Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-04
OBJECT TO THE RAISE
BALTIMORE ARCHITECTS AND
BUILDERS DENoUNCE DEALERS.
Disturbed Feeling Over Prospects of
High Prices for Building Materials
Begin Work Soon.
tch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE March 4.-Architects and
builders are bitter in their denunciation of
what they term IAN unjustifiable advance
in the price Of building Materials and as
sert that it imposes an unwarranted hard
ship upon the merchants and business men
who sustained losses in the fire.
The building material supply men assert
that they are not to blame for the increase
in prices. Some of the advances. they de-
clare. are due to natural causes which usu-
ally become operative in the spring. when
there is a general resumption of building
operations throughout the United States.
Other increases. they say, are due to the
inadequate railroad facilities for handling
the increased material tonnage. to the in
creased demand for carriage and to the high
cost Of labor.
Cannot Reap Benefits.
Neither building material manufacturers
nor their agents are going to reap any BEN
eft from these advances" said President
John ]. Kelly of the National Building Sup
: ply Company to The Star correspondent to-
day. Our company has been furnishing
about one-half of the building materials,
such as cement, lime, metal, laths and
bricks, and we have been compelled TO
make general advance of about 10 per
cent because or the increased cost OF nan
ding the material at this end.
ION Spears and Smiths wharves we lost
eight warehouses, in which all water con-
signments of material were stored Now we
are compelled to ship all our material by
rail- and the difference in cost averages
about 81 per ton from New York. To this
additional cost must be added the increased
charge for hauling the materials from the
railroad yards. All these factors have con-
tributed to raise prices.
Il fear that a still further advance will
follow when the bidding becomes keen for
speedy delivery. for when the rebuilding
gets well under way everybody will be in
the market for material
Prices Bound to Soar Higher.
sMany of the contractors will guarantee to
erect certain buildings within a specified
time. and agreeing to forfeit penalty for
every day over In a case like that the con-
tractor cannot afford to wait on slow
freight. and he will demand that material
be sent by fast express. This In itself will
cause prices to soar higher"
A similar view of the situation is taken
by President Stephen Tongue of the Archi-
tects' and Builders Journal. Within the
past fortnight Mr.. Tongue has interviewed
building material manufacturers through
out the country, and ascertained that they
did not intend raising prices.
But" he added, prices for all building
material will probably go higher. Already
the North Carolina Pine Association has de-
cided to advance the prices Of the lower
grades of pine 80 cents to 81 per GOO cubic
feet This lumber enters extensively in the
construction of modern buildings. An in
crease in the cost of production of the fin
ished lumber is given as reason by the as
ISOLATION for the advance"
List Of Unemployed.
The state labor bureau has not yet COM
pleted report as to the number Of persons
yet remaining without employment As
sistant Statistician Schonfarber however,
estimates the number at 1900. They are
mostly men who occupied clerical positions,
and for this class there Is absolutely no de-
mand. IT the municipal authorities would
said Mr.. Schonfarber, land thus expedite
the work Of rebuilding. the general business
situation would Improve and there would be