Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-08-12
The Lumber Trade for July,
and n look ahead.

Bay City. Tribune, it is matter @
no small surprise, in the face of tn
many disparaging statements whicl
have been promulgated by the dali
and weekly press of the valley, t
discover that the shipments from
this region have aggregated largel
than during the same month las
year, when no extraordinary de
pressing influences were at work
and when trade was looked upon as
to say the least, in an ordinarily
healthy condition. The question
naturally arises, in view of the fac
of the excess, as shown by the Gus
tom House books, as well as those
of the Inspector General of the Dis
trict, why should the market be
constantly represented as "Gull be-
yond precedent and kindred ex-
pressions. We can account for it
only upon hypothesis: 1st, That
the writers of the statements have
commented upon matters of which
they had no personal knowledge.
I'd, That money being close and
many sales in consequence being
made upon longer times than in
former years the proceeds of those
sales are not so readily distributed
among all classes and from the re-
striction in the circulation of mon
ey, dealers have learned to transact
their business to a larger extent up
on bills of exchange. The effect of
this is more readily felt among the
laboring classes who know nothing,
or but little of the routine of bank
transactions, and who are paid for
their labor in 'store orders" to
greater extent than formerly. In /
looking over the trade we find that /
but few restrictions are being prac-
ticed among the owners of mills
and lumber stocks, improvements
being the order of the day to as
great an extent as in years when
the cry of 'hard times" was never
raised. Holders of stocks, show in
a majority of cases no disposition
to sacrifice, and we differ material
" with the writer of an article in a
morning paper of neighboring
city, who argued that but little
confidence could be placed in the
quotations given from day to day,
they being made from the statement
of sellers, whose interest it was, to
suppose the actual figures, while
representing their sales to have
been made at market rates. We
do not believe that the prevailing
rates of 7.12a35 have been cut I'M {
der to any greater extent during
the past month than is usually the
case in the most prosperous sea-
sons. We do not remember year
for the past ten when instances have
not come to our knowledge, where
a temporary embarrassment, such {
as shortage on pay day, or in the ]
of bank paper has led
parties to dispose of small qaanti- ,
ties of lumber below prevailing
rates. We have heard Of no such
Instances during the past month,
hut surprising indeed would it be
to us if such bad not occurred.
Such cases, however, have in each
year been too rare and insignificant
in extent to have any effect upon
the general market, and had they
prevailed Of late to any extent, we
make bold to say that there are
enough parties in our midst, inter
estedto keep dozen prices, who would
not have failed to give the fact al
the significance in the power. The
fact is, that with all the stringency
in the market, buyers have of late .
found difficulty in procuring stocks .
of ready sawed lumber, and in alb (
sence of it have contracted for lum-
Der yet to be manufactured. That !
81, S14 and s35 has been paid for
this springs saving is well known,
while by inspection 81, sl4, s31,
$50 and s41 was recently paid for a ,
lot of 100000 feet, this being also !
spring saving. 1t is useless, and
worse than folly, in view of these
facts, to assert that prices are not
maintained, while the excess ship
ment during the month of all others
when haying and harvesting not
only call to the farming regions
many of our skilled laborers, but
the trade with farmers is duller than
during any other portion of the
year, saving only August and Sep
TENDER, which are affected by the
same causes, but leads conclusively
to the opinion that the market is in
anything but an unhealthy condi-
ton, and with the advancing season
prices arc far more likely to advance
than to retrogade. For causes al
ready mentioned there is less ready
money in circulation, which of
course affects the trade in grocer
les, dry goods and other articles,
and the sufferers of course attribute
the falling off to the dizziness of the
market for the great staple of tie
Valley, and we imagine that the
opinions of majority of those not
posted in the actual condition of
the lumber market, are made up
from the views of others as little
posted as themselves. 1t is but
natural that in the face of the pre-
vailing cry Of hard times among
other classes, our lumbermen
Il IA - i.