, especially firsts and seconds, and on 

 certain specifications prices have shown strength. Some sales up to $80 

 have been reported. The demand for lumber abroad, for use in military 

 operations, is opening up. The English goTernmont has had an inquiry out 

 for several weeks for thick walnut for use in the manufacture of gunstocks. 



=■< ST. LOUIS >= 



There is very little new to report in regard to the haidwood situation. 

 Trade is very quiet. Orders are coming in all the time but they are tor 

 small lots. The best item in demand at the preesnt time is plain sawed 

 white oak. There is also a fair demand for red gum and wide poplar 

 boards. .\sh is moving only moderately well but l>eller than it did and 

 this lias caused a stiffening in prices. A dullness is reported in the cotton- 

 wood demand for lower grade but the eottonwood upper grades are slightly 

 more active than they were a short time ago. The cypress situation is also 

 quiet with a fair demand only from the North. This section is doing 

 some buying. In other sections, the demand is not showing up as it should. 

 Prices are fairly firm. It is the general opinion that conditions will 

 be better soon, as the election is over and things will quiet down. 



=■< MILWAUKEE >= 



While lumbermen are alx)ut reconciled to the fact that the fall trade 

 will not be quite up to the normal this season, they believe that the 

 total business received will be fairly satisfactory and as great as could 

 be e.\pccted, considering general conditions. Large orders are not so 

 [ilentitul, but the total volume of small orders is fairly large. 



.i change of sentiment regarding the influence of the European war 

 upon the lumber trade seems to be gradually taking place among the 

 lumber miinufacturers of northern Wisconsin. The feeling seems to be 

 that unusual efforts are being put forth to push the export trade in 

 various lines and into new fields, heretofore unexplored. This seems to 

 be borne out by the fact that the export trade has actually shown 

 some Improvement of late. Some lumbermen are predicting that this 

 increase of the export trade in new fields will eventually bring lumber 

 into good demand and at satisfactory prices. 



rricts have been holding up fairly well, due to the fact that most 

 lumber concerns in the state have been operating in a conservative man- 

 ner and have been endeavoring to prevent stocks fi'oiu piling up. The 

 belief that the export situation will eventually adjust itself in a satis- 

 factory manner has also been a strong factor. Of course there is some 

 price cutting going on in some lines, particularly in the larger cities 

 where competition for business is strong, but prices are far from being 

 demoralized. Most manufacturers are refusing to put their prices below 

 a normal level. 



The sash and door and general interior woodworking manufacturing 

 concerns of Milwaukee are buying rather carefully and are placing 

 orders only for sufficient stock to meet their present wants. Whole- 

 salers say that stocks are low in the hands of consuming concerns as 

 well as with t\w retail yards about the state and that it the general 

 business situation continues to improve there ought to be a brisk de- 

 mand for lumber soon after the opening of the new year. This view 

 seems to be general and has done much to help establish a feeling of 

 optimism in the local trade. 



Northern woods arc holding their own, due to the action of manu- 

 facturers in keeping down the output to a reasonable amount, and to 

 the feeling of certainly that demand is bound to increase within the near 

 future. Maple and birch seem to be especially strong. 



The building investment in Milwaukee during the month of October 

 showed a decided falling off, although there was an increase in the 

 number of permits issued. This decrease in the cost of buildings erected 

 seems to have been due to the fact that petTnits were granted a year 

 ago for several unusually large structures. Last month there were 282 

 P'Tmits issued for structures costing .$011,577, as compared with 251 

 permits and an investment of .?!, 21:^,005 during the corresponding month 

 a yi'ar ago. 



-■<, DETROIT y- 



Members of the Detroit Ilardwoud Club an in entire accord with 

 the curtailment of production planned by the Michigan hardwood manu- 

 facturers. The more proportioniue the supply and demand are the 

 better satisfied Detroit dealers will be. Market conditions have forced 

 down the market, which was a natural course. Detroit dealers are 

 willing with the rest of the country to bear the burden but they are 

 anxious that whatever demand there is be supplied at a reasonable price. 



Trade in all lines continues spotty. Curtailment in manufacturing Is 

 not becoming more severe and conditions are not cleai- enough to pre- 

 dict a turn for the better, as is evidenced by the short order plan of 

 buying. 



Building operations are not so strong as they have been and this 

 month and December will have to make a good showing to insure a 

 favorable comparison with last year. The bulk of the present con- 

 struction is in factory buildings and cheap houses. 



