The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-10-23
Lumber Market Shows
Signs of Revival.

Signs of Revival.
The lumber market, so long DOR
mant, is revealing signs Of revival.
Despite the effects of the European
war and the fact that it stopped the
expectation of millions of feet of
lumber monthly, reports show that
practically all mills of the South are
running full time and meeting with
a ready sale for their output. Fur
thermore prices are better than at
any time in months and indications
are that the advances will be sus-
tanned. The Southern Lumberman,
published at Nashville, and considered
an authority on lumber in the South,
says IN this regard:
Advances in quotations on yellow
pine are being made with such FREE
quency by most of the larger mills
that it has become increasingly diff
cult during the past week to ascertain
the latest prevailing prices. In fact,
the market is subject to spottiness,
due TO these advances, and the prices
secured for any item are determined
largely by the stock which mill has
on hand and the promptness with
which it is able to make delivery.
The market is getting firrner
every day, and orders and inquiries
continue to increase in volume is
the way one large Mississippi mill
sizes up the situation in a letter of
instructions to it's statesmen. New
letters of instructions are being re-
ceived by statesmen every few days
announcing new items on which mills
are short, and the absence of any bar
gain lists accompanying these letters
is very noticeable. When an occasion
al list of this sort is found quota
tons are made at prices which would
have met with ready acceptance six
weeks ago.
Numerous causes are assigned for
this improvement in conditions.
causes, however, which may be best
found in the improvement in the gen
eral business of the country which
has been manifest since the crops be-
gan to move, and since the money
which is being spent by foreign gov
ernments in this country for food
stuffs, for clothing, and for muni-
tions of war is becoming distributed
through the various trade channels
The increase in the price of cotton
and farm products generally has
brought greater prosperity to che
South, and with this prosperity has
come about steadily increasing con-
sumption of lumber and wood prod
ucts-a home business which has
counted for much with southern pine
manufacturers. Record of building
permits issued in sixty-five of the
larger cities throughout the country
during September makes another
good showing following the increase
shown by August permits over those
of the same month in 1914. The in
crease in August amounted to four
teen per cent, while that of Septem-
Der is thirty-two per cent as com
pared with September of last year.
'eReport made this week by the
Southern Pine Association shows that
for the week ending October 8, or
ders received by 142 mills reporting
to It were 1919 per cent of the ship.
ments made by those same mills dur.
ing that week and based on an aver
age production for the month of Au.
gust, which is the latest available
figure, the orders received during The
past week were 1915 per cent of the
production, and shipments 104.7 pei
cent of the production, showing thai
the mills are continuing to receivG
orders in excess of shipments, while
shipments continue IN excess of the
production. Southern pine mills ar
accommodating orders and decreasing
stocks at the same time. Though
average orders received show Sigh
reduction per mill, shipments ais,
show a reduction, due to brokel
stocks and to increased delay from
car shortage.
Another encouraging feature o
the situation is the export deman'
which has developed within the pas
month. Many inquiries on sawn tim
Der are being received for export, an
there is also a close-to-normal de
mand for timber from the easter
states. Scarcity of shipping space
however, still constructs the expor
market to a large extent, as steam
ship rates continue well nigh pre-
hibitive. A large percentage of tn
export movement is now carried o
by specially chartered steamers an
sailing vessels"