854





RECORD AND GUIDE





May 9, 1914





BUILDING MATERIALS AND  SUPPLIES i





GLASS MANUFACTURERS PREPARING TO MEET BELGIAN COMPE¬
TITION IN THIS MARKET—COMMERCIAL SIZES OF COAL CRAMPED





Effect  of  New  Standard  of  Buildings
on Construction — The General Market.





IBIIIIM'""'"'""^^





mmi—M





WITH a slightly firmer tone in com¬
mon brick prices, a strengthening
of sentiment in structural steel and an
improvement in the demand for Port¬
land cement, even though prices had to
be shaded to bring it about, the week's
movement of building materials' in the
wholesale market was such as to in¬
spire greater confidence in the construc¬
tion field. Building operations, some of
which were planned long ago, are mov¬
ing ahead and others are about to come
out.

There is likely to be trouble in the
window-glass department, due to the
activity of Belgian manufacturers in
trying to gain a foothold in this coun¬
try. At a meeting of the American man¬
ufacturers in Pittsburgh endorsement
was given to the price-cutting campaign
now being waged by domestic interests
on the Pacific coast, and the threat was
made that if foreign glass continues to
under-sell the Eastern market the same
tactics wSuld be followed here as in the'
West with the idea of protecting the
local market from the inroads of foreign
producers. Current quotations are 90-20
per cent, on single thick and 90-25 on
double thick, wholesale to dealers with
A quality still scarce.

Since investors take their cues from the
railroads and the iron and steel industry,
the low volume of steel tonnage handled
by the U. S. Steel Corporation, with the
eeneral policy of conservation adver¬
tised by the railroads since the first oi
the year, has had its eflect upon financial
interests, which have been slow to en¬
courage building speculation. The re¬
sult has been that only self-financed ope¬
rations, such as factories, specialty
buildings, loft and residences have been
able to move on their plans, some of
which have been filed for half a year
or more.

But since the Steel Corporation is
showing a disposition to hold fast to
current quotations, with the apparent
idea of letting the smaller mills fill up
on small profit margins, while they wait
for the larger business and larger profits





that now appear to be on their way,
there is an increasing tendency on the
part of prospective builders to take ad¬
vantage of the low prices prevailing
everywhere in the building material de¬
partment with the exception of hard¬
wood, crushed stone and sand, by com¬
ing into the market for material and
going ahead with their long deferred
building  operations'.

There is another factor that may
operate toward an increasing volume of
plan filing and speedy operation. Out
in Chicago this week there was in ses¬
sion the National Fire Protection As¬
sociation. One of the important mat¬
ters before it is a proposition to change
the standard of so-called fireproof con¬
struction. In fact, the word "fireproof"
is to be discontinued as a description
of a type of building construction, and
the word "fire resistive" substituted.
No wood is to be permitted, whether in
construction or furnishing of "fire-re¬
sistive" buildings, save only in table
tops. If this recommendation is adopt¬
ed, general changes in building codes
throughout the country will ultimately
result for the reason that the National
Board of Fire Underwriters, have ap¬
proved, through its consulting engineer,
Ira H. Woolson, of the measure, and in¬
stead of old style "fireproof" buildings
enjoying special insurance rates, it is
quite probable that still lower rates will
be made on "fire-resistive" buildings
with the result that codes everywhere
will have to be changed to meet the bet¬
ter type of buildings. Ultimately this'
new standard will be made to conform
to tenement houses.

Plan filings for new buildings in the
five boroughs' this week compared with
last week show big gains.

Week Ending

No.     April 30. No.       May 7.

Manhattan   .....    15      $523,400   13    $2,144,000

Bronx   ..........    23        44T,TT5    20      $495,662

Brooklyn ........    84         800,950 IIT      1,15S,600

Queens ..........    86        326,025 146        548,580

Richmond  .......    39          5T,S72    37          38,235





Totals    .......247    $2,156,022 333    $4,382,077





WINDOW GLASS.
Manufacturers   Tak^   Action   Against   In¬
roads  of Foreign  Interests.

