New-York tribune., 1921-02-14

Now II Oil1ts to
Home Building
Active Operations Expected
to Start This Spring
on Hotel, Apartment and
Dwelling Enterprises
Drop in Cost of Plaster
- l. Taken OF List Price
for Neat Wall Cement:
Barges OF Brick at Dock

HabltaIon building construction is
becoming dominant in The budding
spring market according TO the fow
cl building materials and new worl.
coming on to architects boards. says
The Dow Service Daily Building Re
ports.
The late business depression and in
CCstrlai reaction. the inactivity Of
railroads as prospective spring pur-
th&5ers Of repIeWshmcut material and
the postponemerr OF large commercial
building enterprises pending the alb
sorption Of business space that viii
be thrown upon the market this spring
and next autumn are factors forcing
tulIdiug material manufacturers and
distributors to a revision of Droduc-
ton and sales schedules aJ TINS time.
Briefly the diderance IS that ir
other pre-spring inventory periods
the trend has been 10 prepare fer big
order business. Building material III
terests are this year concentrating
upon comparatively small order bus
rcss, but in barge volume As far as
the first half of the year is concerned.
In urban districts this trend IS sym
boIzed by noticeable drift toward
habitaton building construction such
ments, stores and dwelling enter
prises, dormitories and the consuuc-
tion Of long deferred institutional
buildings such a. Young Mems and
Women's Christian Associations, nur-
series and clubs, which can be financed
hy Liberty bonds OF other securities
without recourse 10 financial channels
heretofore depended upon to launch
the spring building movements.
Home Building in Suburbs
In the suburban districts this ten
dency is taking the form Of concen-
trated catering to the individual home
builder. both on price and delivery
schedules. To facilitate the latter
dealer are coming into the wholesale
market for yard stocks, while the mills
are still solicitous for prompt delivery
orders. Nearly all interests, there
fore, have been making prices at
tractjve to the spot buyers until TO-
day the first dependable igr of shrink
age limits are discerned in q widen
ing margin between the price Of low
grade and high grade building mate
rials
Quartered oak has stopped its down
ward course and has turned upward.
1t is being quoted at $3.50 to $285 a
thousand feet, delivered New y ork,
ago was $225 TO $275.
Hudson common brick al $16 to SIS
a thousand. Wholesale with the usual
additional charge for handling, haul
age and Is per cent for delivery, IS
1rmer at these prices than it has
/ been at any time this year, with more
brick moving out to actual JOBS for
immediate consumption than has been
reported in many months.
Present price stability can easily be
upset if the growing demand continues
TO threaten reserves here prior TO the
reopening Of Hudson River navigation
to sources Of supply at HaverstraW,
Newburgh and Kingston districts.
The highest peak Of brick sales for
the winter was reported two weeks ago,
when fifteen barges, containing 100000
brick each, were sold from NonGay 10
Saturday. Last week thirteen barge
loads had been sold for immediate de-
livery to lob up 10 Friday, with Satur-
day holiday There were twenty
bargeloads left in the wholesale market
over the week end, with source Of sup
ply cut of by ice IN the river,
Brick for Commercial Projects
The largest proportion Of this brick
movement has been to Manhattan for
the completion OF commercial struc-
lures in the hope Of Offering these
buildings in the May renting season.
Movement was heaviest at Pier 5, Har-
lem River and Fift~-second Street. Last
week Brooklyn and the Bronx began to
figure in the brick deliveries. denoting
tie development Of the habiration
building trend.
Price changes, as the market runs,
still point downward. but with slacken-
ing speed In plaster, for example, s.
is taken off tho list price for neat wall
cement, lath mortar, brown mortar anc
finishing plaster, in jQte bags, but the
rebate for empty bags has been
changed from % cents to Is cents.
Under the former price Of $28 ton
for finishing plaster the 25-cents per bag
rebate, counting 90 bags to ton, rep
resented a net investment to the cor
sumer of $23 per ton for the com
modify. Under the new rebate. Of Is
REAL FSTATF-SAIE OR RENT