Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-24
Cement SHORTAGE
BOOSTING PRICES
:, =
Transportation Embargoes
Add Another 80 Cents
to Material.

transportation embargoes restrict
ing limestone as we'll as coal deliv-
cries at cement manufacturing plants
added another 80 cents to construc-
ton costs last week, says the Dow
Service Daily Building Reports.
Plants in the Eehigh and Hudson
cement manufacturing districts are
closing down because they can get,
neither limestone nor coal and yet the
current stock on hand is Is per cent
less than that of a year ago, with
demand probably eight times what il
then was. Production in zones l and
supplying this market is IS per
cent greater than at this time last
year. with shipments to New York and
New England at least IS per cent
greater than at this time last year, so
far as the first six months of 1920
are concerned. Shipments into New
York and New England for the first
nfteen days of July were 25 per cent
greater than they were last July at
this time despite the car shortage,
which gives a fair idea of the part
that the motor truck has been playing
in keeping building under way this
year.
Demand stu In.fstent,
The demand for cement even at the
advancing prices has been so insist
ent that with the non-delivery Of coal
under contract the cost Of coal con-
sumed at the premium prices manu-
1acturers now have to pay for fuel,
for the manufacture Of single bar
rel OF cement is more than tho cost
of a whole barrel Of cement, burned.
packed and delivered. only a little
more than a year ago. Cement in
stock in all the manufacturing plants
in the country today is Is per cent
below the total quantity available
for sale at this time last year.
There are many persons contem-
plating building construction, who
have been holding back in anticipa-
ton of laborlived cmfwy shrdl emf m
ton of lower prices for lumber, ce-
ment. brick, lime and plaster this
autumn and next winter and spring
The foregoing cement statistics,
which are official. show the futilfty
Of such policies.
Lumber Going Up Again.
Lumber. by way Of another ex-
ample, which has been the weak spot
in the building material market dur
ing the last thirty to sixty days ow-
ing to a temporary financial embar-
rassment of certain heavy holders,
last week passed out of the depres-
sion and the upward price trend is
again under way.
Eastern spruce will be retailing at
$50 to $50. base, before the first Of
September. The demand is abnormal
ly heavy. There is no surplus at the
sources of supply and the cutting at
the mills Is proceeding at rate far
below even present market require
ments demand. The supply Of maple.
however, is improving. It Is good
time to buy this material now, as
prices are going up soon. Practically
the entire available supply for this
year is now on the way into, this
market.
North Carolina pine is in fairly
good supply on 4. s. and los, with
higher prices scheduled to take ef-
feet in the near future. North Caro-
lima box is already up IS.
BY way of citing the turn in this
market random orders are no longer
accepted in the general trades. All
widths now are specified with car
load minimum to the width.
There is still a great difficulty in
getting lime in SUFFICIENT quantities
to meet the markets needs. but out
side Of this instance, there are un
mistakable signs that an improve
ment in the building material supply
situation may be conservatively
looked for from now on.