HARDWOOD RECORD 



43 



Notwithstanding various impediments wliicb bave interfered wltli trad- 

 ing during tiie last twelve months, a comparison of the year's business 

 with that of 1913 will prove a revelation. A serious defleetion in busi- 

 ness generally has in most cases yet to be substantiated. There has been 

 no distinct activity in trading during the last fortnight, but the im- 

 proved methods of buying indicate that the buyers are beginning to 

 realize that in the near future an upward move will cause a stiffening 

 of prices, as stocks are getting lower and the hardwood millman is not 

 Inclined to make any further sacrifice of his profits. .\ large number of 

 orders are being booked in various other lines, due to the foreign war 

 feature, which has resulted in the starting up of numerous large mills 

 and factories. As long as the war continues soldiers must have clothes 

 and food ; the contesting countries the required equipment ; lost ships 

 must be replaced and a thousand other leakages replenished. On account 

 of the lack of mechanics and the laborers who are now in the front these 

 necessities must be supplied and as soon as possible by unfettered mar- 

 kets, and as this rouniry has the material, the factories and the labor, 

 It is only logical tliat orders must come here. The trade is thoroughly 

 alive to the situation, business is being conducted on efficiency plans and 

 everybody is saving money wherever consistent, in consequence of which 

 the trade will have more money to spend when the time comes for spend- 

 ing. The local lumber business is virtually a unit in opinion that good 

 times are coming soon, and a cheerful Xmas spirit is by no means ex- 

 orcised as has been gloomily predicted. If spirits are light it may be 

 approximated that trading with the advent of the new year will assume 

 a decidedly more buoyant aspect. 



--^ PITTSBURGH >■: 



The year is winding up in Pittsburgh with some very encouraging an- 

 nouncements and some very discouraging totals of business done during 

 1914. The rate decision made known yesterday is perhaps the most 

 favorable omen in sight and lumbermen are banking much on the im- 

 provement in general buying sentiment which will result from it. The 

 industrial situation in this district is much improved the past two w^ceks. 

 Many steel plants are putting on larger forces, the cold snap has put 

 more life into the coal business and the window glass and plate glass 

 industries are verging on a boom. All kinds of manufacturing activities 

 show more life. As to the business done the past year it is generally 

 conceded that the totals of sales of Pittsburgh firms will be from twenty 

 to thirty per cent lower than in 191.3. The totals of net profits derived 

 from such business will fall even lower in proportion, for competition 

 has been very keen and losses from different causes have been heavy and 

 frequent. All lumbermen are in a hoping stage. They believe that there 

 Is going to be a sharp revival in buying after the first of the year and it 

 the building situation shows up well in January they look for much busi- 

 ness within a very few weeks. 



=-< BOSTON y 



The volume of business being transacted in hardwoods is still small, 

 and the amount of inquiry current is naturally light. The prices quoted 

 and paid .continue in a very uncertain condition and the apparent supply 

 of lumber available is evidently large, especially in the middle and 

 lower grades. One of the most important factors influencing this market 

 Is the great number of mill stock lists forwarded to dealers and manu 

 facturers. While these lists seldom show very large piles of high-grade 

 stock on hand, the aggregate of so many lists in all grades is so extremely 

 large that they have the effect of restraining the buyers instead of en- 

 couraging them. While the submission of statements of large stocks is 

 expected to influence the purchasers favorably toward such a supply, it 

 has the result of producing great caution and a disposition not to lay 

 in any stock whatever. There are, of course, many corrective features 

 such as the great decrease in sawing, the necessity of buying frequently 

 instead of heavily and the almost universally acknowledged improvement 

 in business about to come, all of which have operated for the prevention 

 of unreasonable disturbance of values. The market, nevertheless, is not 

 uniform nor satisfactory for either the dealers or the buyers, and in a 

 condition which the trade as a whole believes will not be remedied by 

 lowering prices. 



< BALTIMORE >-- 



With the end of the year 'Close at hand, little is to be expected of the 

 hardwood trade at this time. The last two weeks have been a season of 

 <iuiet, with the demand limited, but with the offerings by no means so 

 urgent as might have been supposed under the circumstances. The busi- 

 ness appears to have a good undertone, so that even though the quota- 

 tions are more or less uncertain and take a rather wide range, a feeling 

 of hopefulness prevails. This spirit of expectation has been growing of 

 late, and the members of the trade will close the old year firmly per- 

 suaded that much better results may be looked for in the near future. 

 Much is anticipated from the decision of the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission on the application of the railroads for an increase in the rates. 

 One of the effects of the ruling ought to be a resumption of buying of 

 materials by the transportation linos. This should also cause a change 

 for the better in other divisions of the trade, especially as the stocks of 

 lumber are by no means heavy and very little would be required to em- 

 phasize a scarcity. The mills have been holding down their production 



(Leading Manufacturers) 



BLISS-GOOK OAK GO. 



BLISSVILLE, ARK. 



SIANUFACTURERS 



Oak Mouldings, Casing, Base and Interior 

 Trim. Also Dixie Brand Oak Flooring. 



As Well As 



OAK, ASH and CUM LUMBER 



Can furnish anything in Oak, air dried 

 or kiln dried, rough or dressed 



MIXED ORDERS OUR SPECIALTY 



Our Corps of Inspectors 



Intelligent! Highly Trained! 



Conscientious! 



is assurance that you will get 

 what your order calls for 

 when you buy Gum from us 



Himmelberger-Harrison Lumber Company 



Cape Girardeau, Missouri 



Baker-Matthews Manufacturing Co. 



Sikeston, Mo. 



Band Sawn 

 Southern Hardwoods 



SPECIALTIES 



RED GUM, PLAIN OAK 



SEND US YOUR INQUIRIES 



OUR SPECIALTY 



St. Francis Basin Red Gum 



WE MANUFACTURE 



Southern Hardwoods 



Gum, Oak and Ash — 



J. H. Bonner & Sons 



Mills and Office, 

 QCIGLEY, AKK. 



Postofflce and Telefrraph Office. 

 HETU, ABK. 



