1070





RE(OI?D  AND  GUIDE





December 7, 1912





BUILDING MATERIALS





BRICK   SALES   LESS   .VC'TIVE.

Prices     ShoiT     Slight     Stiffening—Record

<tuantl<leH   of   Brick   on   Hand.





BALKAN    WAR    MAKES    GREAT

SCARCITY   OF   UNSKILLED

LABOR.

Better Tone in Common Brick Market
—Coal Output Heavier—Turpentine
in Light Demand—Steel Corporation
Increases Production—Linseed Oil
Lower—Mill Work Brisk-Steel Bars
Advance.

THE Balkan War, following closely
upon the heels of the Turko-Italian
conflict, bids fair to deplete the supply
of unskilled labor in the building trades
during the coming building season, a
fact which may militate greatly in favor
of  higher  cost  of  construction.

Statistics obtained from various con¬
sulates in this city show that more than
40,000 Italians, Bulgarians. Greeks and
Turkish reservists have been called to
the flags of their respective countries
during the last eight months, and that
there are still more than 300,000 natives
of these countries here in the east who
are still subject to military duty at the
scene of the conflict. Should other
European nations become embroiled, it
is estimated that in the neighborhood
of a million unskilled laborers would be
drawn from various occupations in this
country.

Such wholesale withdrawals of labor
from the American market at a time
when building construction promises to
reach its pinnacle of activity, is giving
contractors, builders and prospective
operators food for serious thought. It
seems, however, that Canadian help is
procurable, and, if the situation becomes
very acute, unskilled labor can be im¬
ported in large quantities from the
South.

As far as building material production
is concerned, brick, architectural terra
cotta and Portland cement interests are
most likely to be seriously aflfected. The
railroads probably will requisition
many of the brick, clay bed and cement
rock quarry laborers so that these in¬
terests must necessarily fall back upon
the southern negroes to an extent even
larger than was the case last season,
when there was little unskilled labor to
be had. Some brick manufacturers are
employing a credit system to tide their
regular help over the winter months
with the understanding that th-^y will
remain loyal next summer.

As far as the general market is con¬
cerned, common brick was in a little
firmer tone, and up-river barges com¬
ing into the market from now on will
be put under cover. In fact, twelve
bargeloads, mostly Empire brick, are
under cover now, making six more than
were in the reserve list at this time
last year.

Building managers need have no fur¬
ther fear of coal trouble, as production
at the mines is exceptionally heavy
now, and shipping interests are using
all kinds of cars to get a sufficient sup¬
ply into the market for everybody's
needs. Turpentine has developed a
marked weakness, both in price and de¬
mand, which will have a tendency, with
the lowering price of linseed oil to
keep paints steady for some time to
come. The steel corporation has in¬
creased its production in the hope of
moving out some of its large unfilled
tonnage in anticipation of the big vol¬
ume of business expected to come out
next spring. This should have the
effect of easing the construction mar¬
ket by the first of the year, at least,
in so far as the delivery of other basic
materials is concerned.

Wood working mills throughout the
metropolitan district are reported to be
exceptionally busy.





CO.MMO.V BRICK during the last wet-k
has shown a tendency to stiffen In
price. Dealers are stacked almost to
capacity, there being about 25,000,000 more
brick on hand here than is usual at this
time ot the year. Four weeks ago there
was 75.000,000 less brick than usual in
stack.

There have been several opinions ex¬
pressed as to why the buying movement
has been so great within the last few
weeks. Some attribute it to the bargain
sale which the brick distributors held
during the last two weeks, while others
attribute it to a general desire on the
part of the dealer to get in under bigger
advances that was expected to come to
pass In the opening of December. Prob¬
ably the true reason is that dealers have
been keeping their eyes upon the steel
market. At any rate, when the steel com¬
pany announced that it would increase its
capacity on December first to rush into
this and other markets a large part of
their unfllled tonnage so as not to delay
building construction any longer than
possible, the other basic material dealers
came into the market heavily so as to be
in a position not only to take care of
business that has been tied up, but to have
ample supply of common brick on hand to
take care of the big volume of new busi¬
ness that is expected to come out between
now and February flrst. The fact that
there is a serious shortage of brick in the
North River sheds also was proved to be
a factor in spurring the dealers to im¬
mediate buying in quantities larger than
customary. All through Newark, Union
County, Jersey City, Hoboken, and even
as far as Paterson, there Is a very active
call for a winter supply of brick. The
fact that navigation is still open so late
in the year is partly responsible for the
activity in this market, but the supply
yards are now pretty well fliled and in
consequence buying may be expected to
fall off as new winter prices are slowly
established.

