The evening times., 1900-07-31

The State Department today made pub
lie the reports OF eOnsuIs in France,
Greece, and Germany as to the markets
N their respective countries for American
lumber. John C. Covert. Consul at Lyons
writes:
only white oak viii and a market in
this part of France. Red cak is objected to
on account of its lack of uniformity in tint
and color.
Large quantities of squared and sawed
oak are now received in France from the
United States. The price. laid down in
Lyons. is $27 per cubic metre. 3i316 cubic
feet.
The wood must be first class to meet
the demand OF this market. It must be
FREQ from knots. 1902 and 1858 feet long.
81 to 1895 inches wide. to inches thick.
No other dimensions are demanded here
american walnut has not found a place
in this market. So far as have been able
TO learn. French walnut brings from $3.50
to S2123 per cubic metre. 1t is sold in
blocks Of a minimum circumference OF 492
feet, from 9.S5 TO 1902 feet Iong.
Satin walnut is not known in France.
Ash is not bought in boards OF planks.
as it is said TO be easily damaged when
shipped in that shape. Il could be sold
laid down in Lyons. at $I5.44 per cubic me
tire II should be in pieces from l3-1z to
19.6 SO feet long
The customs duties on such woods
round, rough, with or without bark. iuds-
pendent OF length. OF a circumference Of
zS.G inches at the large end-are Iz.5 ceats
per 20 pounds. wood. sawed and squared
5-l1 II Les Of thickness and over. I9-3 cents
20 cUEcs. sawed weeds 1.2S inches and
over, 81 cents per 220 pounds.
1T Is not worth while TO attempt to
export poplar or any soft white woods TO
France They are grown here in abun-
cance- 4 large proprietor who has many
thou ands Of poplars on his lands answer
ca ny 0lestions on this subject in the fol-
lowing language:
\ boy can plant 900 poplars in a day
along a brook. river. or roadway. Z
costs rothiLg 70 grow them and their
roots add firmness 10 the ear5h. They can
De trimmed twice or three times in twer-
ty years. and az each trimming the branch
es bring ! franc. The branches are dried
and sold 20 bakers. They furnish the
quick. intense heat which gives the rhics
crust 20 the bread. There is always
market for them At the end OF twenty
years. the tTee viii always sell for
frame.
The poF-ar wood Is used in making the
iight boxes in which silks yeivets. SaliuS-
wines. mineral water. p5rfumery. and o,h-
- tIenSG sT-cialties are packed. The con
sumption Of this wood is very great. but
has never yet been in excess oI the do
nestle production
Daniel E Mckinley. Consul al Athens.
writes as follows.
Owing TO the tariff troubles between
Turkey and Greece. the Creek importers
Of timber are considering the question OF
importing from some other country the
large quantities Of timber. lumber. slaves.
etc. which they have heretofore annually
brought from Turkey. and I think il we'll
&c inform American exporters OF this fact
that they may have d chance to make a
bid for the custom Of the Greek market
As Greece does not produce any timber
for Misunderstanding purposes. and very lit
tie for any use. she Is obliged 70 import
nearly all she consumes. In 1885, the lat
est year for which Greek import stats
tics have been published. Greece imported
woods for building and manufacturing
purposes valued al Sl.5lL7l0sS from Aus
tria, Turkey. Germany. BCumania. Russia.
Italy. France United States. Belgium. and
England, these countries furnishing pcy-
ticas OF the whole IN the order named
Austria and Turkey pToducsd the largest
part Of all the woods imported. while tre
United States furnished a few thousand
slaves for currant barrels.
The demand for vcCEs Of ali kinds is
rapidly increasing in Greece. and the local
prices are very high. The -rca- distance
viii make the freighr OF timber from The
United States much higher than from any
ether OF the countries named. but with a
direct line OF lines Of sIeayshiDs connect
ing Greek and American rG--s there
would be a goCd cha-ca % --l -p the
Greek market Tor our naive ..--5ars-a
market in which TIE demand L-- good
qualities viii annually Increase
Ernest J. Harris. C--sEiar Agent, 81
Eibenback. reports as follows
Germany presents q sod market for
American lumber In the leg There has
been so much American saved lumber in
ported during the past few years th1s
German sawmiI owners are agita-ing in
favor Of q high tariff or sawed and hcTu
lumber. Their reason for such acliOn IS
Obvious. II the present tariff continues in
force, the import Of icSs VIII in time
cease altogether. This VII not only ma
terially injuIe the mills. but viii tend %
render improbable a thriving German il
dustry. as well IS throw a great many la
bprsrs out Of employment.
The American lumber trade in Ccr-na-
ny has always been attended with a great
zeal or LlcTiCn- An American exporter OF
lumber wrote me last fall:
q" I have been exporting logs. lumber
and staves for a go3d many years. and
have sold TO SpaniarGs. EnglishInen, It3l-
ians. Frenchmea, N0rwesians, and Ger
mans, and he'd mere trouble with The Ger
mans than all the others combined.
% The Germans are prone to put in
claims for short measurement, etc, to de-
prive exporters OF what is due them
The following letter from an impartial
reliable observer IN Hamburg. however
shows that the German importer is not
without cause for just complaint,
q The modes of payment are generally
Gs follows: The importers on this side
generally pay frcm 80 10 10 per cent Of
the irvoice value on receipt of the dOeu-
meEts and after having Inspected the lun-
Der. in order to satisfy themselves that
the shipment is in accordance with the or
der
- Lumber merchants in Hamburg who
are not sharp. however, have suffered con-
siderable losses from shipments for the
following reasCnso- They ordered lumber
from the United States, received the docu-
ments, paid one-hslf or three-fourths OF
tho invoice value inspected the cargo ait
er having paid for the same. and then
found that the lumber was not in accord
anee with the order They had TO sell the
best they could. experiencing less in order
TO cover the same. being obliged to bring
suit against the firms in the United States.
ard, in every case I have come in contact
with. the parties in Hamburg have been
losers This is caused by the expenses
connected with the suit or bv the firms in
tho United States compromising in such
a manrer that the firms here were obliged
tc accept the compromise. I know Of one
case in Hamburg in which the firm has lost