The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-05
GOVERNMENTS ACT
PROVES BOOMERANG
Curtailmcnt Of Building Ma
terial Plants Results in
Higher Costs to 1t.
COMMON BRICK AT S14
Inability to Get Help and
Fuel Restricts Production
to Alarming Point.
COMMON BRICK AT S14

With Hudson common brick selling
at s14 a thousand wholesale in New
York. the Government itself quoted at
sIl and $13 at kiln for the same COM
modify and the entire country showing
a decrease of slS3,74S.5ss in the first
half OF this year as compared with the
same period last year, the Dow Service
Daily Building Reports and the Com
mercidI and FinancidI Chronicle this
week reveal the actual reasons why the
shortage Of building materials is "af-
gramme'
Furthermore building materials, even
such commodity as crushed stone are
so scarce as to make 1t necessary for
the Government TO send representatives
into the various large cities along the
Atlantic seaboard to ascertain the con-
ditons. The normal price for Hudson
and Raritan river common brick at this
time Of the year Is between 1926 and
S875 thousand wholesale. To this
price must be added carriage. storage or
handling and 10 per cent. representing
the dealers average margin. This same
brick, manufactured last year, was sold
at the week end for $3.50 and $l4
wholesale. and when the Government
asked for a factory or kiln price with
tho cost Of towaSe. dockage, haulaRe
and handling eliminated. save for load
ing on cars at siding. there WAS con-
sternation at Washington over the fact
that the curtailment Of so-called nom
essential building materials had resulted
in a condition like this.
The Government is to have access TO
brick making costs to ascertain Just
what the cause of the present price OF
brick is. but it IL pointed out that the
Federal authorities will find that brick
barge captains who formerly received
$50 month have received wage in
creases in the last few months OF more
than 100 per cent. In order to keep the
flow OF common brick moving to this
market In the face OF the high wages Of
fered in shipyards. There are instances
where 1t takes six weeks to load sim
gle barge OF soc. 900 brick for shipment
70 New York. whereas in other years II
has been possible for a single yard to
load several bsrges every day. Towase
costs on the Hudson and in the Raritan
have advanced so that II Ii not now
possible for one big plant to ship COM
mon brick into this market even at the
present prices. thereby further shorten
Ing the supply.
still another reason Is found In the
fact that new building construction in
Manhattan advanced in the first six
months OF this year over the same pc
riod last year. The slight gain represents
approved essential repair or alteration
work. This kept the docks barren OF re-
serves with the manufacturers unable
to load barges to meet the improved de-
mand.
That building construction has been
still further curtailed in compliance with
the Government orders to conserve ma
terials and money with which to help
| win the war the six months compilation
| OF 1877 cities shows that ii will be neces.
sary to go back TO a period considerably
antedating 1906 for smaller total. The
aggregate OF building operations outside
| OF Government construction for the hall
| year shows disbursements OF only S249..
| $500, against s433,30+,57s last year
| In Greater New York the contempla ted
| outlya at 33,69o.s07 Ia barely half that
| OF 1917. Outside OF New York the tota
at S2l5.S65, 0S3 compares with s366.76S,
| 5l7 in 1917.
The building industry appears to have
| submerged itself in making its sacrifice
as sO-Callel non-essentlal IN the cause
| OF winning the war, but the Government
| expectations that curtailment OF building
construction would place enough mate
rial at the disposal OF the Government
needs. no that production of materials
could be curtailed an equal amount 1.
| being proved to the contrary because
there were only sufficient materials or
| hand when the country went to war &
supply n building market not any greater
than that OF 1918. which was about 3:
per cent below normal. The Govern
ment. on the other hand. has been call
| ling for building material on a basis es
\ timated at l05 per cent Of normal 1r
| consequence the building material man
| ufacturing season In passing through I'll
last quarter with supplies much lower
| that the Government ever expected to al
| low them TO go in the face OF its heavier
needs. and the fact Is reflected in tn,
| quotations being made to the various
Federal departments. Pipe, hardware
cement, hollow tile. metal lath and cell
ings. certain kinds of lumber and paint!
are being quoted only from day TO da,
and orders IN many cases are being &C
cepted only for essential or violation
Jobs demanded by municipal authoritie
where the health OF the people demands
| action.