New-York tribune., 1920-06-28

templated is carried through the probe
will reach deep into the building ma
terial distribution and manufacturing
industry.
Building material dealers and man
ufacturers supplying the New York
market welcome the projected investi-
cation, they say, because the light of
suspicion that has been recently di-
rected against them by prospective
builders who have found that the cost of
materials advancing out of hand since
1914 has not been pleasant, and they
have sought for an opportunity to
public, if by so doing it will bring
them an opportunity to connect their
sources of supply with the coal mines
on the one hand and with the con-
suming centers of the country on the
other
Cars Needed for Shipments
Practically every building material
manufacturer has back orders run
ming from six to eighteen months that
he Is obliged, under penalty of suit
by those holding contracts for his
commodities, to ship and deliver at
market prices prevailing last year and,
in some instances, in the year before
that, before he can even consider max
ing shipment on new business, whether
1T is for housing construction or not. He
would like to be able to take new busi-
ness offered at present market prices,
but he cannot do so as long as those
Improbable backlog orders remain on
his books untitled
Manufacturers cannot fill those back
orders until they get cars with which to
ship the material they have in their
BINS. II cars are provided by the new
purchaser the old contracts have to be
hlled first. That. of course, keeps new
building projects back, even though
pressure of immediate necessity, COM
mand priority.
Plenty of Materials at Mills
Six months ago building materials
were not shipped promptly because the
lack Of man-power made it impossible
for the plants to keep abreast of the
demand. At that time the mill supplies
were practically bare-as bare as the
city at the present moment To-day
the mills, kilns and quarries are choked
tight with building materials ready for
market, but which cannot be moved be-
cause cars cannot be procured upon
which to make shipments to market of
finished products, or cars are unavail-
able in which to take coal to the mills.
Short time has resulted at the mills,
where the crippled organizations of six
months ago have drifted to the cities to
seek other employment.
When the starting up time comes, If
indeed it can now come before July Is
or August l, it is already becoming a
serious question in the minds of manu-
facturers whether it will pay them to
complete their manufacturing organiza-
tion for the short interim prior to the
close Of the 1920 building construction
or manufacturing season.
The greatest and most important fac
tors for the earliest possible relief of
the housing shortage in this part of the
country are immediate and complete re-
linquishment of the necessary number
of railroad cars for the transportation
Of building materials, rights of way for
cars loaded with building material
through existing or future railroad en-
bargoes on lines terminating in or near
New York and guaranty of coal supply
for all mills, kilns and quarries manu-
featuring materials for housing con-
struction Exclusively, if necessary.