Evening star., 1922-06-17
PRICES OF LUMBER
MORE PERMANENT
Business Booming and Fur
ther Increases Are Held
Unlikely by Expert.

Wholesale lumber prices. which
have been steadily advancing for sew
eral weeks. have reached a more per-
manent level, according to A. r.
Kriechbaum. representing a national
trade lumber journal Further in
creases do not seem likely during the
remainder Of June, he asserts.
Mr.. Kriechbaum states that the
lumber market continues strong, how
ever, under the pressure of domestic
! demand, and that there Is good pros
pect for continuation of this heavy
demand at fairly stable prices.
! Big Lumber Movements.
Throughout the south mill opera
tions have been resumed on a broad
scale and great volumes of lumber
are moving both by rail and water.
the lumber man points out. Buying
metropolitan district and certain
parts of New England. chiefly the
rural and suburban sections. This Is
the direct result of the tremendous
amount of building construction now
under way. From all indications this
summer and fall.
I'm addition to the heavy movement
of southern yellow pine and North
Carolina pine into eastern consum-
Ing markets. west coast woods are
also selling freely and at good prices.
Douglas flr Is coming In in large
cargo shipments and there is a good
movement of California redwood. par
ticularly redwood siding and finish.
Hardwood lumber is showing some
flooring are in strong demand. with
prices still advancing. There is
marked shortage Of certain grades
and sizes of oak flooring. The indus
trial concerns are buying freely now
of both northern and southern hard
woods. this being especially true of
the furniture manufacturing trade ana
the makers of tools and implements.
! Bearing on Rate Cuts
! The announced reduction in freight
rates, which becomes effective on
lJuly I, will have little. if any, bear
ling on present lumber prices at con-
sumiag points. lumber men declare.
1t is pointed out that one of the larg-
est items entering into the cost o. OF
lumber to the ultimate consumer Is
freight. So necessary were reduc-
tioEs in freight rates on lumber that
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
prior to its recent decision reducing
all freight rates, made several reduc-
| tions in lumber rates, varying in size
J and as to extent of territory affected.
THE recently announced reductions,
based on rates prevailing August rs.
1920. and establishing lower rates to
go into effect July l. will not have
lany very great effect upon the lum-
lLumberman. Using rates from the
Pacific coast as an example study
| Of the decision reveals that there Will
| be no reduction to part Of the eastern
| territory, and that the reduction to
much of the middle western territory
will be very small. For example, the
reduction on lumber from the Pacific
coast to Chicago territory will be l
| cent a hundred pounds. which figures
| out at 22 to 25 cents a thousand or
approximately $3.50 to $6 a car. The
reduction in rates to the northwest
ern and western states will be larger,
! but in no case will the difference be
livery large. Reduction in rates from
the southwest on both hardwoods and
softwoods. will range from to Ss
cents a hundred pounds to destina-
tions in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and
lOklahoma.
Many Unhlled Orders.
! statistics compiled by the National
Lumber Manufacturers Association
show that the mills now have on
their books the greatest accumulation
of untitled orders the trade has known
in the last four years and prices have