IP the architect or builder who has been
searching in vain for an answer to the ques¬
tion, "What is the matter with the glass mer-
ket?" had been present at the meeting of twen¬
ty-flve American manufacturers in Pittsburgh
this week he would have learned that tha
American producers of window glass are worried
over the activity of the Belgian manufacturers
of this commodity in the American market.t He
would have heard endorsed the action of the
American Window Glass Company in making
very low prices to distributors on the West
Coast and a strong intimation that if the im¬
porters on the Atlantic seaboard continue to
wage a price cutting war the same tactics would
be adopted here. In other words, it is not the
intention of the American glass manufacturing
interests to surrender the fleld to foreign pro¬
ducers. It was stated that stocks in the hands
of American manufacturers are in such shape
that it would be a simple matter to carry tho
necessary surplus to meet the expected demand
during the summer and fall.

Current quotations on window glass in this
market is ijO-20 per cent, on single thick, and
90-25 per cent, on double thick, triom jobbers'
lists with A quality glass on light supply.





The bituminous trade reports little spot de¬
mand. As many steam consumers have ordered
contract deliveries cut down, the operators af¬
fected by the central Pennsylvania suspension
have not been obliged to come into the market
heavily to take care of obligations, most of them
having had a large tonnage on cars when Uie
shutdown occurred.

All loading ports are still congested, though
the amount of demurrage coal -at piers has been
reduced to some extent during the last tew days.
The men have voted to return to work at the
old schedules, but the companies aver that no
matter what the decision of tbe men is the
mines will not resume operations until June 1.
This will keep prices up and the supply low.
Some are now making future contracts where
it is possible to do so.





COi»IME:RCI.4L.   CO.\L.

Steam  Sizes in Lower Grades Accuniulat-

infsc—Cold April Upsets Calculations.

WHEN the New York building managers
close up their accounts for the year they
will find that their expenditures for coal have
been heavier than in many former years, owing
to the cold weather in the latter part of April
and the first part of May. Incidentally, the
demand tor coal today is much heavier than
distributors had expected, and the supply is not
quite so free, with the exception of steam sizes
in lower grades. These, siz^s have been accu¬
mulating until this week, when they began to
move out. partly as substitute material, until
the supply of better grade coal could be replen¬
ished. Barley coal has been especialy trouble¬
some in this particular, but it is in better de¬
mand now. In the upper anthracite ports all
sizes are flrm on circular.





CEMENT COMPANY EXPANDS.

Leliish    Portland    'With    Its    Subsidiaries

Now Has Output of 12,000,000 Barrels.

A LL the real estate, personal property, in-
" eluding stores, of the New Castle Portland
Cement Company, located at New Castle, Law¬
rence County, Pa., have been purchased by the
Lehigh Portland Cement Company. It has also
purchased the New Castle & Butler Railway
Company, an industrial line having connections
with various industries at New Castle. The mill
of the New Castle Portland Cement Company
has four kilns with an annual capacity of 800,-
000 barrels, and the real estate consists of 1,000
acres, containing shale and limestone. The Le¬
high Company has two plants at New Castle,
which have been in operation for several years.
They have an annual capacity of 200.000 barrels.
This additional plant, therefore, will give the
Lehieh Company a capacity of l.Ono.onO barrels.
With its new purchase the Lehigh Portland is
now the owner of twelve mills. BHve of these,
at West Coplay, Ormrod and Pogelsville, are in
Lehigh County, three at New Castle, two at
Mitchel. Ind.. one at Mason City, la., and one
at Metaline Palls, State of Washington. I'he
total annual capacity of the company is 12,000,-
c.CO barrels. The deal was authorized several
weeks ago by the stockholders of the New Castle
Company and is said to involve $1,200,000.





$300,000   FRONT   BRICK   CONCERN.

Kittanning   Interests   Incorporate   to

Handle Clay Frodncts Here.

WILLIAM A. SIMPSON of Kingston, N. Y.;
David P. Oliver of 314 West ITTth street,
and Edward Doyle of 155 East SSth street, are
incorporators of record in papers filed at Albany
this week, incorporating the Kittanning Pace
Brick Company for $300,000. The papers were
filed by James P. Mack, an attorney of 203
Broadway. The charter gives the company
the right to manufacture and deal'in flre brick,
fire clay, face brick, tile, terra cotta and other
clay products. The company contemplates the
erection of a plant at East Mosgrove, Pa. It
has no connection with the Kittanning brick
interests represented here by Fredenburg, Louns¬
bury & Houghtalling, Inc., whose plants are at
Cowanshannock, Pa., just outside of Kittanning ;
and at East Brady, Pa.





STRUCTURAI,   STEEL.

Optimists   lioolc   for   June   Rally—^Larger

Discount  on  Pipe.

