98 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



up toward higher levels. Mills that shut down 

 for the customary mid-summer vacation have 

 resumed operations and some of the plants have 

 felt encouraged to increase their output. The 

 chief trouble has heen with low-grade stocks, 

 hut this is being in a measure overcome. Com- 

 mon oak is in appreciabl.v better request than 

 not so long ago, and some of the extensive ac- 

 cumulations are being worked off. No difficulty 

 is encountered with respect to high-grade lumber. 

 Low-grade chestnut is a shade stronger after a 

 decline to exceptionally low figures. As is the 

 case with oak, the high-grade stocks are moving 

 in sufficiently large volume to keep down sup- 

 plies to easily manageable proportions. The 

 tendency among builders to use oak instead of 

 pine flooring in the better class of houses is also 

 on the increase, and as construction work has 

 been very actively pursued during the present 

 year, extensive quantities of oak have been used 

 for this purpose. Maple flooring is also having 

 a better sale than has been the case, and while 

 prices are not high comparatively, the stiffening 

 that has already taken place affords ground for 

 the hope that the improvement in the market 

 will continue. Mantle works and other con- 

 sumers of hardwoods have been fully occupied, 

 and in various ways the hardwood business has 

 been aided. Poplar is about holding its own, 

 witn the high-grade wide stocks in very strong" 

 request and bringing prices that constitute a 

 record, while the low-grade stocks are quite slug- 

 gish, though of late the inquiry has been better. 

 The exporters continue to report quiet. Ship- 

 pers who have been abroad of late, state that 

 the feeling is somewhat better on the other side 

 of the .\tlantic, but large forwardings on con- 

 signments serve to keep supplies so large as to 

 make buyers cautious and prices low. 



hardwoods are in fair demand with prices un- 

 changed from the previous fortnight. 



CLEVELAND 



Business with the hardwood dealers here is 

 brisker than with most of the other lumber lines. 

 There is a good volume of building in progress, 

 and the amount of flooring and interior hard- 

 wood finish which is being called for is quite 

 large. 



Quartered oak is the only wood which is show- 

 ing much strength, although there is a fair de- 

 mand for the common variety. Poplar lags in 

 the automobile industry, although some grades 

 are moving actively in the building field. Other 

 hardwoods are moving somewhat slowly. 



Cooperage manufacturers are hopeful that busi- 

 ness will revive with them as fall approaches. 

 There promises to be a fair .apple crop with 

 plenty of cider, while the grape crop in the region 

 along the lakes is fair, despite early damaging 

 frosts, and considerable wine will be made, call- 

 ing for a supply of tight cooperage stock. 



COLUMBUS 



A street car strike which has practically 

 paralyzed business iu Columbus, coupled with 

 the usual midseason dullness, has had a bad 

 effect on the hardwood trade in central Ohio. 

 While the volume of business is somewhat cur- 

 tailed and inquiries and orders are not as numer- 

 ous as formerly, prices have not weakened ma- 

 terially. Some weakness, however, has been re- 

 ported in the higher grades of plain oak. This 

 lias been apparent for some time, and it is not 

 believed to be the result of any great falling 

 off in demand, but rather a natural consequence 

 of the present business conditions. There is 

 some weakness also in the wide sizes of poplar, 

 due to the decreased demand for such grades 

 from automobile factories. 



The hardwood flooring situation continues 



active, and there is also a good demand for 



many special bills of hardwoods. Quartered oak 



is scarce and prices are firm. Poplar, excepting 



in the wide sizes, which have heen very scarce. 



Is in good demand from every territory. Other 



CINCINNATI 



Even many of the most optimistic of the 

 hardwood operators in the Queen City are be- 

 ginning to take a serious view of the situation, 

 developed in the past fortnight. All along, the 

 slowing-down process was taken as a natural 

 course of events, especially during the hot season 

 of the year, when all business operations of 

 whatever kind usually stop to take stock, clean 

 up and get ready for the fall trade. With 

 August almost over, only the most remote indi- 

 cations of prosperity are hinted at. The mails, 

 while bringing inquiries, show but a limited 

 number of orders, and those for small lots usu- 

 ally, evidencing a conservative spirit on the 

 part of the manufacturing consumers of hard- 

 woods. The consuming manufacturer complains 

 that prices are too high, but a careful analysis 

 of the conditions convinces one that the prices 

 can not go much lower, owing to the constantly 

 increasing cost to the millmen in getting out the 

 manufactured lumber. Another potent reason 

 is the scarcity of high-grade lumber, while the 

 low grades are so plentiful as to he a drug on 

 the market, and with a corresponding value. 



The market tor veneers does not show much 

 animation at present, though the hope is ex- 

 pressed by the operators that business of the 

 fall will be good. The stocks are good, being in 

 better condition to meet large demands than 

 ever before. Circassian walnut veneers are hard 

 to get owing to the difl5culty lately experienced 

 in securing a good class of veneer logs. Ma- 

 hogany veneers are in good supply with only a 

 fair demand. Quartered oak veneers have been 

 rather slow during the entire summer, but are 

 showing better inquiry. The stocks are large 

 and prices remain unchanged. 



