New-York tribune., 1920-01-26
Against Rise
In Building
Material Costs
Those Interested Unite in
Protesting Any Further
Advance, Declaring 1t
Will Curtail Operations
Await New Freight Rates
Event Expected to Bring
Relief and End Boosting
of Construction Prices

Greater stability Of cost to the con-
sumer OF building materials and equip
ments is the price being exacted by
financial interests when considering
applications for building loans, saws
"The Dow Service Daily Building
Reports" to-day.
The situation is becoming serious.
Some interests term the outlook criti-
cal and have already taken forward
positions to try to stem the price
movement in its needless course up
ward 1t is time for strong minds and
level heads TO step in and save q situa-
ton that now begins to assume threat
ening aspects toward n years building
program that has tremendous posi-
bities, but which may easily be
volume. Certain powerful Influences
have already deferred decisions on
pending applications for new building
projects OF great Importance in New
York until after the new freight rates
are announced IN the expectation that
that event VIII mark the practical close
Of the most spectacular rise in build
ing material and construction costs
that the country has ever known.
Unite Against Price Advances
Dealers. manufacturers, contractors
end especially the architects are a unit
in protesting any further advancing
o. building material prices upon the
simple plea that if prices go further
upward building will be greatly cur
tailed. Those whose position in the
building world is close enough to the
source of most building projects to
know and unGerstand the controlling
influences actuating new building
projects have realized for some time
that the price situation regarding
building materials and construction
costs has reached point beyond
which it is actually dangerous to go.
l. is even generally known in the
building trades that the banks or tinan-
cial interests have already set q posi-
tive dead line beyond which they Will
not go. L. cannot be any longer denied
that there is certain hesitation in
financial circles regarding the immedi-
ate future and that the forthcoming
Presidential campaign is a good time
10 apply some counteracting influence
against the now worn-out theory that
people VII! pay a'y price and put up
with any inconvenience in order to get
what they want The plain facts in
the present building situation as ap-
piled to building finance is that there
IS now q we'll deemed point beyond
which building finance will not be pro
vlded and that that point viii have
been reached when the new freight
rates are announced.
Steel Cost to Remain the Same
Judge Gary set the pace for the
building Industry when he announced
that the United States Steel Corpo-
ration's price on steel would remain
where 1t was. Since then the cement
industry has accepted the position that
further price advances would be more
harmful than beneficial. Hudson River
brick has been whipped to s25 mar
ket, but at that point this commodity
IS beng shipped by rail into this city
and the brick on barge at dock has
been allowed to await purchasers, with
every week bringing the opening of
navigation nearer. 1t is quite likely
that there will be no further price ad-
vance in this commodity. and the pos
sibility of slight recession in price
Is not remote. The biggest minds in