New Britain herald., 1928-10-27
LUMBER BUSINESS
 CHANGES IN YEARS
Calpnt9 No Lele3 Dras1
 Rough Bolrds ol hb

The sid-fashioned lumber yard where . carpenter purchased rough boards and then made his own doors and windows as we'll as other thingx for the house. has developed into . department store where he now buys things in packages. ac- cording to George K. Macauley. Nr. who is vice prestdent and general manager of the New Britain Lumber Co.,. rose from the position of laborer in lumber yard in Bos- ton to his present status over [ period of 50 years in the business.
 He has traced the progress of the of the lumber business during 90 years. in the following article for the Herald:
 1.-The evolution of business In ita branches is noticeable only to those who arc vitally interested in their own particular line. The broker. farmer, clothier and the professional man. including the pastors of our churches. have seen vast changes in the past ten years: greater changes in twenty years: and a veritable upheaval in thirty years. And as this little story has t6 deal with the housing of the the growth of our indus- tries and the very essence of prog ress. the writer will endeavor to give you his observations on builders' supplies for the past thirty years.
 "On the Boston waterfront in 1898 the various lines of builders' were segregated. They did not mix as they do today. A an employe of the largest lumber yard in Boston I became very familiar with the various branches of the trade. seeking information and storing 1t up for future use. The company was looked up to by all New England dealers. Some with pride; some with envy. Ita methods of merchandising were above reproach. and l might add here. that it has passed out of exist ence, owing to the idea its owners had that their type of business could not change. Alas! Many did the same thing from 1900 to 1910. owing to their inability to get out of the rut.
 "The lumber supply of thirty years ago was largely satished by New England. the northern prov inces and Michigan. The south and Pacific coast were beginning to oper- ate. but the New England prices were 80 low that the question of from the south and west was thorn in the flesh. Ma. tive building timber. commonly known as spruce. sold in 1898 in Boston for $14.t0 per thousand. Hemlock. for boarding. $12.o0 per thousand. Clear finish for inside trim. $25.00 per thousand. and maple flooring No. 1 for 330.00 per Windows and doors were demanding a higher price than todays owing to the crude methods of manufacturing. Common labor received $1.50 per day, while executive labor was paid from 12.6O to t3.00 per day.
 "In Boston, under these condi- tions. $500 would buy an average building lot. and 31,60O would cem- plete' the average six-room cottage. And even in those day1 prospective builders say. material is too high. l don't think I will build until next year. It may be cheaper" But prices never went down flor the req son that the New England forests began to feel the strain of the stead fly increasing demand. and the ac. tivities of the American Federation of Labor. which was responsible for bringing wages to a higher level.
 ''As prices advanced. the lumber business attracted the financial world. which plunged in with its re. sources to develop the manufacture in the south, west and north. Even the scattered timber of New Eng. land and the provinces attracted the
 
 the prices began to soar.
 We arrive in 1908, when pricei had doubled and the building supply business took on a new aspect. New manufacturers. new 5obbing houses and new retail yards, that now wers no longer able to purchase from thu source of supply. had to be conten' to purchase through 8 middle man hence an increased price and . ten. dency for the supply to be greater than the demand. In different part of the United States the larger man ufacturers began the establishing o line yards. These proved a financia loss in all cases, and they soon re turned to their own branch of tn, business, and have continued 50 un til this day.
 "The year 1912 saw a drastic change in the methods of the distri
 button of builders supplies. The autt
 truck was forcing its way into tn, industry in all branches. from oper
 ating in the woods to the deliver!
 to the home. Many dealers lost al
 sense of territorial rights and de
 livered material wherever . sal
 could be made.
 This was the beginning of new
 competition, which resulted in a To
 of failures in many parts of thu
 country, and in 1913 and 1191.
 builders and manufacturers suffered
 heavily. War was declared in Flu
 rope. and the building bushes
 throughout the United States be
 came stagnant with the exception
 of some individual centers. Europ'
 demanded large quantities of ou
 lumber. The manufacturer was bus.
 and the prices went up and the retai
 dealer was forced to buy at prohibi
 tive prices with his demand curtail
 ed. And in 1918 the price for thu
 average lumber in ali it's variou
 kind had increased to about fou
 times that of twenty years previous