The furniture manufacturing industry as a 

 whole, is showing improvement over tlie early 

 part of the summer, especially in case goods, 

 dining room furniture, while upholstered lines 

 do not show up, so well. Desks for the foreign 

 trade have held their own in demand, and are 

 not showing indications of falling off at present, 

 the prices, however, are said by the manufac- 

 turers, to be the closest ever made in the history 

 of the industry. Heavy bridge and car stock 

 show the best in the operations, with but light 

 huying for the furniture and manufacturing in- 

 dustries. Chestnut is dull, scarcely being men- 

 tioned, especially for the top grades. The move- 

 ment of sound wormy is light, with prices at a 

 low ebb. Poplar, which during the early months 

 of the year, bid fair to become the leader of 

 the market, has shown a steady weakening, espe- 

 cially for the wide and clear stock demanded 

 for the automobile industry. Box boards are in 

 fair demand, with the supply above the imme- 

 diate desires of the trade. Medium grades of 

 poplar are moving slowly, with but little at pres- 

 ent in the low grades. Ash and hickory, for 

 wagon and carriage making, have been receiving 

 some attention. The promised activity in the 

 foreign trade has not shown materially to 'date, 

 though those interested express the opinion that " 

 this branch will show up all right later on. Red 

 gum is not very active, with some selling to the 

 furniture makers ; building material, however, is 

 fairly active, especially for flooring, siding and 

 interior trim. Walnut stocks are in good shape 

 and increasing, but holders remain firm in their 

 views as to the foreign demand of the future. 

 Cypress, for building purposes, is moving stead- 

 ily, as is yellow pine. Other hardwoods are 

 governed by the prevailing market conditions. 



TOLEDO 



There has heen but little change in prices in the 

 past sixty days and no special scarcity has de- 

 veloped in any line, although all good grades of 

 hardwoods have been difficult to get throughoiit 

 the season. Still assortments are in fair shape 

 and at present dealers are not showing much 

 desire to buy, save only where there are gaps 

 in their stocks to fill. Most of the local dealers 

 seem to believe that there is a stability about 

 the market and expect no immediate or sudden 

 change in prices. 



Quartered oak, which has enjoyed a fair de- 

 mand all summer, is quiet, but shows no 

 tendency toward a drop in price, dealers holding 

 their stocks unless prices are cheerfully met. 

 Oak, maple, chestnut, birch and basswood are 

 in good demand at present. Much hardwood has 

 been used this season in Toledo by the building 

 trades. The prospects for the fall are good, as 

 the residence structures are still going up with 

 no noticeable decrease and a number of large 

 business structures have been planned for fall 

 building which will use large quantities of 

 hardwoods. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



There has been a very good trade during the 

 last two weeks, but although the demand has in- 

 creased slightly, there has been no change in 

 prices. Building operations have increased, 

 affecting the demand for hardwood finish some- 

 what, and other lines requiring hardwoods have 

 been a trifle more active. 



Furniture factories are all running to full 

 capacity for fall business, and vehicle factories 

 are busy with their 1011 lines. The only de- 

 crease noted is in the automobile manufacturing 

 business, this industry now being between sea- 

 sons. Automobile factories are working with 

 about one-third of their usual forces. 



MEMPHIS 



The demand for hardwood lumber cannot be 

 called active, and yet there are more inquiries 

 coming In, and some of the offers now being 

 made are being accepted on condition that the 

 lumber be shipped at once. This is taken as 

 an indication that consuming and distributing 

 interests have ajlowed their stocks to run down 

 to small proportions and are, therefore, under 

 the necessity of making prompt replenishment. 

 There is no surplus of hardwood lumber in the 

 Memphis territory, and there is no pressure to 

 sell, with the result that, as a general propo- 

 sition, prices are well maintained at the recent 

 level. One of the big furniture manufacturing 

 companies is making inquiries for 1,000,000 feet 

 of common oak, but most of the trade here are 

 indisposed to figure on the business for the rea- 

 son that delivery must be made over a period 

 of practically a year. There is not much will- 

 ingness on the part of local lumbermen to sell 

 ahead for a long period because of their belief 

 that business will be better this fall and winter, 

 and that prices will be higher. 



Plain and quartered oak are in very good de- 

 mand, and there is a satisfactory call for No. 1 

 common and better red gum. Ash is in a some- 

 what unsettled state, both as to movement and 

 prices, largely as a result of the recent untoward 

 developments in the automobile industry. There 

 is a fair movement of cypress and the lower 

 grades of cottonwood and gum are showing 

 ratner more activity under the stimulus of the 

 improvement in the wooden box business. There 



Ilardwood dealers in Toledo evince no desire 

 to grumble at local conditions, although the 

 market seems a little quiet at the present time. 



WE WANT TO MOVE 



600,000 feet dry 4-4 Brown Ash 

 EDWARD CLARK & SON, Toronto, Can. 



