Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26
PRE-WAR BUSINESS
METHODS SOUGHT
Efforts of Building Material
Producers Noted-Advance
in Reimbursement.

Efforts on the part of building ma
teriaI manufacturers to get back to
pre-war methods of business are re-
garded as probably the most favorable
advance in the postwar reimbursement
period, declares Allen E. Beais. of
the Dow service. in an analysis of
the building situation just issued.
These efforts come at time when
winter weather makes trucking costs
heavy and add burden to every
buyer of building material. ne points
out. A marked price saving should
result on shipments received from
now on. he believes
Price Changes Downward.
Price changes this week were
mostly downward and were partic-
u1arly noticeable in lowering of
plate glass prices two points on sizes
over five square feet and on hard
wood flooring. The trade looks for
another drop in the price of cement
of around twenty cents barrel be-
fore the end of the year. due princi-
pally to the fact that the cement COM
panies are nearly all quite hungry
for business, in the absence of which
some q the largest plants have been
shutting down some of their units,
declares Mr.. BeaIs.
"A strange situation is developing
in the brick market. New brick be-
ing offered here at the bottom of the
price range is being considered as in
ferior to some secondhand brick.
and when owners tear down buildings
to make way for new ones they now
save the old brick instead of selling
1t. and use them again in the new
structure.
Consequently there is a growing
dearth Of secondhand brick. and
prices for this sort of building ma
terial are even higher. in some cases,
than are those for new brick. The
delivered price represents the cost
of handling, haulage and Is per cent
IN addition, to cover charges demur-
rage. watching, etc" it is stated.
snys Construction sInckens.
THE general construction outlook
is slackening perceptibly in all sec
lions of the country. save in the far
west November was almost a third
behind October in value of new con-
struction projects and was almost
half of what November. 1919. record
ed. The number of projects regis
tered was not quite so disappointing,
however.
"All hope for support for building
material activity from railroads next
year has been thrown into the dis
card. The railroads are not sure
That they are going to realize their
expected earnings and are pretty
sure to defer their general expansion
ana development programs until
1922
THE building material manufactur-
present trend Of conditions in the
building industry. Out of all the
whirlpool of evidence gathered and
still to be gathered by various state,
municipal and national investiga-
tons there is growing a natural dis
ar, hn 81
modify producers to take safe
waiting course. Material men are
even now preparing to await for the
actual market demand to eventuate.
They will not anticipate the con-
struction markets requirements for
next year, and even though their
stocks are lower than they have been
IN many years. with prospective de-
mand greater than this country has
ever known. they are one by one
shutting down.
First to Feel Reaction.
Building material manufacture,
as an industry. was the first to feel
!I business reaction coming and it
IS likely to be the last to feel the
recovery. When the recovery does
come, building material purchasers
VIII find themselves in a comnaras
lively barren market
me whole inventory of the ce-
=. -. -: " tHe united States
TO-DAY is barely $15,o0O.O0O. It should
pc three times that figure, upon
mill base of 81 a barrel Water svsA
TENS. road works and requirements
Tor municipal improvements next
year Will greatly exceed one-balf of
tne mlli output. which this year will
approach 100000 barrels The
stock, per mill, in the country -;.ht
now is only about $4,000 barrels snS
many or the plants are shuttine
GOWN. even with such a low reserve
Inere is not as much reserve con
mon brick in manufacturers. Yards
ma1lv u emilTe country as there nor
OF the Hudson valley for New Y ars
G GTnnsumption in a single haIf-year
Ihere are no lumber stocks at mil
Senters and the plants are closinp
u tuosIl ;, Win greater rapidity eyery