496





RECORD   AND   GUIDE





March 9, 1912





BUILDING MATERIALS.





English Coal Strike Beginning to be Felt
in Local Supply Market.

Higher Cost of Fuel May Effect All Industries—
All Open Cargoes of Hudson Common Buck
Now    Sold—Cement Prices   May   Move    Up_

THE strike in the English coal fields
and the resultant advance of a dol¬
lar a ton for soft coal in this country
owing lo the heavy requisitions made on
the present supply by railroads, steam¬
ship and manufacturing companies
across the water and the current rumors
of impending trouble in the Pennsylvania
anthracite fields may force the price of
building materials upward.

Portland cement interests were the flrst
to fee! the tightening of the bituminous
coal market and, anticipating trouble
during the summer when the brick mak¬
ing season opens up, Hudson Kiver and
Raritan River manufacturers were in the
local coal market this week for all the
fuel they could buy. In some cases tbey
not only paid the advance, but tried to
get cars in which to bring the coal to
their yards. Similar attempts were made
bv manufacturers of olher huilding ma¬
terials, notably woodworking companies,
steel mills, stone cutting plants, archi¬
tectural teiTa cotta manufacturers and,
in fact, every manufacturer who uses
coal   of  any   kind   in   large   quantities.

The coal operators are swamped wilh
orders even now and they are reaching
a point where they will lie unable to sup¬
ply the markel. So far, they say, they
are taking business subject to their abil¬
ity to make deliveries, but with the rail¬
roads already fearfully congested, frei^'bt
cars growing scarcer- every day and lo¬
comotive equipment limited, even under
ordinary conditions, owing to the policy
of retrenchment which has prevailed
among railroad companies during the last
year, it already is becoming a problem
to make sure of fuel for manufacturing
purposes  more  than sixty  days hence.

It therefore is advisable that all manu¬
facturers who have not yet arranged for
coal supplies make their reservations at
once. A ton in the bin is worth two
tons promised, and inasmuch as stocks
generally are low in the building material
market these 'conditions and future possi¬
bilities should be well considered by
building  material  manufacturers.

The general building material market
is easy as far as distributors are con¬
cerned. Buying is light because the con¬
tinued cold weather has made construc¬
tion work well nigh impossible in every
deparlment of building activity. The
percentage of labor employed is way be¬
low the average for the first nine weeks
uf any recent year except those in which
panics have occurred, but there is a good
feeling in practically all trades, partly
because the "Shoeslringer" is rapidly be¬
ing eliminated as a factor in metropoli¬
tan construction work and partly .be¬
cause of the movement now being made
to effect a change in the lien law.

But while buying is still retarded, there
is an encouraging inquiry, and this Is
very likely lo increase in volume as it
becomes more and nrore apparent that a
long protracted summer coal strike will
have a direct effect on the production
of building materials in all departments.
Some idea of the present situation as
regards fuel for manutacturing pui-poses
is that West Virginia coal which ordi¬
narily sells in New York for .?2.r)0 a ton
is now bringing if3..50 to old customers.
Speaking of this matter C. J. "ViHttenberg.
of the Pocohontas and New River Coal
Company of West Virginia, with oflices
at  11   Broadway,   said:

"A great demand has been caused
largely by the strike in England, which
is sending over large orders to this coun¬
try. We cannot export much bituminous
coal because of lack of railroad facilities
here. There are now contracts on hand
for 100,000 tons for immediate export and
the   coal   companies   find  cars   lacking."

At the office of the Consolidated Coal
& Timber Co., in the Metropolitan build¬
ing, it was said that the price of this
coal doubtless would continue to advance
Eind that the price of small anthracite
.=izes also will go up. Steam coal in small
sizes, suitable for steaming purposes in
buildings, also is going up. although it
is now being supplied in some instances
at a premium. Stove and egg sizes prob¬
ably will not go u-p for the present at
least.

