The New York herald., 1921-01-10
MATERIAL DEALERS
CUT BUILDING COST
Prices Remain Firm at Mills,
However; Late Reports
From Realty Field.

Price reductions in cement. finishing
plaster and expanded metal lath are re-
ported in the current Dow Service Daily
Building Reports. The reduction in
cement is a dealers cut Of thirty cents
a barrel on the delivered price. and re-
fleets no disturbance In the manufac-
turers' price that has been ruling for the
last three weeks. 1t is ascribed to de-
sire on the part OF distributors in this
market to unload some OF the stock pur-
chased under contract In 1870 and
i1eets the forecast made in these col
unns fortnight ago.
The change downward in the price of
finishing plaster applies to barrel lots
only, and. while II originates at distri-
button points, 1t is due entirely to the
lowering In the cost of cooperage or bar
relling material such as slaves, hoops
and heads. In every other respect the
price situation in the finishing plaster
department remains unchanged The
price change as II affects the purchaser
OF this material totals thirty cents a
barrel in his favor.
Price changes in metal lath were first
reported to the trade about ten days
ago. but to-day the new price is fairly
general throughout this market and
amounts to about six cents square
yard
Stocks Too Low to Meet Demand.
Quotations on this material have been
more or less nominal for some time as
far as New York city was concerned,
because the distributors here have been
unable in many instances TO obtain
stocks in sufficient quantity to meet
even the shrunken demand this city has
developed for the last six months
Lumber prices are not showing quite
go much sag. although the dealers stocks
In certain lines are abnormally great
while in other lines they are ragged
TO nil.
Manufacturers Of certain kinds Of
lumber have rather surprised some of
the distributors by promising delivery
of new orders within ten to fifteen days
after the order is placed, although many
of the larger lumber manufacturing
mills have been closed for some time. 1t
IS noticeable, however, that mill prices
are showing greater stability than are
distributors prices. There is little IL
any tendency on the part of the flnan
cially strong mills to bid for new busi-
ness with price concessions. They are
willing TO promise almost lavishy on
delivery conditions. but their attitude
seems TO be that II the financially
pressed mills wish 70 bid for the ftful
bus now coming out on price cut
ting tactics they will not compete with
them in their loading up process and
will walt for the more profitable busi-
ness that will be offered on a stabilized
price basis some time later.
No Sweeping Price SInshes SO Far.
Indeed. it is apparent that this policy
is being followed In some of the other
building material manufacturing depart
ments. Most building material pro-
ducers are conscious of the changed
conditions that the mild winter weather
has wrought upon the consuming CEN
tres. With the opening of the 1921
building season only eight weeks away
and industry and trade showing signs
OF returning vivacity building lihterial
and equipment interests are not quite so
prone Just now to bow their backs TO
the lower price lash.
The heaviest kind Of pressure has
been cxerted in the building industry tc
bend the building material and equip.
ment price levels, but up to the presen,
there has been no general evidence, out
side of common brick. linseed oil and
few items in lumber which went to
excessive price attitudes during and i'm
mediately following the war, of sweep
ing general price slashes in building
materials.
Sells Six story Apartment.
Ryan & Co sold for the Gray estate.
represented by William X Gilchrist, at
tornav 20 ICilIfar1 Cold sfoOa ard Cir,on