The sun., 1918-08-26
NEW CONSTRUCTION
PROSPECTS BRIGHT
Additional Canal Barges Have
! Improved Material
Shipments.
MONEY MARKET EASIER
Space Requirements May In
duce Government to Mod
crate Restrictions.

Communicating OF buildings in New
York, Philadelphia, Boston and some Of
the larger intermediate cities has pro-
duced a general shortage OF buildings
Of about IS per cent. Of which the short
age In New York alone is now about 80
per cent, according TO the Dow Service
Daily Building Reports to-day.
Practically all Of the buildings COM
Wandered for war uses are those hous-
ing heavy machinery, to which all struc-
lures are not adaptable. The type OF
buildings that could be used for this
machinery are already in heavy requisi-
ton by the Govrnment for storage pur-
poses and as a result the trade looks
for at least a partial REIMBURSEMENT Of
restraint upon building construction
within the near future, probably by the
middle OF winter.
Signs Of the approach of a change in
this respect were noticeable last week
when conferences were held at the Bilt-
more regarding the application of recent
rules to building materials. Barges re-
Gently have been relinquished for work
outside OF Government requirements,
thus offsetting the recent order promul-
gated shutting off supplies Of sand.
gravel and crushed stone for railroad
cars. In Boston, Philadelphia. Newark
and New York. and most OF the Sound
ports 1t Is possible to obtain basic con-
crete ingredients and rough clay prod
hcts by barge and scow. but until the
very recent past there has been such a
demand for harbor bottoms that the
rhOl h,rtlA lx,l
1t Is due to a realization of this menace
and the retarding effect 1t would have
upon the war programme that arrange
ments were made to release more barges
for the relief OF railroads and to permit
necessary building construction to pro-
coed.
With practically no space of any kind.
whether living, commercial, industrial or
manufacturing, rentable to-day the best
opinion In the trade seems to be that the
financial institutions will be given more
latitude In placing loans. especially since
the action OF j. p. Morgan & Co. in an
nouncing its plan to make call loans. be-
ginning to-day will relieve the financial
situation considerably. Investigation
shows that far sighted building material
men have been in close touch with the
situation. and the sharp shift in, build
Ing material prices in anticipation Of a
definite movement at the week end Is
considered significant.
Common Hudson brick strengthened to
kl3 to $14 a thousand wholesale. This
represents the cost Of ordinary building
brick laid in the finished wall at around
$50 thousand. Second hand brick Is
far below the demand. and It is sold In
this market to-day at SIS for loads of
1000. where 1t is possible to get the ma
ter1al. There Is large quantity Of sec
ond hand steel in the market suitable for
emergency construction work. largely
consisting Of gi5ders used In the subway
construction work.
II there was no prospect of a change
IN the building situation the glass and
hollow tile markets would probably re-
main stationary. but in the case of hol-
low tile a change is expected to be an
nounced early this week, and in the
glass department the manufacturers
nave changed the discount on factory
lists.
General price advances as reported this
week In the Dow Service Daily Building
reports show general stiffening ten
dency. A fifty cent change upward ia
reported in hard and soft fux for oil
blown asphaltum. Plaster advanced IL
rents and plaster boards are quoted at
- cents, the highest ever known. Ordi-
nary white building sand in Newark has
peen advanced to s3.15 a yard and vel
low sand is $225 and $3.50 a yard
against a normal price of so cents.