New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-13
Expect Further
Cut i'm Prices
For Materials
Consumers and Distributors
Fail to Take Advantage
of Recent Drop i'm Cost
of Building Supplies

Price cuts in building materials have
80 far proved to be Intellectual bait to
building material buyers, whether con-
sumers or distributors, according TO
the Dow Service Daily Building Re-
ports to-day.
The building material market re-
mains inactive. Great timidity still
exists among dealers and prospective
builders when it corues to taking op-
flons in such a ragged building ma
terlal price market. The prospective
buyer believes that If prices have
dropped at all, they will continue to 90
lower. The dealer and the manu-
facturer know, on the other hand, that
the weakness in the building material
quotations is based upon factors far
removed from the immediate conditions
affecting building construction.
The fact is that the entire building
material supply situation Is rampant
because there exists q general feel
ing that q great building movement is
in the making. The start is actually
discern.ble, according to architects and
others in close touch with building
tive stage. Price retractions at this
time merely indicate the hope of a
hungry market to get the first grip on
this pending new business. It repre-
SCENTS scramble for early orders, ira
dition and trade custom being often
trampled under foot in the great
anxiety to book the business being
offered.
Fear Of Labor Disturbance
In consequence, price concessions
have been made. Some Of these have
been merely casual. Others have as
sumed the proportions Of general
trade tendency, but whether the ar
engagements have been covert or on the
open market there has been a greater
influence for retardation Of plans than
merely that Of high prices. Opinion
seems to place the responsibility for
the general building inactivity in a
low price market compared with form
er price levels Of recent date, upon a
growing fear Of general building
labor disturbance. While brick was
selling at more than 20 per cent off
the price ruling a month ago, North
Carolina roofers being offered at $3.50
with no takers against former price
of SIS, with wood lath selling 81 off
per thousand against a recent price
of $40 and more; oak flooring scaled
$40 thousand feet, to cite only few
ing material orders, not one dealer or
distributor reported at the week end
that he had booked any greater volume
of business.
They invariably reported that the
great damper on building construction
at this moment was not the high cost
of building materials SO much as a
fear of the rule of radical factions in
the labor market. If 1t were prices
there would have been long before this
date big speculative buying market.
~
nance, of universal $40 day for
building artisans. when the official in
dex figures showing the trend Of liv-
ing costs is downward rather than up
ward.
There lacks stability Of prices,
wages and building material supply, and
organized employers and employees,
the manufacturers of building mater
ials and equipment as we'll as the lead
ing money lending institutions, are
disturbed over the present trend Of the
buildinp sitnafior