HARDWOOD RECORD 



concerns who placed orders for future shipments 

 on contract at the old prices. A considerable 

 amount of stock has been delivered locally within 

 (he last week or two at an actual loss to the 

 jobbers who handled it. They were compelled 

 , to fill orders and in doing so actually had to 

 pay more for stuff from the mills than their 

 contracts brought to them. 



Some remarkable sales have been put through 

 in Chicago recently, among which is an order 

 from a large southern manufacturer for fifteen 

 cars of plain oak at fifty-four and thirty-four 

 dollars. The market in almost all items is im- 

 proved and the general opinion is that the great- 

 est difficulty in the next few months will be in 

 securing stock to fill orders with any degree of 

 profit. One firm of prominent wholesalers in the 

 city said a few days ago that it did not want 

 any more orders. Shipments from the South are 

 becoming more regular and the local trade is 

 more or less assured of having deliveries on time. 



NEW YORK 



The hardwood market at New York shows a 

 fair movement of stock. Good lumber is not over- 

 plentiful and there is a sufficient demand to keep 

 prices ver.v firm. Low-grade stock is also moving 

 freely and while the general run of prices still 

 keeps buyers inclined to buy largely for actual 

 needs, yet there seems to be sufficient stock mov- 

 ing to keep the general market in good shape. 

 Every indication points to hardwood lumber of 

 all grades holding its own during the balance of 

 the spring and summer trade. 



BUFFALO 



The hardwood trade has beoomr- a little 

 stronger during the past two weeks. Inquiries 

 are more numerous, and cover a wide variety of 

 slocks. However a fair proportion of this inquiry 

 is for stocks which are not to be found in this 

 market, or which are scarce. Piles of lumber have 

 been pretty well cut down during the long winter 

 season, and the yards are looking forward to the 

 opportunity of replenishing in a number of woods. 



Plain oak, which continues scarce and high, 

 leads in demand. Quartered oak is reported 

 stronger in the better grades. There is a better 

 demand for brown ash. Birch and maple continue 

 in relatively yooil sale. T.ow-irrade poplar holds 

 strong. 



PHILADELPHIA 



There has been no appreciable change in the 

 hardwood situation during the last fortnight. 

 Shipments are easier, but the incessant rains still 

 hamper activity at mill ends, and seasoned lum- 

 ber brings most any price. A slight lapse In 

 _ trading is due mainly to inability to secure the 

 goods, and vigorous effort is being made to get 

 out tile old orders. Furniture factories show fair 

 activity: box makers report steady trading and 

 building work is moving forward as fast as the 

 weather will permit. The various woods hold 

 the same position as the last fortnight and there 

 is no liklihood of a decrease In values for some 

 time to come. 



PITTSBURGH 



The local hardwood business is showing up 

 better in both sales and demand than any other 

 line of the lumber trade. The tendency in all 

 quarters is toward higher prices. Mills have 

 been slow in getting out orders for good hard- 

 wood stock owing to the bad roads and the ex- 

 ceptional weather conditions and floods. Fi'om 

 the Southwest comes assur.ince that it will be 

 six weeks before there will be a free movement 

 of gum and Cottonwood for these reasons. 



The mauufacturing trade is taking fully as 



much hardwood as two months ago. and there 

 is some increase in the demand from the yards. 

 Wholesalers believe that shrewd buyers will be 

 in the market early this summer for fall stocks, 

 and everything points to an increased demand 

 later in the year. 



BOSTON 



A fair amount of activity has been shown in 

 the demand for hardwood lumber in the local 

 market during the fortnight. 



Buyers appear to liavo come out of the state 

 of apathy they have been In all winter. 



Large consumers of hardwoods have been 

 small buyers for so long a time that now they 

 actually need lumber. The larger demand is be- 

 ing followed by firmer and higher prices. Most 

 manufacturing plants are busy, with a good 

 outlook. Interior finish people have about all 

 the work they can handle. 



Dealers are holding plain oak with more firm- 

 ness than for many months. Oflferings have 

 been light for some time, due largely to the dam- 

 age done b}' floods in mill districts. Much lum- 

 l)er that has been ready to ship has been made 

 unfit for immediate delivery by water. Quar- 

 tered oak is still in quiet call, with plenty of 

 stock offered. Maple has been in fair request for 

 several weeks but now the demand Is really 

 active and prices are firmer. The call for cypress 

 is only moderate and prices are steady. There 

 is some call for the more expensive woods, such 

 as walnut and cherry. 



BALTIMORE 



Mardwood trade conditions are about the same 

 as they were two weeks ago. Though stocks at 

 the mills do not exceed very modest proportions 

 the greater part being green and wet. the demand 

 seems 'to be below what It should be under the 

 circumstances and buyers are almost indifferent 

 concerning supplies. This Is largely attributed to 

 the advance in prices, which has carried quota- 

 tions to figures that cause users of lumber to halt. 

