HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



Opinions of the Leading Producers on the HardWood 



Situation 



Hakdwood Record attempts, in the general 

 and local market reports in each issue, to 

 accurately reflect conditions in the hardwood 

 market; but it has been felt that these re- 

 ports might in some way have been biased, 

 and hence individual opinions of the lead- 

 ing hardwood producers and jobbers in a 

 widely distributed section of the United 

 States, on the several phases of the hardwood 

 situation are presented in this connection. 



On August 23 the editor addressed the fol- 

 lowing letter to more than one hundred of the 

 leading hardwood producers and jobbers: 



CHK'Aiio, August 23, 1910. 



Deal' Sirs : Hardwood Record, in its issue of 

 September 10. desires to reflect ttie individual 

 opinions of the leading hardwood producers and 

 jobbers on the general hardwood situation. 



We want to presume on your good nature, 

 and ask you to send us for publication a brief 

 analysis of conditions as you see them, covering 

 the following poiats : 



(1) How does your stock of dry lumber com- 

 pare in size and quality with that of a year 

 ago? 



(2) How is your vohime of business at the 

 present time, and how do you analyze the pros- 

 pects for fall trade? 



(3) Are prices at present satisfactory, and 

 do you gee any reason for believing that values 

 will increase or decline? 



(4) Are you going to increase or diminish 

 your output and handlings during the next six 

 months? 



We trust that you will favor us with a reply. 

 Thanking you in advance and with kindest 

 regards, we are. Very truly yours, 



Hardwood Record. 



The following replies to this letter should 

 prove interesting reading not only to manu- 

 facturers and jobbers, but to consumers as 

 well. If these letters retleet actual condi- 

 tions, as they doubtless do, it would seem that 

 the Kecord's analysis and prophecies of the 

 last few months have been remarkably ac- 

 curate : 



As a Prominent Manufacturer and Exporter 

 Views the Situation 



Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



CIXCIN.VATI, O., Aug. 26, 1910. 



i;entlemer : Replying to yours of the 24th 

 inst. beg to state we carry about the same 

 amount of dry hardwood as we did a year ago. 

 We may have a little more of the lower grades 

 on hand now than we had a year ago, but in the 

 upper grades we have about the same amount as 

 we had last year. 



The volume of our business this year has been 

 from 10 to 15 per cent greater than it was last. 

 Although during the summer months the orders 

 came in sparingly, we had enough old business 

 on our book.s to keep us busy. 



There is no question but the prospects for the 

 fall trade are very favorable, as there are no 

 stocks in the hands of the retailers and con- 

 sumers to amount to anything and as they surely 

 will need lumber this fall, they will have to go 

 out and buy it. 



The prices for the upper grades of lumber are 

 reasonably satisfactor.v, while the prices for the 

 'ower grades are too low and leave no profit to 

 the producer. 



There is no question In our minds that the 

 prices of all kinds of lumber will go up when 

 the fall trade opens up, as there are no large 



stocks in first hands and the scarcity of timber 

 will naturally increase the prices for lumber 

 from year to year. 



We are going to continue to run our mills ten 

 hours per day in order to have a well-assorted 

 stock of dry lumber on hand at all times. 

 Yours truly. 



The Ferd. Brenner Lu.mber Co., 



Ry Ferd, Brenner, I'rest. 



The Opinion of a Prominent Cincinnati 

 Wholesaler 



Cincinnati, O., Aug. 26, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



Gentlemen : We have your favor of the 24th 

 Inst, and In reply will say that our stock of dry 

 lumber in No. 1 common and better is not as 

 large as it was a year ago. In No. 2 and No. 3 

 common our stock is considerably larger. Dur- 

 ing the past month we have had some very good 

 .-sales in No. 2 and No. 3 common and we feel 

 that in a few months the stock of these grades 

 will be only normal. 



We found the latter part of July and the fore 

 part of August dull, and our business was off 

 about 30 to 40 per cent. During the past two 

 weeks we received a great many orders and arc 

 today shipping about our usual amount of 

 lumber. 



We have not found it necessary to cut any 

 prices at all. and believe that the only items 

 that are being sold for less money are extra wide 

 poplar. We expect during the next six months 

 to put on sticks about the usual amount of lum- 

 !)er. As there has not been any decline in price 

 on any of the staple articles in lumber, even 

 during the past two months of what we call the 

 dull season, we cannot see any reason why we 

 should expect a decline in price during this fall 

 when business is always better, and we do not 

 look for any material change in prices in any 

 way during the rest of this year. From the 

 information we have from our customers we 

 believe that they will use more lumber during 

 the next six months than usual. Yours truly, 

 JIowBRAT & Robinson. 