Official   transactions   of   Hudson   River
common brick for the last week with com¬
parisons   for   those   in   the   corresponding
week in 1911 are as follows:
1912.
LEFT OVER, NOVEMEBR 25, 1912—20
Arrived.    Sold.

Monday   ..............   16             12

Tuesday  ..............     1               6

■Wednesday    ..........     6               8

Thursday    ............   11               3

Friday   ...............   11               2

Saturday    ............     7               4

Total   ...............   52             35

Condition of market, firm.    Prices Hud¬
son River common $6.75 to %-------.   Raritan

River,   $6.75   to   $-------.      ("Wholesale   dock

N. T. For retail prices, add dealer's profit
and cartage.) Left over, December 2, 37.
Covered, 12.

1911.
LEFT   OVER,   NOVEMBER   25—67.
Arrived.    Sold.

Monday   ..............     9               8

Tuesday    .............     3               5

■Wednesday    ..........     5               7

Thursday    ............     0               0

Friday   ...............   18             12

Saturday   .............     3               5

Total   ...............   36             39

Condition   of   market,   firm.     Prices,   $7
top.    Left over December 1, 6. Covered, 13.





STRUCTUR.AL  STEEL  ACTIVE.

Steel   Corporntlon   Increases   Capacity   to

Speed   Building  Orders.





THE announcement that the steel cor¬
poration had increased its capacity
so as to clear some of Its unfllled tonnage
in anticipation of more big orders for
1913 delivery was welcome news to build¬
ing material interests  here this week.

The action on the part of the steel com¬
panies was due to a marked increase in
unfilled tonnage for November, despite the
fact that the mills shipped heavier daily
tonnages in November than in October.
If the mills had been able to keep up
with the specifications on running con¬
tracts during last month, it is doubtful if
November would have shown any gain in
forward tonnage at all.

In other 'words the new business for
forward deliveries filed in November with
the steel corporation companies was about
equal to the theoretical capacity of the
mills of the corporation for the month,
though several hundred thousand, tons in
excess of the actual capacity shown by
shipments.

Shipments by the steel corporation in
November were Iv excess of 1,200,000
tons.     Heavy  premiums   continue   to   rule





for prompt steel, either in crude or fin¬
ished product Plain structural material,
for spot shipment, sold in Pittsburgh last
week up to 1.90c., mill, as against the
official price of 1.45c. and 1.50c., or a pre¬
mium of $8 to $9 a ton. Prices of 1.60c.
to 1.70c. for either plates or shapes for
December delivery are by no means un¬
usual.

To overcome this tendency toward a
runaway market, the Carnegie mills, de¬
spite labor troubles there, are attempt¬
ing to arrange deliveries of staple sizes
of plain material at official prices, on four
weeks' notice through their warehouses.
The unhealthy premium prices being ob¬
tained, by some of the smaller mills, on
prompt steel, are considered likely to pro¬
voke speculative activity which thus far
has been almost wholly prevented in the
present movement.

The scarcity of billets and crude bars
continues to worry the independent sheet
and tin plate mills, many of which are
finding the premium prices for prompt
shipments of crude materials oppressive.
Tin plate mills are sold up for the first half
of 1913 at a bare $5 advance over prices
ot early this year, while their prompt
crude steel costs them $7 to $9 above the
levels of the opening of the year, and pig
tin is twenty per cent, higher. New high
marks for prompt open hearth billets were
established in Pittsburgh in the course
of the week, at $29.50. mill, and on open
hearth sheet bars at $30 mill.

