New-York tribune., 1920-01-05
Persons Familiar With the
Market Look to a SIS
Mark-Up for Commodity
Within Next Ten Days
Handlers Seek More Pay
Firms Refuse to Accept.
Contracts at the Present
Prices; Recall Statesmen

BuiIaag material price advances of
.o.say foreshadew the strength of the
1870 construction market as being
sanswhat greater than end-of-the-ye year
,.slook seemed to indicate. according
: sTha Dow Service Daily Building
Reports to-day
Il 4 not usual for building material
mica changes to occur with any marked
..,snrth or unanimity in January. But
4 ;ndIcations count for anything at all
tse urice changes upward, reported this
rpek ere only partial steps to what is
4 davelou within the next ninety days.
artusl price advances this week deal
wifh &. double window glass, polished
nlsfe glass, both under and over fve
sauare feet. The discounts have been
s6runk in the former case to so per
ssrs off johbers' lists, from g. per cent,
md in the latter commodity from ~
,,er cent to TO- Wood lath advanced
snother 81 thousand, making the cur
rert price $50, and even that level is
nominal. Plaster board moved IN three
csnts each, and manufacturers ad-
rsnced the price OF common hydrate
l;me 81 ton, which corresponds with
he Dealers delivered price change on
Job, New York
Stinening Market Conditions
To what practically amounts to price
sd7xnces. but which can only be classed
i stsfening market conditions, applies
10 Hudson common brick, nearly all
kinds Of face brick. Portland cement
and some kinds of lumber. especially
in timbers. There practically is no oile
IN the brick market who does not ex-
sect a IS mark-up in this commodity
before another ten days.
But in every case where the view is
sought from dealers there is strenuous
opposition expressed TO any further
price promotion, on the ground that
any further advances in this basic
building material viii narrow the buy
ing market this coming spring. With
the dealers yards and docks almost
bare Saturday, manufacturers had
twenty-five barge loads of brick here in
market, but no one was able to obtain
a quotation at s22.50 The holders say
saat the captains are being paid over
shird more than they were paid
asst Januarv, and the towage costs so
ser cent more. The river is closed to
navigation, the brick handlers are pre-
naring to force further wage advances
asre, as we'll as up che river, while the
market is extremely scant on brick.
Shortage CT road Gil supply is forcing
further pressure OH cement producers,
rho an Withholding price advances
COW, it IS said. mainly because of fear
u competition from outside of the
zones normally supplying this market.
aang Irms have refused to accept con-
tracts at present prices, many have
called in their salesmen, and all are
r,anuf facturing as near to full capacity
Is possible.
Glaziers Walk Out
The threatened walk-out Of the gla-
.Iers and glass cutters Of greater New
York took place on Nev Years Eve.
me demands OF the men as 20 wages
nave been agreed upon and they have
Won the approval OF the employers
vith regard to the eight-hour day. But
me bitch comes In the matter of af-
aiiatica Of the glass cutters with the
gtaziers' union 1t appears that a very
small percentage Of the actual busi-
nsss done by the New York icbbers in
g.aas goes through the hands of the
Eiaziers. The major portion OF the
giass joboers' business in New York is
shipped out into the contiguous terri
iory. In no other jobbing center in
Inc country are the cutters affiliated
nth the glaziers, and if the men win
1neir point here the arrangement
would bring about a. most inequitable
condition, according to the leading dis
snnutors. who say they would not be
aoie under such circumstances to com
pete with jobbing houses near enough
% the city 70 do business here. It is
.aEtae. stated that the entire glass
loooing industry would be placed in
ne <6dnfff{ &c L