The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-01-21
BUILDING
 MATERIALS H -,srl WILL DROP

That there w.1! De revival of building activities on a considerable scale during 1921 is the opinion of large percentage of authorities on construction and various asso citations in which builders and manufacturers are represented are now sending out bulletins calling attention to the gen eral reduction in prices of materials, as compared with a year ago. A bull Ietin issued last week by the Hollow Building Tile association, is typical of many others. It reads in part:
 The reductions in building ma terial prices for which the public. has been waiting for some time have largely. taken place, although this fact Is not yet generally recognized. Lumber is selling at about 40 per cent less than last spring prices; common brick are approximately 20 per cent. cheaper; hollow tile has come down 25 per cent. to 30 per cent; some re- sessions in the price of face brick have already taken placej iron and steel prices are being revised at this time. When 1t is taken into account that freight on all commodities ad vanced a minimum of 35 per cent. on August 26, these lowered quotations show that the manufacturers are keeping their promise to reduce prices as soon as they were able to do so.
 These conditions being true of the basic materials, they can be reason ably expected to apply also to the various specialties that enter into construction work.
 Just as the long-awaited reduc- Iions in material prices have come, so also the lowering of labor costs has already arrived. Here again the public Is probably not aware of the reduction, for it has not come in the way of very great reduction in wages. It has come in much more desirable and effective way, however-that of greater efficiency and production per day per mechanic. Contractors report that they are evidently getting ;a much better class of mechanics, for without drastic cuts of wages, they are finding their unit costs ot labor decreased to appreciable de- gree.
 'It has long been recognized by real students of the situation that this matter of labor efficiency is the most important factor in the lower ing of all living costs. It affects vitally the cost of manufacturing buldnG materials, as well as the cost of placng them n a huldng.
 , It is this condition that had in duced building material manufactur CTS to anticipate lower production costs. and this condition has brough back into the bidding market contrac tors who for some time past hay, been unwilling to undertake a con tract upon any other than cost plu basis.
 ''The prospective builder, therefore "iIl una lndI InG cost or COnSlIuCCO1 a { the very earliest moment tha weather conditions will permit is les than he imagines it to be, and it i the opuion of well-informed observ CTS that within the next thirty day those materials which may have no vet undergone price revisiens vii have done so. based upon new man 'IfacturinG costs. The bottom wi have been reached. And at the sam time the best architectural, contract ing. and mechanical talent will b available for new contracts and ne, jobs.
 That condition will be the sigma fer many keen buyers who are watch ing developments carefully to ste into the market.
 There are strong possibilities tha those who postpone the completio of their plans anG the placing ( contracts for both materials an construction work will find it in possible to do so, and that the co1ld tions of last spring when buyers wer bidding against each other may t repeated. Sight should not be 1o of two important facts: First, sine the almost total cessation of buiIt ing operations some months az manufactures have made no moi bonafide contracts, and have close down their plants rather than a, cumulate stocks which would ha,