HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



erally are in only modei-atc supply, with no 

 accumulation in any one wood, wliiie the im- 

 portant wood of Michigan, hard maple, is shown 

 to be low in stoclj. with not only an unusually 

 heavy demand at this time but every indication 

 of an increased demand for the future. 



It is the opinion of this committee that the 

 hardwood manufacturers of Michigan should 

 give especial attention to Michigan hard maple 

 that it be not wasted in cutting or sacrificed 

 in selling. Hard maple has found many new 

 uses as a substitute wood during the past two 

 years, because of the comparatively high prices 

 and limited suppl.v of such woods as ash, hickory, 

 rock elm, etc.. and has proven so satisfactory 

 for many purposes that it can no longer be 

 called a substitute but for many of the pur- 

 poses it is the wood. 



The primary use of hard maple, as you all 

 know, has for several years been for maitle 

 llooring. for which there is a constantly increas- 

 ing demand. The real value of maple as a floor 

 is becoming better known, with the result that 

 it is going into more general use and will con- 

 tinue to grow in favor. 



StatLstics of the manufacturers will show that 

 during the years 190G, 1007 and 1908 the 

 amount of maple used in the manufacture of 

 tiuoring averaged appro.ximately 250.000,000 feet 

 per year and the year 1009 promises the great- 



J. C. KNOX, SECRETARY. 



est use of maple flooring of any year in the 

 history of the business, at least 20 percent over 

 that of the past three years, or 300.000.000 

 feet of maple going into the^manufacture of 

 maple flooring, just about 1,000,000 feet for 

 each working day in the year. 



Your secretary's report will show that of 

 4/4 maple better than No. 3 common there was 

 in the hands of the manufacturers October 1. 

 1009. about 53,000,000 feet, with 44,000,000 

 feet sold and only 0,000,000 feet unsold. The 

 corresponding period for October 1, 190S. showed 

 62.000.000 feet in stock. 33.000.000 feet sold 

 and 29.000,000 feet unsold, and October 1, 1007, 

 63,000,000 feet in stock, 39,000,000 feet sold and 

 24,000.000 feet unsold. 



The manufacturers of maple flooring will re- 

 quire in the eight months from October 1 to 

 June .1, the time at which the new crop will 

 be available, at least 200,000.000 feet of maple. 

 The members of this association could not pos- 

 sibly furnish more than 50,000,000 ; have the 

 maple flooring manufacturers the other 150,000,- 

 000 in stock? 



As indication of the increased use of maple 

 we have only '" refer to the fact that on 



June 1, 1909, the maple flooring manufacturers 

 had a surplus of maple flooring representing 

 about 25,000.000 feet of maple lumber, while 

 on October 1, 1909, they were oversold an 

 amount of flooring that will require 23,000,000 

 feet of maple to produce, a reversal of condi- 

 tions representing 50,000,000 feet in nine 

 months. 



The scarcity of No. 2 common and better 

 maple and the higher prices for maple flooring 

 will stimulate the use of No. 3 common maple 

 for factory flooring, which we think will bring 

 the supply well within the demand. 



Michigan of course does not produce all of 

 the hard maple, nor does this association include 

 in its membership all of the manufacturers of 

 Michigan, but the state of Michigan does pro- 

 duce the best hard maple in the world and it 

 produces most of it, just as this associatioi^ 

 includes in its membership the best manufac- 

 turers of the state as well as most of them, so 

 that not only the manufacturers of maple lum- 

 ber in this as well as other states, but the con- 

 sumers of maple the world over look upon this 

 association as the leader in hard maple. It 

 therefore becomes our duty to see that hard 

 maple brings its true value in the markets of 

 the world. This it has not done heretofore, but 

 with the present awakening it should do so 

 within a very few years. 



Beech is the only wood showing any accumu- 

 lation of stock, which is probably due to the 

 box business, but a large amount of .beech is 

 now going into the cooperage and basket busi- 

 ness as a substitute wood and as an advance in 

 the price of maple has always been followed 

 by an increased use of beech at advanced prices, 

 we think beech will be in good demand during 

 the coming year. 



