The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-05-28
LUMBER OUTLOOK
IS MORE HOPEFUL
INCREASING DEMAND FOR ALL
KINDS OF LUMBER.
General Business Conditions Show a
Marked mprovement.-Tariff un-
certainty Being Discounted.

That the business conditions in gen.
eral throughout the South are showing
a marked improvement is evidenced by |
the activities shown in all industrial |
lines. Reviewing the more important |
branches The Tradesman tomorrow |
will say:
Preparing for Busy Season.
Forced to action by the unusual de-
mand for the country at large hard
ware manufacturers are taking on
more life and preparing for an active
business season. The tariff measure
pending in Washington, which has
been the excuse for much delay in car
rying out numerous plans, seems to
worry but very few, the leading man
ufacturers believing that no real harm
will be done large industries. job
bers in their turn are also making
preparations for an unusually heavy
fall trade and are keeping busy filling
summer orders. All this activity comes
earlier, no doubt, by reason of the
unusually good trade RETAILERS have
enjoyed since the mid-winter months.
Trade is pretty even this week, all
sections ordering literally and cast
ing inquiries for the fall demand in a
way to indicate that the fall will be
the equal of any recent year.
The tendency to an advance in the
hardware line is unquestionably slim
ulating inquiries this month and will
stimulate routing orders later.
Lumber Interest.
Numerous signs of improvement in
| the lumber market are noted in the
South this week. The revival of bust
MSS with the steel and iron industry
which invariably means something to
the lumber industry, has had good
effect, and numerous other agencies
have contributed to a gradually i'm
proving situation. From an operating
standpoint the past week has shown
no material improvement, but the sales
department of all the larger concerns
give out good reports. The demand
for hardwood as well as pine in the
manufacturing centers of the East
North and Middle West has exceeded
that of any week of the year, and
that with slightly advanced prices
The West is also ordering literally
from the South, and the home con
sumption has increased materially
The movement this week has beer
very good in pine, however, and will
? the increasing inquiries and orders
+ the outlook is more hopeful. Pint
: prices remain low due it is charged
to over supply, but mills that hav'
t made no money for several years ar
= unwilling to reduce the cut when thei
Y profits are so far in the future.
Iron and Coal.
4 While there is some little pig iro
4 selling still going on in the Souther
Il territory, there is a difference in tn
y general conditions as compared to las
= month The quotations are a shad
d weaker than they have been for tire
weeks, some of the producers selling a
low as 81 per ton, No. > foundry in
mediate delivery stipulated. Some c
the furnace companies are still holdin
for $11.50 as their minimum with 81
y for iron to be delivered the latter pan
of the year. Plans are under consir
y Grafton for a general curtailment {
production in the Southern territor.
partially through necessity of repai
, ing at furnaces. 1t is estimated thu
~ less than fifty per cent. of the iro
makers in the Southern territory wi
be in blast in June, if there is n
u change for the better in general mai
Re conditions. Four furnaces are slate
e to 90 out of blast between now an
D. the 10th of June, two of them to b
S cold within the next few days. 1t
believed that a curtailed productio
will bring about a SITTER market an
will cause a reduction of stocks {
hand.
= Textile Products.
+ Although there has been no pht
nomenal advances in market quota
lions on various counts of yarns Their
has been some improvement. There i
. somewhat better request for weaving
yarns and weavers will have to conn
into the market again with the starting
: up of retail BUSINESS on cotton wasl
fabrics. The cotton yarn market II
being steadily strengthened Reasons
for this are a steadier demand ant
high raw material market. During the
week spot demand has shown some
Improvement in a number of mills