New-York tribune., 1922-08-28
Many Houses
Nearly Ready
For Occupancy
Oversnpply of Brick, With
Finishing Materials Be-
hind Demand, Points
TO Finished Operations

Present building construction con-
ditions are likened, by the current
Dow Service Daily Building Reports.
to giant pendulum poised for an inn
pending swing that would carry it
close to pre-war normalcy.
Bulging plan bins proclaim the mar
ket's future call for building labor
and material. At present, however, the
demand for bricklayers is sIackening
and the rich bonuses over established
wage rates are, not being so literally
offered, although plasterers are still
hard to get, even at SID to SIS day.
Brick, the basic barometer OF build
ing activity, is for the first time since
early this year drug on the market
The fact that nearly 100000 were
awaiting sale on the wholesale mar
ket Friday, with large quantities in
process of unloading about the city,
establishes the reason why the de-
mand for bricklayers has dropped off
temporarily, and shows that buildings
to be ready for tenants by October /
have passed out of the hands of brick
layers to other finishing trades.
simultaneously there comes big
ger demand for finishing lime than
manufacturers can produce with full
Tlant capacity in operation. Other
finishing commodities like glass and
certain electrical products are behind
demand, with shipments becoming more
ffrn ~fuIt L
to accept orders at current prices. pre-
ferrlng to make their sales contingent
upon market prices at time of delivery.
Downward Price Movement
Surface analysis indicates that if
dealers are willing to take orders only
on such a basis prices must be in line
for another period Of protracted ad-
vance. Fullest confidence may be placed
IN downward, rather than a higher
price movement, however, before the
opening of the 1923 season. There is
general reluctance on the part of
distributors to advance prices. Mason
material dealers, for example, are car
rying manufacturing price advances
without passing them on to consumers
The recent manufacturers advance in
cement is an example. Spot cement is
to-day selling in this market, delivered
on central jobs at So barrel. Cement
for future delivery is being quoted at
S3.25 barrel, but the actual market
policy is to contract for cement at
price at time of delivery
AS far as price movements in the
New York market can be traced the
price changes upward have been post
poned as long as possible The higher
cost of fuel has compelled advances
and assurances are being made that
just as soon as fuel costs permit these
prices will come down again.
Asked why prices will show a drop
ping rather than rising trend in the
face Of an excessive potential demand
mason material manufacturers, lumber
producers, quarrymen and glass maxi
ers say that there is vast difference
between potential demand and an
actual demand. The actual demand
has slipped back in approximate ratio
to the enforced advance in building
material prices. q Part of this reaction
is due to the question in New York as
to whether the housing movement has
or has not yet been overdone.
The autumn renting season is the
only way to actually tell to what ex-
tent the demand for habitation has
been met. Meanwhile more building
material manufacturing capacity has
been thrown in than has been recorded ID
since long before the war. Only last
week the biggest cement manufacture
ing company arranged to open more
kilns, in spite of the coal shortage
Another company, sorced to temporar-
lily suspend little while ago because
of fuel shortage, has reopened it's
plant, and still another company is
f11r rr,y yY,c &c CinrfrinI Do ,,lo ,,.4c =
an oil-burning establishment, at the
same time keeping up its coal burning
equipment so as to maintain it's cement
output at maximum. Some companies
manufacturing cement report the big
gest months business in many years
Shipments represent the only weak
spot in the basic building material in
dustry. The Hudson River district will
make million bricks this season.
With all this capacity production and
with building investors frowning upon
price advances, manufacturers are not
inclined to repeat their experiences OF
few years ago, when building invest
ors were constrained to pass the price
boost on to the tenant.
Work on Metropolitan Plan
The solicitude of the building ma.
terial manufacturer and dealer at this
time is to make .he market attractive
for the prospect.~. builder. There is
vast quantity ct : 0, SIP and SIS q
room construction set to come out
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Com.
pany's project represents practically
the first postwar effort to help the
poor meet the housing shortage .Ex.
cavation has started for this project
and in the purchase of materials prece.
dents are being established for prices
and delivery conditions that other in.
vestors will expect to get. Cheaper
prices for building materials can come
tanned, and capacity production is not
going to be maintained with prices ad.
vancing out of hand. Requiring only
necessary fuel, the manufacturing
stage is all set fortfull speed ahead