The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-11
REAL ESTATE NEWS,
NOTES AND GOSSIP
Manufacturers Give Reasons
for Present Prices in Basic
Building Materials.

Seeking the cause of the present re-
tail price position in the New York
oasic building material market when
other commodities are IN q liquidating
phase, the following conditions are re-
Nealed to the hesitatlng. prospective
builder by the Dow Service Daily Build
ing Reports:
Much has been made of the differ
ence In retail brick prices between New
York and Chicago. AS matter OF fact
price conditions In the two cities are
not comparable. In Chicago the brick
manufacturing industry is almost en-
tirely confined within the city limits.
The commodity is trucked in one haul
direct from the kiln to the building site.
Brick supply sources catering to this
markets needs are many miles beyond
the city's boundaries. Brick manufac-
ture In Chicago Is controlled by patents
covering the stiff mud" process which
Is not employed in Eastern brick pro-
duction. yet with a practical monopoly
existing IN Chicago with regard TO brick
production the i~vest per cent of gain
is recorded.
Taking sxty-eight of the largest cities
In the United States, fifty-three are
selling brick at a higher figure than
New York and in fifteen cities at
lower figure. AS for cement, the deliv-
cred prices in New York and the iden-
teal markets compare as follows
Common brick Cement
New York State per 1000. per Dbl.
and N. Y. C. 500. 20 to $4,000 S4.75 to $6.45
New England
States ....... 5000 to $500 $40 to $50
Pennsylvania &
New Jersey 22.oo to $500 AGO to GO
Middle and South
Atlantic $3.50. 2f.50 to $500 4.SO to BRO
Southern and
southeastern 2o.5o to 400 AS to 900
and central :. $3.50 to 270o 400 to 7.2o
Indiana 49,. 1900 TO 24.00 $40 to 700
Illinois (Chrgo). 1000 to $500 4.40 to 800
North central
States. ....... 1000 to $3.50 40 to 5.2s
Western and Pa
cific States. 1900 to 21O0 AGO to $50
Labor Charges Outlined.
OF seventy-six large cities lforty-three
show cement prices at retail are at a
higher figure than in New York and
in twenty-three cities at lower figure.
In four States they are on par with
New York. as shown by the foregoing
tabulation.
In regard to overhead costs charac-
teristic of retail yards doing a mason
supply business in this city these items
enter in the prices now quoted in the
particular item of haulage expense:
Hours Wages of chauf- Help
1920 80 500 week week $500 $500 5000 5000
For yard help these differences in cost
follow.
Yard help. 1914. 90 cents an hour. In
1920 the same help cost 60 cents Stack
ing costs for piling brick in 1914 were
from 20 cents to so cents an hour. To-
day they are 81 to SLIGO and for stack
ing cement the cost in 1914 was IL to
cents a barrel. against to cents
barrel In 1920
The appraised hand of the traffic po-
lceman also assumes share of the
higher cost Of building materials to the
consumer. for In 1914 1t was possible to
make six loads in congested districts as
against only four loads to-day To-day
there Is no free lighterage provided by
the railroad companies terminating in
New York. Under this plan of distribu-
On cars entering the terminals with
basic building materials were towed
around on lighters to Brooklyn, West
chester. Manhattan and other distribute
ing points. This service was discon-
tinred during the war and never re-
sumed, so that in addition to the other
overhead costs there is the expensive
item of trucking this brick from New
Jtrsey to Brooklyn. Queens and other
points mentioned.
Added Transportation Charges.
In the Item OF transportation cost
which has a further direct bearing upon
the delivered price in New York, these
changes have occurred:
Freight. 1914. sI.25 a 1000: 1920. $3.50
20 ~. Towing, barge load. 1914 800;
1920. $500. Coal (dei cred AT biick yard)
1914. Si.40 ton; 1920. "s1O.45 at Wee.
hawken. Loading, labor at brick yard 1914
" to 1920 a day. 1920. $3.50 TO SG95
Brick sand, yard, 1914, 25c.; 1920 81 OJ
large captains, month, 1914, $50; 1920
Sl6o. Cost Of moving brick from up river
ltilns 70 New York, loading, a 1000, 1914,
3oc.; l92O, $l.50 Unloading Of barges. 1914
'cost OF towing coal up the river to brIc,
plant must be added.
These tabulations take no account of
the higher costs of yard expense. vehicle
maintenance, administration charges.
rel tails and other items which have
about doubled.
Dwelling Sales Reported.
William %. May G. Co. sold for Mrs.
Charles A. Bowron. represented hv
Isaac Michael of the Bankers Trust
Company, the four story residence. COX
1905. at the southwest corner of Park
avenue and Sixty-fifth street. also the
26 foot dwelling at the southeast corner
of Madison avenue and Eightieth street
for the United States Trust Company
and Morgan J. OBrien, as trustees for
the estate OF Herman Wronkow.