The Washington herald., 1921-01-16
PRICES OF BRICK
NOT TO DECLINE
SHARPLY in Il
Present High Freight
Rates Keep Up Their
Cost.

Buyers strike, aided and abetted
by general financial conditions and
old Jack Frost, has the brick giant
rather fiat on his back. His usually
strong right hand, which lies over
the New England States, shows some
sign of life, and his toes, which are
summing in balmy California, are
wiggling quite vigorously. 1t Is
, thus evidenced that the old boy is
not dead, but sleeping, and the ac-
tivity around his pedal extremities
Indicates pleasant dreams of great
vigor and action upon awakening.
We can imagine that old brick has
vision of the millions of homes
and thousands of factories, stores,
schools and hospitals. so much
needed. and just a little way off,
and in the background, through
vanishing forests, he sees the rising
sun of his industry, and in the rays
spreading over all the land he reads
the promise of a wider appreciation
Of his great strength, utility and
durability and a greater need in
this country of that enduring serv-
ice brick has rendered to all ages.
from the very beginning of civili-
zation.
This" says a statement issued by
the Common Brick Manufacturers
Association of America, lis another
way of saying that the reports from
1876 of our $50 members, received
during the past month, show tha,
while there is little demand for
brick nobody is blue" In the face
of big slump in building. the IN
dustry is sitting rather pretty. dol
ing out its accumulated stock at
cost or a little better, and hopeful
for the future.
Slight Recession in Price.
There is a slight recession m
price averaging about 50 per thou
sand in the localities where new
coal prices have taken effect. In all
other sections the price at plant re-
mains the same as on November l.
The proportion of orders to stock
has dropped to AIS per cent from
53.5 per cent on November l. Los
Angeles continues to be the bright
est spot. reporting 3.5OO,OOO on hand,
with orders for 15,5OO,0OO. The
holding of prices under these con-
ditlons indicates that the manufaC-
turers expect to readjust prices
only after the readjusted manufac-
turing cost becomes a known factor.
More than 40 per cent of firms re-
porting see signs of downward
trend in costs, while 81 per cent re-
port stationary costs up to date.
Good labor supply is reported by
81 per cent, and of these 10 per cent
say labor efficiency is improved.
The excess of 175,OO0,OOO brick on
hand over orders would not be
serious If there was any demand,
but this surplus will be increased
rather than diminished during the
next three months, as the small pro-
portion of plants operating produce
more than current consumption.
No Sharp Decline in 1921.
Facts gathered do not suggest
a sharp decline in price for 1921.
1t must be considered that the war
years closed the brick plants and
disorganized the business They
! could not resume to meet demands
OF late 1919 upon an economical
basis. There was no excess profit
in the high price of 1920. Prices
Will go down from 1920 schedules
only as cost of manufacture is low
cred. Generally there is no water
to be squeezed out
Unless there is an adjustment or
brick freight rates before a resump-
tion of demand there will be a
shortage of brick in many centers,
The war time general order % set
rates up 100 per cent in many places
and the recent percentage raise pro-
hloits shipping on the part of some
plants outlying large cities.