The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-12-30
Houehton Department
EXPECT BETTER
LUMBER PRICES
CONCERNS ARE NOW IN THE
MARKET MORE ACTIVELY
THAN FOR PAST THREE
YEARS.

The wholesale lumber trade Is pick
ing up; in fact the demand for lum-
her OF all kinds is better than at any
previous time for the past three years"
said a prominent lumber dealer.
Many inquiries for lumber have
been received the past month, and I
look for a fair advance in prices be-
fore the winter is over. Inquiries are
coming from unexpected sources and
I am informed that many of the con-
Germs that have been over stocked
have almost used up their supply and
they now have 10 enter the market
with this condition. prices are bound
C advance. l have had more inquiries
for timber this month than during any
previous month in nearly three years,
and l anticipate that I will be able
20 sell my lumber at a much better
price than have received recently. \
few dealers are already Offering ad-
vances on certain grades of lumber.
"The timber business has been most
discouraging for over two years past
and as a result of the poor demand and
low prices, many Of the smaller oper
ators have been forced out Three
years ago there We're from two to-
three times as many operators in the
woods OF the upper peninsula as there
are now Many OF them became dis
couraged because OF the poor car serv-
ice, and others refused to sell their
timber at the prevailing prices.
Another drawback has been the ex-
cessive values placed on stumpage by
the owners. The prices asked for
stumpage are altogether out Of pro-
portion 10 the price at which cut TIM
Der can be sold. and there will not be
a general revival of the lumber trade
IN this region until the stumpage own
ers offer the operators some encour-
agement in the way OF reduced prices.
II we were 20 pay for the stumpage
on pine and tamarack what the own !
ers are now demanding. we could not
ret out timber at a profit. With a re-
duction in stumpage price and an in
crease in the price of lumber the
timber business Of this region would |
soon take on new life, and many Of
the small operators who have been
forced out Of the trade would be back
IN Il again
There are hundreds OF owners OF
small tracts ia the upper peninsula
who have stumpage on their lands and
who would cut il If the prices adj
vanced from IS TO % per cent know
OF dozens OF small operators who lost
from 81 10 81 per thousand on timber
during the past three years, and u
know OF many who lost on the pulp
wood that they shipped. The demand
for pulpwood is now fairly good, but
there has been no advance I'm the
price.
There are many thousands Of acres
Of spruce in the upper peninsula, but
It viii rot be cleaned out very rapidly
unless the paper mills offer better
prices than now prevail The mills
seems to have very little difficulty
getting all they want at the prevailing
prices, but the output in the upper
peninsula will be comparatively light
until there is an advance in the mar
ket. At s5.25 per cord, which is the
price that has been paid. few Of the
operators that I know OF in this re-
gion can make money as most Of them
have long hauls TO the railroads. Be
sides the car. service is such during
the winter season that they cannot
ship their timber to advantage The
smaller operators have great difficulty :
NJ times securing cars, as the railway {
companies naturally favor the larger
concerns. 1 cannot recall a winter in ]
some years when the car service has ,
been satisfactory 10 the small operat {
ors. II would not be fair to criticise {
the railway officials for their inability
10 handle the timber business more >
as II is we'll known that ,
The systems that handle the greater ,
part OF the timber in this section have
been short Of cars for many years ]
past. AS a rule they have TO send ]
,ars from this region 20 other parts J
" their line in order to properly han.
lie the increased freight traffic in dis
riots where they have stronger com