New-York tribune., 1920-11-08

Market Shows
Stronger Tone
Material Buying Became
More Active Last Week.
Especially Relating to
Sales of Common Brick

Sales of Common Brick
Latent forces tending to strengthen
the building construction outlook be-
came operative in this market rs the
week closed, according to the current
Dow Service Daily Building Reports.
There was, for example, a stronger
tone to the buying and inquiry of
common brick as reflected in the dis
position of buyers to accept quotations
slightly above the SIG base level that
has been ruling for the last ten days.
Secondhand brick reflected this
strengthening tone. Some face brick
also reported price movements up
ward.
Asphaltum is quoted at levels con-
siderably above those reported a month
or so ago. Finishing and common
lime arc also showing evidences Of the
improved inquiry, although the forty
cent advance in this item is partly
traceable to the application of the new
chases
Lumber at Bottom Prices
Lumber begins to show signs of ap-
preaching the bottom of the price
scale. Roofers, by way OF illustra-
ton, which have been sagging consid-
erably of late, may be said to be at or
near price minimum for the re-
mainder of the year at least with $50,
the average market for Ike N. C. pine,
with $50 extreme low fer desirable
business and quantity. Composition
board shows a sharp advance over
quotations ruling a week ago.
Flooring, being waste product of
the mills, may be expected to show
some price weakness for acceptable
maple mills have closed flooring stocks
will soon be exhausted and then the
upturn may be looked for.
Manufacturers of basic building ma
trlials are finding it difficult to gauge
tine building market requirements Of
the immediate future. This fact alone
is almost entirely responsible for the
turn toward price stability.
---- Delay in Forward Purchases
A faint contributing influence, so
far, is the timid inquiry that developed
within the last few days respect to
forward purchases running into March
and April, but until there are some
more definite signs that railroad facili-
! ties have turned permanently better
ward, that factory and mill labor costs
Will at least hold at present levels and
that the building movement viii be
sufficient to sustain production at the
rev standards of efficiency Of the
WO1l ic 1il-ol,
tinued hesitation on the part of manu-
facturers to accent contracts for ma
terlais very far into the future.
Retail buying among building ma
terial distributors to-day is almost en-
tlrely on spot basis. There is prac-
tlcally. no speculative buying on the
part Of the dealer and, outside Of the
lumber market, dealers have no stocks
or, at best, barely sufficient yard re-
serves to accommodate d small trade
catering to alteration work.
Prospective builders have been hop
ing that condition Of lower prices
Will be forced upon the New York
building market before the end of the
year. partly as a result of the investi-
CATION now under way in the construc-
tion industry of this city, but when
the facts are learned regarding the
conditions of mill supply in almost all
departments, the extent OF machinery
depreciation due TO enforced idleness
during and since the war the harmful
effects that car orders, railroad strikes.
fuel shortage and embargoes have had
upon production during the last two
years, these prospective builders will
realize that procrastination is costly.
Great Demand for Cement
Commercial interests and individuals
who have sought counsel with regard
to further postponement of building
projects beyond the first of the year
have had pointed out to them the fact
that the railroads Will levy upon basic
building material supplies and mill
capacity heavily after the first Of the
year Road work already has taken
about third of the countrys cement
supply.
1t is already evident that the two
cement manufacturing zones supply
ing New ork viii be at least two
million barrels short OF a normal spring
supply because Of the latest car order
restricting the supply of limestone to
the plants. 1t is still problematical as
to what turn the export market Will
take with respect to American build
ing materials. while the potential
building construction requirement for
New York and vicinity is already
known to be almost three times greater
than in any previous year.
Building material price stability,
price level that will remain steady long
enough to permit architect to pre-
pare plans and take estimates, is the
hope most generally expressed to-day,
and the only way this can speedily be
ACCOMPLISHED is to release building
projects in sufficient quantity to
permit the building material manu-
facture to properly gauge the 1921 mar