New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-04
HUNGRY FOR STEEL.
THE SCARCITY AMOUNTS ALMOST TO A
FAMINE AT PRESENT.
oDr,r INCONVENIENCE AND SERIOUS
FINANCIAL LOSS ACCRUE TO CON
TRACTORS. OWNERS BUILD
Frs AND WORKMEN.


tractors. OWNERS. BUILD
FRS AND WORKNEN.
... -re,ailing scarcity Of steel. especially
,,rros ~ il used in the construction OF
,,s,,-s &c having a serious effect uron the
A,nd,ns trade and its many allied Industries ad-
-< 49,. ,o,bt Contractors in this city. how
a,.o~ arc rcticeut about giving details No one
-, tbon, likes % admit for publication that he
Nas fallen behind I'm the general scramble for
r,otcria, with which to complete any particular
~ no has Undertaken in contract time. because
nat might drive away business from him. and
t- similar re- sons ne does not care 10 point out
those Jobs OF his fellow contractors which are
HANGING m through no fault Of their own.
T,. any one familiar with the city who walks
~ drives about the streets much cannot help be
,r- struck by the length OF time which 1t has
tabon hundreds of buildings still In course OF
construction 90 reach the stage which they have
already attained The fact is that structural
stool IN many cases is dribbled out to the CON
tractors in such small quantities from the mills
that while work is not actually halted. It goes
forward so slowly that owners and tenants who
are waiting to occupy the completed structures
are in many cases almost in despair
SMALL CONTRACTORS HARDEST HIT
The small contractors naturally feel the press
MO more keenly than the big ones, for those who
have contracts Of such large proportions on manu-
cha. they can afford TO pay premiums on the
contract price Of their steel to the mill owners
,,,urauv obtain their material more promptly
than those who cannot
This results I'm considerable hardship TO build
e-s Of aathouses and stores in the upper part Of
Tho c,t, who. when they undertook the outlay
-,ad, for tenants this fall. October. considered
s., many, 10 be The best renting month Of the
YEAR IS now not far away. and Yet hundreds oil
,hose eathouses are far from being ready for
o.~uDancv. and the owners will suffer heavy loss
I'm consequence There is no cloud however
without IT'S silver lining and those who already
rossess Aathouses to let are not lying awake AT
night 10 svrnpathize with those who wanted 70
rush IN and share the profits. The steel scarcity
will tend largely 20 prevent overbuildns and the
reduction Of rents which generally follows such
business condition.
Plumbers too are feeling the scarcity OF steel
rtpe which is preventing them from keeping as
many hands employed they could otherwise
and the entire cost q building has been IN
,.l.soa notable instance of this Is the new
l,ine-in hospital for which J. Pierpon' morgan
-.-on,,v promised 20 provide a building fund Of
sfnoo0o0 owing 10 the increased cost Of
building material It Is now found that the
..-..o,,~e VIII cost nearly S250o" more than
tro original estimates
PUBLIC SCHOOLS THREATENED
There is fear also that some Of the new public
stoors ROW IN course - construction I'm this city
,.r not poe ready for use at the specified time
Efforts are being made TO have the mill owners
recognize the great necessity Of pushing forward
these buildings and favor them IN tho supply OF
structural Steel letting private enterprises not
e. urgent wait upon the public good
1ohr Il Deevcs Of John Il DeeVes q BIO
eriide-s With Offices in the United Charities
p~rsirr told n Tribune reporter Yesterday mat
gioor,, as Tho outlook was. there seemed 10 oe
- r-csr..t ~ any letup i'm the scarcity OF steeI
,fts far ANYWAY, When the summer rush OF
irNainrs IS over and hard winter sets In the
e,rirgencv may Do modified In a natural way Dy
fr4 decrease - fhe demand. which is almost ap-
normal AZ rroeert Again, builders being ioie-
warned ~ the famine which has fallen suddehF
,iron them VIII not undertake so many enter
rrises a, orc. and tho increased cost OF con
sf~l..tn- ut. - course. have a deterrent erect
On owners NO real estate who contemplate max
ing improvements The greatly increased acllN .
ifv IN .~ar mining caused boy the high price OF
ore Wifi ais. -end 20 restore the balance again
Pu, these causes viii not make themselves 1rIt
Or some f'ra yet and in the mean time Ne
situation Is MS embarrassing as y IS unusual
and rvt.rfr rna~'r all over the country