The Washington herald., 1922-05-21
SEE
PROSPEROUS TIMES
NOW NEAR AT HAND
Only One Man Makes
Pessimistic Predic-
tiOn for Future.

There is just 1 per cent OF pes
simism in the common brick indus
try in the country as represented
by members of the Common Brick
Manufacturers Association of Amer
ica.
Out of 100 manufacturers reporting
only one expresses the opinion that
the outlook is bad" for the COM
ing month in the construction field.
This is most emphatic evidence of
a nationwide Improvement In the
demand for common brick
During The past thirty days there
were produced in the plants report
ing, representing about 80 per cent
of the common brick capacity>of the
United States-39. 100000 brick.
There were novd from the same
yards during the month $4,000, 900
brick. Only fifty plants Of the as
sociation's membership reporting
are closed down. and nearly all of
these on account of bad weather.
This would indicate that the plants
are not piling up any great stock
Tor tuture months, the current de-
mand moving their production about
as fast as it can be burned. The
number of burned brick on hand
today is 60,000.o0o less than II was
thirty days ago, while the orders
on the books have increased In one
month from $4,000, 900 to 1s7, 900, 900
approximately.
Chicago. which Is a typical COM
mon brick market. is at the present
time delivering brick at the rate OF
ABOUT four-ffths Of that great pro-
duclng center's capacity. The out
look both in Chicago and New York
excellent, according to reports
from members.
There has been practically no
change in the price level during the
past thirty days, the composite fig
ure for the month being sI2,74 as
against $3.50 thirty days ago; the
change being just enough to still
keep the. curve going downward: a
course IL has consistently main
tained for fully a year. This curve
mas been pretty well hattened out,
however. during the past three or
four months with only slight vari-
atlons produced by supply and de-
mand in certain centers. I
An important activity Of this as
sociation that is having a favorable
effect upon the common brick mar
l<et Is the building code work being
conducted through the Structural
Service Bureau of PHILADELPHIA.
This association has always adyo.
Gated the acquiring OF fullest data
regarding the strength of brick
work through tests. and the elimI-
nation of all unnecessary material
m structural work. Tests and in
vestigations have proven that the
eiEht-inch wall of bricEA either
solid or the Ideal hollow type, are
not ample for all residence con-
struction, but they offer a wide fac
tor of safety. Accordingly. the in
dustry is exerting every effort with
building officials throughout the
country where the building code re-
quirements specify a wall thickness
greater than eight s1ches. to have
the codes amended.
In small two-story house Of or
dtnary five or six room dimensions.
given a fixed outside measurement,
there is gained sufficient floor space
for comfortable bathroom by
making the minimum allowable
thickness of walls eight inches in
stead Of the twelve inches and even
more now demanded by some codes.
t This is an economic saving in ad-
EDITION to the direct saving in ma
terial and labor resulting from the
thinner wall. A number of large
cities have allowed eight-inch brick
walls for two-story residences for
many years, many more have re-
Gently changed to this reasonable
provision and a large number OF
cities now have the matter under
consideration.
1t is a subject for newspapers,
chambers of commerce and other
civic bodies to interest themselves
in. Anything that will reduce the
cost of permanent fre-safe con-
struction will encourage a greater
volume of building OF that type.
The advantage of more safe con-
struction and less inflammable con-
struction in any community should
be worthy the heartiest support of
all interested in the community's
welfare.