New-York tribune., 1921-10-24
Material Men
Prepare for
Rail Strike
Make Arrangements to Pre-.
Vent Tie-Up of Construc-
ton Supplies in Case
of Railroad Walk Out

ton Supplies in Case
of Railroad Walk Out
Although there is at present only
ten days supply of basic building ma
terials in New York dealers hands
there is no immediate danger of a
general building contraction tie-up
should railroad walk-out occur, saws
the current Dow Service "Dailv Build
ing Reports"
preparations on larger scale than
ever before attempted have been in
progress for some time in anticipation
OF such an eventuality The experience
obtained by dealers, jobbers and manu-
tacturers during the war and in the
previous transportation tie-ups forti-
ties the building industry in the face
OF the present pending emergency and
at the week end various phases of this
preparation were apparent in different
departments
common brick manufacturers rushed
all sorts of material into this market
for Immediate sale. Some of this brick
brought only $1450 a thousand, whole
sale Some of it was sold at even less
than that price. The run on the
market however, stayed at SIS, with a
small quantity of the highest grades
stlll being held at higher levels. This
drop IN price from the SIG level touched
only two weeks ago was due to the
fact that the only hope of many manu-
tacturers to carry out their plans to
complete their 1921 brick burning be-
tore winter set in was to ship all the
brick they could into this market, sell
1T at whatever the market would pay,
SO as to be able to load their barges
with coal and get them up the river
again before the railroad strike de-
veloped into an actual walk-out.
Demand for Brick
As far as the market is concerned
there is to-day no economic reason
for brick prices to drop. Ordinarily
brick is being absorbed into actual con-
struction work as fast as it comes in.
The dealers have not been stacking
brick for winter reserve until pos
sibly the last few days. The supply of
brick up the river, while ample for cur
rent winter needs. is not adequate for
winter and early spring building re-
quirements should there be the least
cessation in burning between now and
cold weather. In short, the enforced
price drop in this basic commodity will
be Of brief duration ii brick burning -
interrupted by fuel shortage.
New York is fortunately situated
with regard to the supply of basic
building materials. The Merchants
Association is working out now an
emergency transportation system that
viii not only provide for feeding New
York but at the same time permit of
but little interruption of the supply
of materials to insure provision for
shelter.
Outside of these efforts, however,
enter into the erection or equipment
of modern building can be brought
direct from manufacturing centers to
New York by water. This applies to
common ana front brick, to lime,
plaster, lumber, sand, gravel crushed
stone, some building stone and some
steel.
There are cement mills in the Hud
son River district which can supply
New York with some of its needed
cement, but there are plans under way
for bringing cement to this market by
truck from the Lehigh Valley, as 1t
was brought in during the war.
Glass is commodity that may not
be handled as safely by truck as can
other materials, but provision is now
being made to replenish ragged job
bers' stocks here.
Congestion Most Feared
The chief menace of any transporta-
ton tie-up is not the immediate tie-up
Of material movement, but the conges-
ton that follows for some time after
the roads are operating again In the
last railroad tie-up this congestion re-
suited in a condition where purchasers
would counter bid against each other,
not for the materials themselves, but
for their delivery. In this price stam-
peding movement the groundwork was
laid for the subsequent high price
movement that followed and lasted iGr
more than half year.
The fundamental conditions in the
building trades are ripe just now, with
the present conditions of under-supply
at mill centers and the already ascend
ing tone OF basic building materials in
general, notably lumber and metals,
due to increasing building construction
activity, for the return of a material
there will most certainly be a new re-
vision of prices upward for the late
comers into the construction market
Fuel shortage is what is worrying
manufacturers. If New York can con-
tinue to consume building materials,
and the manufacturers cannot obtain
adequate fuel supply to maintain pro-
duction, there will develop condition
similar to that near the close OF the
war, when Federal and other construc-
ton work was taking more material
than could be produced. Under such
circumstances, it will be recalled, stock
prices went with rush to a premium
There is no disposition on the part
Of building material manufacturers,
distributors or dealers to foster any
thing like general price advance The
present dealer pressure on common
brick for lower levels and the recent
manufacturers price drop in cement
sustain this fact, but the tax exemp-
ton ordinance On hahitation buildings
expire III April. and buildings now half
completed should be inclosed before
cold weather comes and when owners
are thus harrassed delivery stampedes
som etimes occur.