New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-19

the plans-in truth the major portion OF them
were flied early in the year before the advanced
cost OF labor and material generally realized.
Again. the big building operation is not the
product of an hours thought Men do not sit down
and talk the thing over one night and then rush
out the next day and place their orders for build
Ing The decision build a big office building. for
example, is the result OF months of investigation
and planning Men who enter into such enter
prises frequently arrange their leases In advance OF
the letting Of the building contracts. Those leases
call for certain things be ready at certain times.
The tenants who arrange for space and sign the
leases expect a fuhlment Of the promises. and
number Of the buildings that were planned for the
present year would doubtless have been postponed
II the owners had not put themselves in the posi-
ton where they obliged to furnish accom-
modatons to men who had contracted for them.
They figured the old basis and when the higher
cost OF building was made evident there was moth
ing left for them to do but to face the music
and go ahead.
The men whose building projects merely
forming In their own minds. and who had not yet
sent their agents on the hunt for tenants were
not In the position Of having to build. and In many
cases they have naturally postponed operations
until more favorable time. Few builders look for
any decided lowering OF prices The great trouble
at the present time is the uncertainty. There IL
no fixed standard OF prices. and men do not know
from week 10 week what the turn In the market
will be. AS result. figuring Is difficult. II not
impossible. The builder who wants TO see a re-
turn his investment IL at loss to know upon
what basis to make his calculations. This will
probably right Itself within the next year, but
expert opinion does not look for solution much
sooner than that. In the period OF depression
when mills idle the supplies were allowed to
reach low point There was no need to carry
large stocks OF humber. and rolling mills did not
out great quantities OF iron beams. for people
did not want them. The forces that cut the tim
Der were small. and the supply. small as II was,
exceeded the demand Then came renewal OF
activity. The iron and steel supply was exhausted
In no time. what little lumber there In the
mills soon eaten up and the hum OF the
wheels heard. But the demand OF the build
ers was not all. American steel and Iron had
found a foreign market that expanded out OF all
proportion to anything that had been experienced
In the past. and with both home and foreign de-
mand increasing the mills could not meet IT, work
as they might. The forces doubled and the
wheels were never still
PRICES HAD TO ADVANCE.
The night shift took up the work where the
day left on and still they could not catch up
Where year before Il few boys had been cutting
timber men and women and children were
sent into the forests do their share In helping
to feed the great giant prosperity. brought into
being by the union OF commercial and financial
enterprise. The result was Inevitable and fol-
lowed the infalhble economic principle, This de-
mand was great, the supply was SMALL The price
had TO rise. Iron contracts that were being let