Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-06
How the Local Demands Have Crept
Ahead of All Facilities for
Supplying the Material,
DUE To AN INCREASE IN BUILDING
New Woods That Have Almost Entirely
Shut Out Old and Familiar Grades
for Finishing Purposes.
IMPROVEMENTS ON CHEAT RIVER.
Another Steel Plant About Ready to Begin Operations
st Eorristown.

Arrangements are now being made for a
very important meeting of the Union Lum-
ber Dealers Association of Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Indiana, to be held at Toledo next
month. 1t is the annual meeting of the AS
sociation, and it will be attended by about
600 dealers, representing combined capital
of more than S2O,0OO,OOO
The Union is the largest lumber dealers
organization in the United States, and the
coming meeting will be the most important
ever held. The convention will be in ses-
sion three DAYS, and will consider several
matters OF importance to the trade.
Probably the first thing taken up will be
the matter of car service. The Allegheny
County Association has al ready dealt with
this question. bat having failed to have the
grievance adjusted, referred it to the Union
Association. The trouble is in regard to
the time allowed by railroad companies for
the unloading of cars, which is only 4S
hours.
The Present Inconvenience.
A dealer may not have any knowledge of
his lumber being on siding for day after
it has been delivered, and it may be a
practical impossibility for him to get the
lumber away within the required time.
Yet, il he fails, the companies invariably
charge him 81 day for all time over the 4S
hours. The association will ask that the
companies allow As hours from the time
notice is received, and if this is granted,
dealers will be saved great deal of trouble
and considerable expense, as well.
Another matter to be considered is diff
Guilty existing between wholesale and retail
dealers. There is an. agreement, entered
Into some years ago, binding wholesalers to
refrain from selling at retail, and providing
that in case OF violation, fine OF 10 per
cent on the sales be imposed, which fine
was given as a premium to the informer,
provided he lived IN the district in which
the violation took place.
Previous to last gear, this agreement was
almost lost sight of. and violations have
been rather frequent. But during the past
year the officers have been more watchiul
aud quite a number Of wholesale dealers
have been caught up" Some action will
be taken binding the wholesalers closer to
the agreement and probably making the
penalty a little heavier.
Talk of the Eight-Hour Day.
The probable difficulty expected next
spring IN TeSdIu 10 duOpJlOu Oh Tile elSuI-
hour work day in the building trades will
not be dealt with, except to indorse any
action that may be taken by the Builders
Exchange between now and the time for the
meeting.
Certain legislation for the benefit Of Ohio
dealers will be asked for, but it has no local
significance. The reports of the officers will
| show the association to be In healthy con-
dition and that trade all over the district is
far in excess of that of last year. Among
other things to be considered of interest to
dealers only are grades. supply and demand,
and the reports from the wholesalers. The
latter will be represented in the convention
by honorary members, representing S15-
O0O, 900 of capital. The convention will
close with the election of officers, banquet
and an excursion to Grand Rapids and
| other Northwestern lumber centers.
The officers of the association who will
accompany the 40 delegates from Pittsburg
and vicinity are; Secretary H. w. Ahers,
| of Allegheny, and Directors William Wig
man, of the Union Planning Mill Company,
| of the Southside, and George L. Walter, Of
| Sharpsburg. Speaking of the coming con-
vention and the condition of the local lum-
Der trade yesterday, Secretary Ahlers said;
Opinions of the Secretary.
sour association never was in better
condition than at present We will
not have complaint against a member at
the coming session. The three dealers that
were blacklisted some,years ago have been
driven entirely out of the business.
"Trade is good, with indications of it in
creasing during the coming year. There is
q deal OF lumber coming in now from the
Southern market Lumber and shingles
come all the way from New Orleans by
boat. The building boom through the
| South is subsiding to some extent and the
demand in the North for Southern stock
strains the facilities for supplying 1t, owing
to the inability to secure cars for shipping
Yellow pine and cypress are the principal
Southern products.
| -"And, by the way, cypress is crowdine
out yellow pine for many purposes, includ-
ing finishing, pattern and tank work. A
! wear ago we could not induce people to buy
| cypress; now they will not have ANYTHING
else.
"Quartered oak for finishing purposes ha:
come into favor in Pittsburg during the
year. Hemlook holds out for ordinary
buildings, but it is considerably higher in
price, owing to the fact that there was nc
snow last year.
| Less Stiff Prices Expected.
/ "I am informed that in Northern coun-
ties there is already foot of snow, and L do
not believe the price on hemlock will be a:
stiff for the next year. Norway bull
material is crowding out white pine also
not only on account of its strength and dur
ability, but its cheapness. There has no
been much cherry in the market. Coco
qualities are scarce.
''There has new industry sprung ur
that few people know about. For MANI
years people imagined that Ohio, indiana
aud the Northwest were the only sources
| from which good lumber could be had
Lately, however, dealers have been bring
ing spruce lumber from the headwaters o
the Monongahels in barges and by rail
And they are getting the rarest kinds o
hard woods for building purposes. Yves