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Newspaper
Browning Leader Record
Location
Browning, Missouri, United States of America
Date
Mar 08, 1917
Page
8
Excerpts from the National Forest Service report by W. B. Greeley warn home and farm owners about lumber purchases. The page targets homeowners contemplating future building, urging readers to study the issued findings for practical guidance on lumber use and costs.
An advertisement quotes a Government Forest Service report and Federal Trade Commission findings to claim 95 percent of lumber goes through retailers, arguing lumber is cheap, shipped once, and sold by manufacturers and wholesalers in competition with retailers.
The article argues against a lumber trust, citing a Forest Service report and government data. It claims competition keeps prices modest and asserts retailers are the key link from manufacturer to consumer, delivering diverse wood types at fair profit.
The article explains that about eighty percent of lumber sold in a typical community is distributed in wagon loads or smaller, not carloads. It notes a yard can do substantial business without selling carloads to any one customer in a year and discusses distribution constraints from home sizes and regional production.
Government report outlines how competition and market cycles shaped lumber prices from 1907 to 1915. It notes years of high earnings followed by longer stretches of low profits, with regional price curves showing similar national trends and cyclical movements into 1916.
The study examines 1000 operations in Missouri Kansas and Oklahoma for 1912 1913 1914 and 1915 showing a net profit of 2.08 per thousand feet 8.53 percent on investment and 7.02 percent on total sales Returns from 88 towns and country yards in 1914 show profits averaging 7.46 percent on investment and 7.31 percent on sales The inquiry aims to clarify public understanding of lumber profit and concludes competition is localized rather than nationwide The report argues recent distribution changes have increased industry competition and counters claims of exorbitant profits by retail lumbermen.
The Forest Service documents show 1914 profits per thousand feet for Southern Yellow Pine lumber were around 50 cents, with widespread losses and capital erosion in 1914 1915. Transportation, high costs, and shrinking demand reduced margins, while earlier years 1906 1907 offered high profits above $3.00 per thousand feet.
An analysis contrasts modern seven room houses with and without improvements showing 82 percent added to first cost for amenities and 44 percent of total cost in improvements. It notes rising demand, carload lumber economies, and shifts from outdoor to indoor facilities reflecting changed living standards over time.
The Missouri and Mississippi Valley lumber buyers gain wider selection and competitive freight rates. A typical difference of two to five cents per unit influences wood species used, shaping regional building materials.
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