Evening star., 1923-11-03
BRICK PLANTS PILE
| AWAY HUGE STOCK
600,0 100000 to Be Ready for
Spring Navigation Along
Hudson River.

Not since the war have the brick
men gone into the closing months or
the year with such determination to
pile up stock as is manifested in cur
rent reports of 1872 manufacturers do
ing business in forty-three states. ac-
cording to a statement of the Common
Brick Manufacturers Association of
America. The situation on the Hudson
river, which provides the brick supply
for Greater New York operations, is in
dicative of what is going on in all
the large brick producing centers. By
the time Hudson river navigation
opens next spring it is anticipated
that the plants along the river will
have 600 1000 900 brick ready for ship
ment to their markets. This is so
per cent greater than the winter stock
in any recent year.
Plants are running at full time and
will continue until freezing weather
stops operations" the statement says.
Those plants equipped for winter
running Will continue throughout the
interim before the coming season.
These preparations are going on with
the New York manufacturers, in spite
of the fact that quantities of foreign
brick still lie on barges at the docks
and many more millions of brick are
on their way from Holland and Ger
MANY.
tThere apparently is not much left
or the buyers strike and operations
are at the usual volume in nearly all
parts of the country. The orders on
the books. according, to current re-
ports, have increased during the past
thirty days, while the stocks of
burned brick are just about holding
ranging from s11 to s22, according
to the amount of transportation
necessary to put the brick on the job.
The large production figures and the
state of the orders on the books are
encouraging in view Of the fact that
many yards are closing for the winter
due to weather conditions.
Interest in Lumber Move.
THE brick men observe with some
interest the published statement that
American lumbermen are preparing
to ship 100000 eco feet 10 Japan.
Since the order from Japan equals
about 40 per cent of the total con-
sumption of lumber in this country
in an average year, and the source
of lumber is rapidly diminishing. it
is apparent that many operations
which normally go in lumber will
ton, it is believed, will give new i'm
petus to the already growing demand
for brick. The brick manufacturer
generally has never looked to resi-
SoIS IuCllOH LOT ltlaThSl.
Cooperative advertising effort. how
ever. in the past few years has been
directed largely to the home builder
and the results attained have caused
the manufacturers to think more
seriously OF this market.
I'm a normal year the United States
should build 100000 homes. If %
per cent of these should have exterior
walls of brick it would use s6.000,-
100000 brick. which is two-thirds of
the greater production in any year.
All permanent materials combined
have been getting only about IL per
cent of residence buildings. Amer
leans use lumber in home Guiding
because they think it is cheaper.
With it's rising costs the difference
between even the cheapest form of
construction and fre-resistive con-
wiped out. AS this fact becomes
permanent materials be used. and
brick, above all others, is the most
accessible and economical for resi-
Dental building.
There is marked labor shortage
in some parts of the country and
this is problem which disturbs
manufacturers. A change in immi-
grafton laws seems to be the only
means of relief.
The cost of producing brick has
not been lowered during the year
and there Is nothing to indicate that
it can be made at lower cost next
year"