Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-01-07
BIG FOREIGN ORDER
BOOMS LUMBER TRADE

Northern Pacific, which held off on
It's lumber purchases for some time, is
said 10 be back in the market ana it
IS declared that the road has inquired
for 10000, 900 feet of lumber for
maintenance purposes. The Great
Northern is again in the market and
the Milwaukee is said to be buying
heavily.
These orders and inquiries and
rumors Of orders confirm the gen.
eral belief that the lumber business
is coming into its own again. Follow
ing long period of depression, which
began in 1908 and which seemed to
lumbermen as though it would en-
dure indefinitely, and changing sud
denly to an outlook for the biggest
boom in the history of the industry,
the last two months of 1915 were re-
markable in the lumber industry for
the suddenness with which business
conditions improved. While this con-
dition was more general in the East
ern lumber centers, the Improvement
slowly and steadily spread westward
and with the opening of the new year
it is expected that period of general
prosperity in the lumber manufactur-
ing business Of the Northwest is close
at hand, if not actually begun.
Review of the Year 1918.
The first few months of 1915 were
extremely unsatisfactory. The usual
spring building trade did not mater
ialize, prices, already at bedrock
sank to new low levels, mills were
closing down in all parts of the
country and the war seemed to have
given the industry the final blow by
cutting off large part of the export
trade, the only part of the lumber
business that was at all profitable at
the time. Taxes on standing timber
and overhead expenses were cutting
heavily into the capital of the opera
tors, and many mills continued run
ing at loss in order to keep their
men employed. The spring and early
summer of 1915 will long be remem-
bered as the most discourging on re-
cord for the lumber manufacturer,
especially as at the time there seemed
to be no relief in sight from any
source.
The change for the better came
with starting suddenness. Early in
September there were reports that
the yellow pine manufactures, whose
product Is closely allied to the Doug
las fir Of the Pacific Northwest, were
in receipt Of large orders. The man
ufacturers of the Northwest at first
paid little heed to these reports, but
before the end of October it was evil
dent that a boom had started in the
South.
Orders Follow Rumors.
Following this came reports of in
creased business from other lumber
centers. Of railroads again in the mar
ket for supplies. Of orders from
foreign governments and of increas-
ed demand in the retail trade. And
on the heels of these reports came a
rush of orders to the Northwest mills
which, coming Unexpectedly, when
stocks we're low, caused a sharp ad.
vance in prices. With the commence
ment of actual buying by the rail-
roads and the maintenance of the adj
vance in prices. conditions improved,
as it were, over night.
The gloom and depression that
characterized the early months Of
1915 are gone. Lumbermen are ex-
pecting tremendous food of orders
during the coming season and condi-
tions are right for a big boom. Stocks
are low and badly broken, logs are
scarce and the building industry has
been greatly stimulated during the
past few months. Predictions are
freely made that the prices will con-
tinue to advance and that there will
be no let down in the trade during
the winter months. The spring of
1915 is expected to bring one of the
greatest revivals ever seen in the
lumber industry of the United States
and particularly in the Pacific North
west.