From a Memphis Manufacturer and Exporter 



MEMrms. Tenn,, .\ugust 20. 1910. 

 Hardwood Record. Chicago. III. 



Gentlemen : Acknowledging receipt of your 

 favor of the 23rd, asking us for our opinion of 

 ihe general hardwood situation, would say: 



Our stock of dry lumber is about 10 to 15 

 jier cent less than it was this time a year ago. 

 We are very short on good plain red and white 

 oak and have onl.v a fair stock in common. 



Our sales so far this year show a 50 per cent 

 increase over the same time a year ago. We 

 look for a very healthy trade this fall. 



Trices are very satisfactory. In plain oak 

 the prices are higher than a year ago. Quar- 

 tered oak prices are not quite as firm and we 

 do not anticipate any increase. We believe 

 that quartered white oak values will not advance 

 unless production is diminished, as the manu- 

 facturers of furniture and doors are using more 

 veneers each year, which curtails the demand 

 for 1-inch and thicker lumber. 



We are manufacturing and putting on sticks 

 about 150,000 feet of hardwood lumber each 

 working day, and we do not expect to increase 

 our production. 



We beg to remain. Yours very trul.v, 



Russe & Burgess, Inc., 

 By George D. Burgess, Vice-Pres. 



From a Northern Michigan Producer 

 Gravung, Mich., August 25, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sirs : Replying to your favor of August 

 23, will state that our stock of dry lumber, com- 



pared in size and quality with that of last year's, 

 is about 500,000 feet larger than then. 



Replying to question No. 2, our volume of 

 business at the present time is somewhat larger 

 than it was last year and the prospect for fall 

 trade is good. 



Question No. 3, as to price being satisfactory 

 or not, will state that we sold our output for 

 I.lie year .January 1, 1910, and, of course, the 

 price is fixed for Vofi year. 



Question No. 4, as to the increasing or de- 

 cieasing of output for the next six months, 

 would state that we are practically through saw- 

 ing hardwood until the first of January next 

 and consequently the amount of stock on hand 

 will diminish considerably by the time our con- 

 tract expires. The outlook is now that there will 

 be an advance in the price of maple before next 

 year's production is ready to be sold. This fs 

 our candid opinion. 



Hoping this information will be of use to you, 

 wc remain. Yours very truly, 



SALLING, HAN.SON COMPANY, 



Per R. Hanson. 



From a Large Michigan Producer 

 Wells, Delta Co., Micu., August 26, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111, 



Dear Kirs : Replying to your letter of August 

 24. we have considerably less dry stock on hand 

 than we had a .year ago. The volume of business 

 is increasing with us right along. Wo do not 

 look for any decline in values. Our output for 

 the next six months will be somewhat increased. 

 Yours truly. The I. Stephenson Co.mpany, 



Per R. E, M. 



Anticipates Increase in Trade in Next Six 

 Months 



Cincinnati, August 26, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



Gentlemen : Replying to yours 24th inst., an- 

 ^iwering your questions in the order in which 

 they arc asked, beg to state as follows: 



First. Our stock of dry lumber is approxi- 

 mately 20 per cent less than it was at this time 

 last year. In value it is probably 30 per cent 

 short, this being due to the fact that there is 

 a greater shortage on the high grades than on 

 the low grades. 



Secoinl. Our volume of business at the pres- 

 ent time is considerably larger than at the same 

 period last year. In other words, the month of 

 August will show an approximate gain over 

 August, 1909, of 40 per cent. With the excep- 

 tion of June and July our business for this year 

 shows an increase over each corresponding 

 month of last year, amounting to approximately 

 10 per cent above 1909. 



Third. Prices are not satisfactory. We an- 

 ticipate an increase in the price on the higher 

 grades. In fact, there is already a tendency 

 in that direction : while present prices on the 

 low grades are extremely poor and not at all 

 what they should be, we hardly hope for much 

 improvement, as there is unquestionably a sur- 

 plus of this class of stock. 



Fourth. We anticipate an increase in busi- 

 ness during the next six months. Y'ours truly, 

 John Dulweber & Co., 

 Per B. F. Dulweber. 



The Opinion of a Big St, Louis Manufacturer 



St. Louis, August 26, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, III. 



Gentlemen : We have your valued favor of 

 .\ugust 24 and in reply would state : 



1st. Our stock of dry lumber is probably 15 

 per cent greater than it was a year ago. 



2nd. The volume of business up to the pres- 

 ent time has been very satisfactory, and it 