 Many yards would no doubt place orders if they 

 could do so on the basis of the old figures. They 

 now hesitate in the belief that values will be 

 easier as soon as the edge has been taken off the 

 requirements b.v the larger offerings of the mills, 

 which have begun to run with some regularit.v 

 once more. Stocks at producing points are small, 

 heavy rains having interfered with drying and 

 also having hampered work at the mills. The 

 general demand has been held back for some time, 

 accumulations in yards or at mills being drawn 

 upon for current needs, until now there is a con- 

 siderable deficiency to be made up. This will take 

 time, and meanwhile quotations will remain high. 



Exporters are quiet, but the end of the British 

 labor troubles is expected to be followed by a 

 brisk demand. The continental situation is ex- 

 cellent. Trouble has been experienced here by 

 reason of a stevedores' strike which prevented 

 vessels from leaving, and unsettled the transpor- 

 tation business generally. As a result export 

 stocks have not gone forward as they should, 

 but these are merely temporary checks, and do 

 not seriously -affect prospects. It is the general 

 expectation that high prices will continue and 

 that buyers will have to meet the terms of the 

 producers. 



COLUMBUS 



Strength has been the chief characteristic of 

 the hardwood trade in Columbus and central Ohio 

 during the past fortni.ght. Building operations 

 are active and there is also a better demand for 

 hardwoods from manufacturing establishments. 

 Prices are ruling firm In all grades and varieties. 

 There is no movement to shade prices in the least 

 and every change has been toward higher levels. 

 Dry stocks in the hands of mill owners are 

 rather short, which means continued firmness in 



all lines. Jobbers report a good demand for hard- 

 wood flooring upon which advances have recently 

 been made. The feature of the trade is the con- 

 tinued demand for the lower grades. Advances 

 have been made in certain low grades of chestnut 

 and oak, and the entire list is strong. There Is 

 also a good movement of the upper grades, with 

 no accumulation of stocks in any grade. Quar- 

 tered and plain oak is selling well and especial 

 strength is shown in white oak. Chestnut is 

 strong and sound wormy is in good demand. 

 Poplar is one of the best woods in the market. 

 Basswood is strong and other hardwoods are un- 

 changed. 



TOLEDO 



The local hardwood market is improving after 

 weeks of apparant dullness and quietude. The 

 manufacturing concerns such as furniture, vehicle 

 and automobile factories are sending in a strong 

 call for hardwoods, plain oak being especially 

 strong. Dry plain oak is exceptionally hard to 

 get, and is being picked up closely. The market 

 remains firm and there has been a decided ad- 

 vance in prices on plain oak. Quartered oak 

 is not as strong as plain, but it is in fair de- 

 mand, and there has also been an increase iri 

 prices on same. Crating lumber of all kinds is 

 In heavy demand and shows a marked advance 

 in price. The demand from the building trades 

 is also Increasing. Residence building is strong 

 and many new homes are being constructed, 

 most of them calling for goodly quantities of 

 hardwood flooring and finish. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



The hardwood situation continues to improve, 

 business having been good during the last two 

 weeks. A number of substantial contracts have 

 been let, and hardwood interests are looking for- 

 ward to a successful season. Manufacturing 

 concerns using hardwoods have enough busi- 

 ness ahead to keep them busy for several months. 

 Prices are remaining steady. However, there 

 may be a slight advance in the near future, par- 

 ticularly on the different grades of oak. There 

 has been a marked improvement In shipping 

 facilities in the last two or three weeks, the car 

 shortage situation having been broken. 



NASHVILLE 



There is perhaps at present the greatest scarc- 

 ity of desirable hardwood stocks on the Nash- 

 ville market than has been known for many 

 years. Xo trouble Is found in disposing of de- 

 sirable stocks at advanced or even fancy figures, 

 as dry stocks of all woods are in very active 

 demand. Consuming factories and builders are 

 strongly in the market, and indications point to 

 a record breaking year for the latter. The scarc- 

 ity of desirable stocks is due to the fact that 

 not alone have the mills on the river been shut 

 down in many instances by the floods, but in 

 the rural sections which were not reached by 

 the high waters, the logs have been too wet for 

 handling and the roads too soft for hauling. 

 The Increased demands from bridge builders, 

 railroads and others which have extensive re- 

 pairs to make, as a result of the floods, will 

 necessarily add to the scarcity of stocks, as 

 well as increase the upward tendency of prices. 

 In some instances manufacturers have placed 

 orders elsewhere in their efforts to meet the 

 demands of the consumers, and in some Instances 

 orders have been refused of necessity. All manu- 

 facturers of finished products are active in their 

 demands for good stuff and there have been 

 advances all down the line, lower grades show- 

 ing more activity than the higher grades. tTn- 

 usually heavy receipts of logs from the upper 

 river country have been reported on the recent 

 high tides, logging concerns having had a splen- 



