The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-08
BUILDING MATERIAL
MARKET STRONGER
But Mills Still Look Askance
at Future Orders; Latest
Real Estate News.

Latent forces tending to strengthen
the building construction outlook became
operative IN this market at the close of
last week, according to the current Dow
Service Daily Building Reports There
was. for example, a stronger tone to the
buying and inquiry of common brick az
reflected In the disposition Of buyers to
accept quotations slightly above the $16
base level which has prevailed for the
last ten days Second hand brick re-
Elected this strengthening tone. Some
face brick also reported price movements
upward.
Asphaltum is quoted at levels consid-
erably above those reported month or
so ago. Finishing and common lime are
also showing evidences of the improved
inquiry, although the 40 cent advance
in this item is partly traceable to the
application of the new freight rates on
more recent purchases.
Lumber begins to show signs of APP
preaching the bottom of the price scale.
Roofers. by way Of illustration. which
have been sagging considerably OF late.
may be said TO be at or near price
minimum for the remainder Of the year
at least, with $50 the average market for
". C.. pine and $55 the extreme low for
desirable business and quantity. Com
position board shows a sharp advance
over quotations ruling a week ago.
Hard to Gauge the market.
Flooring. being a waste product of the
mills, may be expected to show some
price weakness for acceptable volume,
but as most of the oak and maple mills
have closed. flooring stocks will soon be
exhausted and then the upturn may be
looked for.
Manufacturers of basic building ma
terials are finding il difficult to gauge
the building market requirements of the
immediate future. This fact alone is al
most entirely responsible for the turn
toward price stability. A faint con-
tributing influence so far Is the timid
inquiry that developed within the last
few days with respect to forward pur-
chases running into March and April.
but until there are some more definite
signs that railroad facilities have been
permanently bettcred. that factory and
mill labor costs will at least hold at
present levels and that the building
movement will be sufficient to sustain
production at the new standards OF eff
ficiency OF the workmen. there Is likely
to be continued hesitation on the part of
| manufacturers to accept contracts for
materials very far into the future.
Retail buying among building m
terial distributors to-day is almost en-
t!refy on spot basis. There is pra.-
tically no speculative buying on the
part of the dealer. and outside of the
lumber market dealers have no stocks.
CT at best barely sufficient yard re-
| serves to accommodate a small trade
ca terlng to alteration work.
Builders Have Been Hopeful.
Prospective builders have been hop
| ing that a condition of lower prices vii.
| be forced upon the New York building
market before the end of the year, part
~ as result Of the investigation now
under way in the construction industry
OF this city. But when the facts arc
learned regarding the conditions OF mill
supply in almost all departments. the
extent OF machinery depreciation due
| 70 enforced idleness during and since
| the war, the harmful effects that car
orders. railroad strikes, fuel shortage
end embargoes have had upon produc.
ton during the last two years. these
prospective builders will realize that
pi ocrastination is costly
Building material price stability "A
price level that will remain steady
~
Prepare 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 prof.
Gets in sufficient quantity to permit tho
building material manufacturer prop
erly to gauge the 1921 market require
Tents.
Deals I'm Manhattan.
John r. Davidson sold for the Living
sion estate to Michael Retzker tho
crthwest corner Of Greenwich and HUI
bert streets. an irregular plot. 53xS0.
for improvement. This property has not
changed hands for moro than sixty
years.
]. Scott sold for J. White 761 st
Nicholas avenue, a four story house.
2p.5x92.5, to Mrs. G. Tencoorn and re-
sold the property to J. Myers
The Dwelling Market.
John L. Rogers of z. X. Van Wrinkles
-