The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-02-02
LUMBER MARKET SHOWS
A MUCH BETTER TONE
Distinct Improvement Is Shown in Last Week-Number OF
Substantial Orders Are Received By South Mississippi
Dealers-On Account of the Peculiar Conditions of
Market Prices Are Still Below the Average.

Hatuesburg, Miss, February 1.-(Spe-
cial.)-During the past two weeks there
has developed distinctly better tone
in the lumber market in this part of the
yellow pine belt. A number of substan-
tial orders have been received. This i'm
provement is not great 1t does not mean
that the mill business has burst Into full
bloom again. But 1t is the first definite
indication of the better times that have
long been predicted, and it is felt by the
mill men that from this time forward the
business will pick up, perhaps slowly, but
not the less surely.
The prices still Offering are low. The
mill men are in some instances selling at
loss on certain cuts This is the result
of the peculiar condition of the market.
Many of the mills are filling large eX
port orders for certain grades, and the
material not used in the filling of those
contracts is cut and sold at price that
, barely covers expenses. Similarly some
of the mills are running on a single in
terror order, and everything they cut that
does not come up to those specifications
is ready for the market at pretty nearly
any price that is offered. But on the
, whole none of these mills that are rum
ming are doing business at a loss.
That the mills are feeling a revival of
business is evidenced by the fact that
there have been several assumptions of
operations in the past few days. The ].
j. Newman company, the largest millers
,, in south Mississippi, have got all their
plants both at Hattiesburg and Sunrall,
in operation and running on fairly full
time The Sunrall plants were closed
down altogether and the Hattiesburg mill
was operating only in limited way.
Practically every mill of Importance south
of here on the Gulf and Ship Island
road, with the exception of the big North
mill at Bond, which is in financial diff
culties, has resumed, and the same may
be said of the mills on the Mendenhall
branch of the Gulf and Ship Island.
Down on the coast the mills are operat-
ing on full time. Most of these mills are
cutting for export. The export demand
has been, in large measure, the saving
of the situation in the yellow pine in
dustry. The prices offered while not ex-
travagant, have sufficed to furnish the
mills a profitable outlet for much Of
their product, so that though the man.
ufacturers have not been growing rich,
they have been able to keep their ma
chinery from rusting. have been able to
keep their labor forces from disintegrat-
ing and have kept bread and butter in
the mouths of the workmen dependent
upon them.
esteemed as a regular reliance of the lum-
Der trade, as it is now established. 1t
means a great deal of wastage, with con-
sequent reduction of dividends. The mill
men will welcome the time when the rail
roads resume their demand for material
for cars and bridges.
The financial situation has cleared up
in this territory. The banks have all re-
tired their scrip, and some of the mills
that have been paying off in commissary
orders and due bills are again In position
to do business with ready money.
The Finkbine Lumber company OF Wig
gins is now running day and night with
full force of hands, and has orders to I'LL
that will consume all of the cut for the
next two months The manager reports
that inquiries have greatly increased IN
the past week or two.
The Mississippi Pine association Is now