New-York tribune., 1920-02-16
Europe ! Sand
Banks Helping g
Local Market
Material Brought as Ballast
Only Supply Available;
Weather and Labor Con-
ditions Produce Famine
Brick May Go to $50
Reports Indicate Another
Stable Jump; Now Sell.
ing for $25 a Thousand

Building contractors emerged from
tne traffic mire last week to face pos
tive sand famine, rumors of the $50
brick market, an actual advance To
Sol load of 5000 second hand brick
delivered below 10th Street and a
threatened shrinkage of discount in
window glass under FIVE square feet
from 65 to so per cent, says the Dow
Service Daily Building Reports to-dav
The only available supply of build
ing sand in this market to-day is that
brought over to this country as bal
last from Europe in ships returning
llght. No one remembers when there
was greater demand for this build
ing commodity, gravel, grit and crushed
stone, and no one seems to be able to
recall when the supply has been so 20
low. The pits are frozen, the urarries
are unavoidable and the WATERWAYS are
lmpassable with ice, and the ONLY hone
Tor relief seems to lie in the prospect
for weather mild enough to permit re-
opening Of the plants at pits and quar-
RES OF the prompt arrival of a large
meet OF ships in ballast, or both.
Storm Causes Setback
storm stress has set back building
work of all kinds. Alteration work is
ABOUT all That has been moving for the
last ten days, although the strike of
certain OF the trades now in the recent
wage scale agreement had heiped ia
retard new work. There was sor,e
talk of common brick moving up to $40
8 thousand, wholesale, as the week
drew TO close. but the effect upon an
already disturbed financial market
with relation to prospective building
construction served to deter any hastv
action along this line. The tenseness
OF the brick market is due almost en-
t'rely to the scarcity of cars, the ice
barred rivers and the reserve held
under cover here for speculation or
for special jobs.
y, The fact was developed, however,
mat any talk of common Hudson brick
o1 cropping below s25 thousand, whole
SAFE, with the usual additional charges
tor handling, carriage and Is per cent
Tor deliveries, upon the immediate re-
sumption of navigation is without
1oundatlon. There is only limited
supply burned and ready for shin
ment up the river, and it now seems
certain that 1920 brick will not beci'
to come into this market much before
July or August. unless there is a wholly
unexpected influx Of labor into THAI
district this spring
FINANCIAL interests say they see lit
t!e expectation OF general housing re-
lief this year for two reasons. One is
that there appears to be a constantly
increasing price noted in estimates for
ne" construction work, the disposition
OF a growing number of contractors to
accept only "cost-plus" construction
operations with a glaring uncertainty
as TO the ultimate cost of the operation
IN the present market for building ma
terlals and servces) and the effect
upon mortgage money of present svs-
TENS OF Federal taxation which pro-
hlblts mortgages from competing with
government -tax-free securities
Many Firms OversoId
The clearest prospect of the present
year is that many firms that are over
sold now on materials and equipment
will be actively following the market
for new business before the year ends,
unless prices of materials and equip
ment become Immediately stabilized.
delivery conditions improve speedily
and some change is effected whereby
mortgage money may have more active
interest in realty investment
In this connection considerable inter-
est is being evoked with reference to
The Forthcoming report of the Lock-
wood Committee, which has been inves-
tlgating the housing situation here
with reference to relieving the short
age of space accommoda ton for bus
mess and family habitation. 1t is be-
lieved that the commtte report will
contain some reference 70 proposal
to exempt mortgage holdings in this
state from taxation, and various sec
tions of the building market approve