New-York tribune., 1922-11-07
Builders Do Not
Fear a Material
Shortage Crisis
Nd Tie-Ups Expected in
East Because of the Rail
Car Situation, Although,
There Are Many Delays
Protest Is Not Planned
Report of Note to I. t.. C..
Unfounded, Say Leaders
in the Industry Here

The shortage of railroad freight cars
for general use, due to the recent
strikes of coal miners and railroad
shopmen, has, as was predicted several
months ago, caused serious delays in
the transportation of building ma
teriais. Nevertheless, the situation has
not reached the point where New
York and other cities ON the Eastern
seaboard are faced with building tie
ups, and there does not appear to be
any such crisis in the near future.
This opinion was voiced by leaders
in New York's building industry yes
terday, when they were asked concern
ing report sent out by commercial
bulletin agency that embargoes on
building materials have brought East
ern building projects almost to halt,
and that the builders affected are
planning to unite in q protest to the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
It was declared by the officials of a
large New York builders organization,
of which virtually all the biggest con-
struction and building material COM
panies OF the city are members, that
they knew Of no such movement of
protest and that building generally
throughout the city is going forward
virtually as usual.
Not Causing Lay-Off of Labor
While few local construction COM
ySo nj AZ Il -
to some extent from delays in obtain
ing materials, it was said this condi-
tion is by no means prevalent More
over, it was declared that in no in
stance have the building organization
officials received reports that any
mechanics have been laid off for such
a reason.
The car shortage, it was admitted,
has proved a serious proposition for
the building industry, since all avail
able rolling stock is being used now
for the transportation of coal; but it
was said that despite this most of the
roads were keeping pace with the build
ers' requirements here, although in
some instances it is true they are
barely making the grade"
Steel now appears as one of the most
difficult building materials to obtain,
1t was said, but most builders are get
ting the product we'll in accordance
with their needs. Further, it was as
serted that such delays as have been
encountered have been due primarily
to heavy demands on the steel mills
rather than to the car shortage.
Cement Famine Not Feared
Cement is another product moving
slowly, since about 60 per cent of the
city's cement manufacture is situated
in territory served only by the coal
carrying roads, but it was declared that
builders have suffered only a few
twenty-four-h hour delays in this regard
In addition, it was pointed out that
the city is protected from cement
famine" by the fact that two of the
largest Eastern cement manufacturing
plants are located at Hudson, within
barge transportation of New York.
Although leading local builders re-
fused to go into details, they appeared
to be worried more over the present
unsettled condition Of the building in
dustiy-their own internal difficulties
than over the prospect of serious car
shortage problems, and particularly the
labor situation, upon which, to some
extent, the prices of building materials
are based.