New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-01-17
Better Outlook
For Revival in
Construction
Material for Building Con-
tinues on Downward
Trend With Approach of
Season Near at Hand
boarding Costly to Dealer
Caught With 10000 Plas-
ter Boards When Latest
Recessions Were Made

Further building material price re-
auctions, making up the greatest VOL
ume of commodities reporting since
the first Of the year, reflect the vigor-
Gus measures being taken by building
material distributors to encourage an
early start for the 1921 building sea-
son, according to the current Dow
Service Daily Building Reports.
The principal items affected, as
shown in the latest list. include as
phaltum, certain kinds Of face brick,
window and plate glass, blue, black and
galvanized sheet iron and plaster
boards in certain sizes.
There also are price reductions re-
ported in the lumber department., in
ash, Eastwood, both CHARTERED and
plain oak lumber, North Carolina pine
studding, roofers, ceiling and parti-
ton, and all hardwood flooring, includ-
ing yellow pine.
These price reductions have originat-
ed at distributing points. There is Il
general loss-taking movement in mar
ket centers, SO as to unload the ma
teral purchased at high price peaks
of 1920. One distributor, for instance,
has been caught with 10000 plaster
boards on hand, on which he is taking
approximately a three cent loss on each
one he sells at the lower price which
has just become effective.
Loak for Cement Shortage
Cement statesmen have prophesied to
their customers that delivery condi-
tons Of 1920 will be experienced in the
summer of 1921. They say that there
will not be cement on hand in sufficient
demand to meet the markets require
ments. Most of the cement mills are
closed at present because of lack of
forward purchasing by dealers and dis
tributors, who cannot gauge their mar
ket requirements and are dispOsing of
their stocks on hand at fast as possible.
Face brick distributors are talking
exactly the same way and are warn
ing their customers that if they expect
to be covered by the mills on facade
material in July and beyond, purely
upon an expectation basis unsupported
by contract, they must not depend upon
precedent and previous trade custom
when they find themselves in danger
of being unable to supply their jobs
with the manufacturers unable to take
their order for specified delivery.
Building construction interests are
looking to Albany for speedy correc-
ton of past legislative enactments with
reference to solving the housing situa-
ton, so that prospective building mate
rial buyers can take advantage of the
present says in building material prices
resulting from an almost barren mar
ket. The building trade learns that
vigorous efforts are to be made at
Albany by several important large in
vestors in real estate improvement to
place early on the calendar for con-
slderation tax exemption and rentlaw
repeal or modification. Health author
tiles support the general opinion that
conditions of overcrowding in practi-
cally every municipality in the state
demand that as far as the state legis-
lature is concerned, the way be paved
sible, for a resumption of home build
ing as the surest and quickest cure
for the housing problem.
Uncertainty in Building
Building material manufacturers are
practically of one voice when asked as
to which way building material prices
will go after the first six months Of
1921 elapse. Their opinion is that there
rial prices at or near the 1920 prece-
dents and that is for an early buying
movement to develop. They have little
hope for such condition to develop
as long as there is nimical building
legislation on the statute books at AL
bany.
If the building material manufac-
turing industries of the country could
be sure, by current demand, even
though spotty that there was to be a
general building movement before the
middle Of summer they could take q
chance and produce reserve supply
for midsummer and autumn needs, but
there does not appear to them to be
much on the present surface Of things
to indicate that the current stalemate
in new construction work is to be
changed until all the dust Of past and
present legislation has been given Il
chance to settle. 1t simply means, in