Philippine Mahogany Market Active

According to Walter Scrim, for the past trventy years president of the Philippine Mahogany Association, and one of the pioneer importers and distributors of Philippine hardwoods, the present acute shortage of Philippine Mahogany promises to correct itself in the near future.

The current scarcity results from a constant and rapid increase in demand, coupled with seriously restricted production Cue to the series of typhoons and subsequent terribly bad rveatl-rer that have visited the Philippines during recent months.

The productive capacity of the Island sau'mills is increasing rapidly, both through expansion of facilities in existing mills and by the addition of important nerv producing units. This greatly augmented supply should be sufficient to satisfy even the spectacular increase in demand, were it not for the loss of production due to u'eather conditions, says Mr. Scrim.

Even though Philippine Mahogany imports rvere entirely suspended for nearly seven years during the war and reconstruction period, it is interesting to note that demand for the fine cabinet woods of the Philippines has already exceeded the peak of prewar volume. It was thought that it would take many years to reestablish the position of

Philippine Mahogany in the American market after the long period that it was entirely unavailable, but it is apparent that furniture manufacturers, boat builders, milhvork producers, cabinet makers, church furniture manufacturers, architects, builders and home owners were eagerly awaiting the return of the splendid tropical hardwoods of the Philippines, u'ith their fine texture, high grades, exceptional widths and lengths, color and beauty.

Fortunately the Philippine Islands possess the largest virgin stand of fine hardrvoods in the world today, which means that the problem of supply is only one of manufacturing capacity and never one of available natural resources, r;nd Mr. Scrim says the Philippine Mahogany industry, both in the United States and in the Islands, proposes to match the production to the demand. He also pledges that the Philippine Mahogany Association in this country in cooperation 'ivith the Philippine Lumber Producers Association in the Islands will continue their active advertising and educational programs to the end that Philippinc Mahogany may become more widely knorvn and more readily available for a multitude of purposes, even though the demand today is temporarily in excess of supply.