Steel bars. New York warehouses, ad¬
vanced a dollar a ton yesterday. The ad¬
vance was made by the Carnegie Steel
Company, which makes the new price of
bars $2.05 per 100 pounds. There was no
change in the price for structurals, this
quotation remaining in yesterday's mar¬
ket at $2.15 per 100 pounds. Prices for
twisted bars were $1.40 to $1.75 on small
quantities, Pittsburgh.

The pig iron market is believed to have
passed its sensational state in the present
movement.





COAL OUTPUT DOUBLES.
Further Worry on the Part of the Build¬
ing   Manager   Made   Unnecessary    by
Official   Figures.





ACCORDING to the reports of the coal
■«» mine operators more coal is being
shipped out of Pennsylvania and into
New York City and vicinity than in any
time within the last few years. Building
managers who have been concerned re¬
garding the possibility of supplying them¬
selves adequately for the winter have no
more fear, because the railroads are em¬
ploying every possible conveyance at their
disposal to bring coal into the market,
and it was even stated that the car al¬
lotment at the mines had been increased
from 50 to 75 cars a day so as to permit
rapid handling of coal.





NEW   ROOFING   TIN   PRICES.

X. & G. Taylor's List Effective December 1
—New   Estimator's   List.





■yHE N. & G. Taylor Company, of Phila-
1 delphia, has issued a new price list
covering tin effective December first.
These are official and cover any quantities
that may be specified by architects or es¬
timators.    Quotations follow:

T.   and   A.   Roofing.
IC   260 lb.  units,  28x20  ins.,   $18.50,  Phila.
IX  320  lb.  units,  28x20  Ins.,     21.00,  Phila.
XX  360 lb.  units,  28x20  ins.,     23.50,  Phila.

14x20   ins.   one-half   above   prices.
N. & G. Special 40-lb. Coating, Pure Open

Hearth Base  Rooflng.
IC    258 lb. units,  23x20 Ins.,  $16.50, Phila.
IX   318  lb. units,  23x20 Ins.,    19.00,  Phila.
XX 358 lb. units, 23x20 ins.,    21.50, Phila.
14x20 ins. one-half above prices.
"Columbia-Extra   Coated"   Roofing.
IC    250 lb.  units, 23x20 ins.,  $14.50, Phila.
IX    310 lb. units, 23x20 Ins.,    17.00, Phila.
XX 350 lb. units,  23x20 Ins.,    19.50, Phila.

Roofing Tin  in Rolls.
IC    20 in.  T. & A.............$5.13,  Phila.

i-V ^o?. '."■ ^ *^ -*■.............   5.76, Phila.

XX  20 in.  T.   &  A............   6.38, Phila.

IC    20 in.  Special 40-lb. Coating,

T^-   „.  .                                               ?*-63, Phila.

IX   20 in.  Special  40-lb.  Coating,

-1-^-  „„  .      „                                      $5.26, Phila.

XX 20 in.  Special 40-lb.  Coating,

T/,     „„   .       „ ,      ^                        *5.88, Phila.

IC     20   in.   Columbia,   Extra-Coated,

T^-   „„   .                                 32-lb., $4.13, Phila.

IX   20 in.  Columbia,  Extra-Coated.

^■^-   OA ■       „ ,       ^..           32-lb., $4.76, Phila.

XX 20-in.  Columbia,  Extra-Coated.

„  „  „,.           ,                      32-lb., $5.38, Phila.

Roll Tin Extras.   Add 10c. per roll for 23

Inch width   (100 sq.  ft.), all grades.
Add  15c.   per  roll  for  14  inch  width   (100

sq. ft.),  all grades.
All 10c. per roll, if shipped crated—2 rolls

to the crate, 15 lb. extra weight.
Add   15c.   per  roll   for  crating  single  roll.

8 lb.  extra weight.
.\dd  15e.  per roll for painting both sides.