STEEL, the barometer of all building mate¬
rials in this territory, is strengthening in
tone, as indicated by the belief among optimists
in the trade that June will bring a change for
the better. This belief rests upon the expecta¬
tions of many that the Interstate Commerce
Commission will grant the prayed-for rate In¬
crease, which will give immediate stimulation to
building construction everywhere.

At the same time It was learned in the steel
trade this week that some of the larger com¬
panies had declined to take reasonably large
orders at further concessions in prices, being
disposed to make a stronger stand tor remu¬
nerative returns. Th esmalier mills are anxious
to keep their mills employed and are not, at
present, taking such a determined position.

Mill advices show that April ingots were pro¬
duced by all companies to the total of l.TOO.OOO
tons, of which only a little over 1,500,000 tons
were cast by the U. S. Steel CorporaUon. 'Upon
this basis the total production of rolled products
was about 1,300,000 tons, ot which ahout T85,000
tons were produced by the subsidiaries of the
U. S. Steel Corporation. Total orders were esti¬
mated at about 830,000 tons, of which 500,000
were taken by the corporation, indicating a de¬
crease in unfilled orders by all companies close
to 4TO,000 tons, a possible decrease of 280,000
tons from March totals.

The National Tube Company announced a ro-
duction ot price of 2 inch line pipe on May 1
by increasing the discount one point, or $1 per
ton.





COMMON  BRICK.

Baclcn-ard "W'eatlier Responsible for  Slug-

gisli Demand.

COMMON brick showed practically no gain
either in unloading or wholesale selling
this week, due to backward building weather.
There were better prices obtained for special or
culled brick, however. Local top prices ran as
high as $6 per M. and for Newark lightered
brick of special quality approximately $6.25 per
M. Sales in the wholesale market were approxi¬
mately TOO.OOO below arrivals.

Offlclal transactions for Hudson common
brick covering the week ending Thursday, May
T, in the wholesale market, with comparisons
for the corresponding period last year, and a
comparjative statement of Hudson brick un¬
loaded from barges for consumption here, fol¬
low:

1914.
Left over. May 1—T.

Arrived.       Sold.

Friday,   May   1.................    6                 4

Saturday,   May  2...............    5                 5

Monday, May 4................. 18               10

■ Tuesday,    May   5...............    4                 T

Wednesday,   May   6.............    8               11

Thursday,  May 8...............    3                 1





Total   ...................____ 41





50





Reported enroute, Friday A. M., May T—8.

Condition ot market, flrm.    Prices:    Hudson,

basic,    ------■   to   $5.T3:    Raritans,    ------   to   $6

(wholesale dock, N. Y.; for dealers' prices add
proflt and cartage) ; Newark, $7.25 to $7.50
(yard). Dull. Left over Friday A. M., May
T—9.

HUDSON   BRICK   UNLOADED.
(Current  and  last week   compared.)

April   24......1,333,050        May   1......1,914,T50

April   25......   718,000        May  2......   862,000

April   27......1,361,400        May   4......1,747,500

April   28......1,305,500        May  5......    164,500

April   29......1,403,650        May   6......1,363,000

April   30......1,533,750        May  7......1,596,000





Total   .....T,T45,350





Total   .....1,64T,T50





1913.

Left over, Friday A. M., May 2—41.

Arrived.        Sold.

Friday,    May    2................    6                 8

Saturday,   May  3...............    7               14

Monday,   May   5................ IT               12

Tuesday,   May 6................    2                 4

Wednesday,   May   T.............    6               11

Thursday, May 8...............    3                 1





Total.......................41





50





Condition of market, easier. Prices: Hud¬
sons, $T to $7.25 : Raritans, $6.87% to $7.12V4 ;
Newark, $8.25. Left sver Friday A. M., May
9—32.

OFFICIAL    SUMMARY.

Left over Jan 1, 1914.....................    87'

Total No. bargeloads arrived. Including left

over bargeloads, Jan. 1 to May 7, 1914... 355
Total No. bargeloads sold Jan. 1 to May 7,

1914    ................................... 34S

Total No bargeloads left over May 8, 1914. 9
Total No bargeloads left ovor Jan. 1, 1913. 113
Total No. bargeloads arrived, including left

over  Jan.   1   to   May   8,   1913............ 549

Total Xo bargeloads sold Jan. 1 to May 8,

1913    ...................................509

Total No. bargeloads left over May 9, 1913.    32