New-York tribune., 1919-04-28
President Asks
Sterilization i'm
Material Prices
cables Chairman Hines and
Secretary Redheld 10
Unite on Some Harmoni-
ous Plan of Agreement


maR Hines aud Secretary Redhald to
4aiic oa some harmonious plan where-
i, tRs stahhizatlon of all building ma
,es,als may he continued, according to
ine paw Service hally bulalps Re,
pqgts.N
TIA ,hs igtapile Various pv;alpg MA
tag,Al lNtsreSts ave taking st0ps tNWAFd
wVe4lNe tRN FeNt gAsalNe rFiSla Nv
N4Aias pNNAMF sohaVleNs 50 NlteAe'
4Ae ne ress'nlr "a rfVspvtNNA bNl'avEs.
Nast errvW os thrsp NNs ,h~ AttiuN VI
th4 Paint Manufacturers AasNeiAtieN NF
tAr t'NitAA rtatra, va rbNeentitn ~
,lp,rlANA. Nhvn fhee awteNd nnt to al
,anre ,Nires cN thnt euNiNeAite fct She
remainder &c the vrAr. thia AIDA aN
rfhpr pNrtMOAitirs Us the pfUWihu
list cf huidinV mNtvrinl mNhufacturprs
have taken aetipn tu stNbNisr their
rricps. Including Portland cement, lime
and steal interests. In the latter caee
there was fear expressed that If the
Secretary of Commerce and the Di-
rector Of the Railroads could not unite
on workable steel price that the
present level would be more disturb
iug TO the market than If the situa-
tion had been left to work itself out
on the law of supply and demand with
out Federal interference. Many build
ing material manufacturers accepted
the principle as right: namely, that
some guarantee ought 70 be made 20
prospective builders that prices could
he depended upon for certain def
mite time, thereby permitting banks
and other interests to feel safe in
granting temporary building loans.
Banks Hesitate About Loans
Various authorities are beginning to
recognize that the cause of present
stagnation of building construction is
largely centred in the hesitation OF
banks to make temporary building
loans under the present condition of
prices. II is estimated that there is in
excess of SlOO,OoO000 worth of new
construction work in the metropolitan
district of New York alone that has
been estimated on, but barely 15 per
cent OF this total has proceeded to
contract because banking institutions
DO not feel safe in making temporary
loans as long as building material
prices are so uncertain as TO their
trend. Ii further Federal action in
price stabilization is to be expected
Industrial Board and the railroad ad-
ministration, prospective builders will
be encouraged TO wait for further
enforced price drops"
As matter OF fact it is too late
even now to correct the conditions
making for higher rents this autumn.
If there is to be further attempt as
Federal price stabilization the conf
dence now happily sweeping over the
country in the belief that building ma
terial prices have voluntarily found
al acceptable level-"if they will only
stay there long enough to let US ges
into the market this year"--will be
warped and the much needed general
construction movement will be further
delayed. 1t takes, as a rule, from thir-
" 10 sixty days to get plans drawn,
specifications prepared, estimates in
and general contract awarded. Not
counting the current delays in getting
building material delivered even at
dock, New York, delays due to strikes,
delays due 10 adverse weather condi-
uons, lack OF common labor to carry
on foundation work. etc, the season is
already too far advanced to give hope
10 any considerable numbers of space
seekers either in this city or in its
Immediately suburbs for relief from
nigh rents this spring or from a still
more critical renting situation next
spring.
Solution to Building Problem
The building material dealers of New
York City and vicinity, however, in
conjunction with manufacturers sup
plyng this market, beAaVe they see
quicker solution 10 the building prob
lem than has SO far heen brought to
light
Speedy correction Of the rent proh-
len fusts Ia the hands of the beard
~ Aiaefmen, which, by promptly pass
iNs amendments "a certain sections OF
The I,ltl1luU CQutr0tIfpU q
81 hHek, ina uss of yeliew pine and
sA'enains tbs usa er endsr eanerets,
could faiieVe conditions,
ffsFf builder fesliSe5 that eaMMan
ssieh u the dominant building material
80 = structural entity N aas city, par
'leulefls New York fhis building ma
tetlal 10 hixhef ~ pfiee "a day. proper
senatelt, than is sNy othsf material
There ere teasohs why this Ia true and
'he reasons are beyond the powrf Of
'he manufacturer The government or
any one else 70 contrel II. It has to do,
itst with She alinost total nbsence OF
necessary "wheelbarrow" labor and OF
the tremendous amount Of waste that
occurs on all common brick yards.
Waste In Brick Yards
In years past. there used to be
type Of brick called "pale" or eight
hard in the burning os kiln of brick.
as the burning is done in the majority
Of hudson River, Hackensack Raritan,
Connecticut and Long Island yards,
certain percentage Of the brick comes
out Of the fire only partially burned.
When this type of brick is knocked
one against the other. there is a total
absence Of the hard metallic ring which
cnaracterizes we'll burned brick
Recent code revision barred this type
a. brick entirely for use in New York
building. although it is perfectly good
for SLING in walls whore bearing
strains are not applied. This type Of
Drick represents from Is to 20 per
esnt waste that keeps the price OF
brick high in this market to-day. If
the code could be revised in this par
ticular. the dealers say. hundreds Of
builders would find their costs greatly
reduced.
The code also restricts the builder
to the use of yellow pine Of certain