Birch during the past two years has been 

 growing in favor at constantly advancing prices 

 and with the lightest stock in years we consider 

 the birch market strong. 



From the secretary's report you will note there 

 is 25,000,000 feet less of hemlock in stock 

 October 1, 1900, than on October 1, 1008, which 

 indicates much better conditions in the hem- 

 lock market. 



We believe that the Market Conditions Com- 

 mittee report submitted herewith reflects the 

 present condition of the northern hardwood and 

 hemlock market and that about the values as 

 snown by the report may be obtained for north- 

 ern hardwoods f. 0. b. cars or over rail or 

 vessel and for hemlock on dock, except as noted. 

 Respectfully submitted, 



Bruce Odell, 

 D. M. Kneeland^ 

 John C. Ross, 

 G. VON Platen, 

 Oscar L. Larson, 

 W. L. Martin, 

 F. L. Richardson, 

 W. C. Hull, 

 Market Conditions Committee. 



Lewis Doster, secretary of the Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association of the United 

 States, was then introduced by President 

 Bigelow and delivered an interesting ad- 

 dress on the subject of "Hardwood Condi- 

 tions in the South," excerpts from which 

 follow: 



Mr, Doster 's Address 

 I have listened with great interest to the 

 reports of the several committees. The interests 

 of the northern and southern hardwood manu- 

 facturers are practically identical when it comes 

 to marketing stocks and it is the intent of 

 the southern producers to keep in close touch 

 with the hardwood affairs in the North. 



To explain the conditions of trade among 

 the interests I represent, I will state that south- 

 ern hardwoods come from three sources: the 

 ash, oak and chestnut from the mountain sec- 



tion, the hardwood belt in Ohio, Indiana and 

 vicinity, and the oak, cottonwood, gum and 

 kindred woods from the far South. Intermingled 

 with all this is the maple, beech, birch, ash. 

 basswood, sycamore, elm, etc. 



Owing to climatic and financial causes, hard- 

 wood production has been curtailed from 60 to 

 70 per cent of normal. Many of the smaller 

 mills have gone out of business on account of 

 financial conditions and the larger mills have 

 been unable to market their product at more 

 than cost of production and have been closed 

 for considerable periods of time in certain 

 territory. The lower grades formerly moving 

 slowly are showing decided improvement. Buy- 

 ers are studying the necessity of using lower 

 grades, when formerly higher grades only were 

 purchased. 



The price of the higher grades of hardwoods 

 held firm through the panic. Prices on poplar 

 and oak increased, owing to a very large de- 

 mand, and plain oak advanced in sympathy with 

 quartered stock. 



In conclusion I will say that the association 

 I represent wishes to keep in close touch witli 

 the Michigan association for the mutual inter- 

 change of pertinent information. 



Considerable discussion then prevailed ou 

 the analysis of market conditions as suli- 



BRUCE ODELL, CHAIRMAN MARKET CON- 

 DITIONS COMMITTEE. 



mitted by the Market Conditions Commit- 

 tee. Further discussion was postponed until 

 the afternoon session. 



On motion of F. A. Diggins, an assess- 

 ment of 114 cents per thousand on ship- 

 ments of hardwoods, including stock han- 

 dled by the flooring factories, from October 

 1, 1908, to October 1, 1909, was made to 

 provide for funds to carry on the association 

 work for the coming year, 



Bruce Odell stated that the association 

 had filed a complaint before the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission against the Trans- 

 Continental Freight Bureau for a reduction 

 of freights from 85 cents to 7.5 cents to 

 I'aciflc coast points from southern Michi- 

 gan peninsula territory. This action was 

 taKen to place southern Michigan shippers 

 in as good a position as those of the north- 

 ern peninsula and of northern Wisconsin. 

 Secretary Knox explained in detail the 