Even though the strike in England be
shortlived, it is believed that the only
solution ic the problem will be lor the
operator:', tn grant the 'demands of the
men.     If  they   do   that,     it    will    mean





higher prices for fuel to the ultimate
consumer and that, in turn, means higher
cost of finished products. The refusal
of the operators here to meet the demand
Cor 20 per cent, increases in wages, 'has
Us serious portent and, should the mines
close, even temporarily, and reopen only
on condition that the men receive more
wage, the extra cost will redound to the
manufacturer who must, of necessity, ad¬
vance his prices.

Collections are better. The money mar¬
ket Is strenglhening and building loans
are being made, but with conservatism.
The stock taking period in various build¬
ing material manufactories is over and
requisitions, which have been pending,
are now said to be coming out. Distrib¬
utors are looking to Queens borough
as the active center of the day, although
there is a fair market opening up on
the east side between 2.3rd street and
5Uth street for loft, store and some of¬
fice  buildings.

Building material interests were in¬
clined to look with more optiniism upon
tho business future because of the re¬
markable and rather unlooked for recov¬
ery of the stock market during the week,
despite political eomplications and the
impending presidential campaign. The
sharp advance in steel of flve points
earlier in the week, the strengthening of
Reading, Pennsylvania and other rail¬
road securities, together with some in¬
dustrials on the curb, put the whole
huilding supply situation in a better light,
with the possible exception of one or two
departments in which pandemonium still
reigns  owing   to  competitive  intrigues.

Cement.

Porfland cement manufacturers, which
arc large users of bituminous coal were
inclined to believe this week that an
extra n\e cents would have to 'be added
lo their product to cover the increased
cost of fuel. Announcement to this effect
was expected before the flrst of next
week. To shut down the cement mills
would spell something like ruin to many
plants. Interest on very large sums of
invested capital and the disorganization
of their expensive organizations would
prove to be a very serious niatter to
some companies whose only salvation
just now is to keep their plants running
regardless of the cost and as near to full
capacity as possible. This is particu¬
larly true of the Lehigh district although
many of the Hudson River companies
are not much better off than their Le¬
high brethren.

Most of these mills ha\'e tremendous
stocks on hand, not so much from choice
as from necessity. Every possible device
is being employed to sell this material
and every day publicity and advertising
how to use it. is -creating larger and
larger consumption, but even so, the
stocks  on hand  are still  unwieldy.

Quotations by leading companies fluc¬
tuate, but ."pLSS was top. Consumers de¬
siring deliveries in April.should make al¬
lowance, for a five -cent advance..

Brick.

The common briek interests along the
Hudson and-the 'Raritan rivers were ac¬
tively in the coal market this week for
fuel although their season will not be¬
gin, especially in the Hudson River dis¬
trict, until another month. Many of the
plants already have engaged and have
stored supplies of coal in anticipation of
mine trouble. The same is true of front
brick mills in Pennsylvania and the
architectural terra cotta companies in the
Raritan River district. In this depart¬
ment, as in most of cement and other
building materials, it will be the part of
wisdom for consumers of brick to make
their reservations early, and, if possible,
to   stack  for early  building  season  needs.

But fortunately there is a good supply
of common brick in both the I-Iudson and
the Raritan River districts so that panic
conditions need not be feared. It will
be recalled that while October, Novem¬
ber and December were featured by mild
weather conditions during which large
quantities of common brick were used,
all nine ^veeks of this year have been
attended by such extremely cold weather
that laying was out of the question and
consequently the supply on the market
has gone out slowly and the kiln supply
has not been touched.

There is more than enough brick on
hand in tlie sheds for all of New York's
need, not including the largp supplies in
the Raritan River sheds, until the manu¬
facturing season opens, even though the
construction market were firmly active
instead of desultory as it so far has been.

But the fact remains that it Is the part
of wisi^om for architects and others to
make sure of available brick while the
market is at its present level so as to
discount any possible prolonged tie-up at
coal  shipping centers.

Transactions  for  last  week  with com¬





parisons for the corresponding week last
year,   follow:

1912.
Left   over,   open   cargoes,   Feb.   26—8.

Arrived.    Sold.   Covered,

Monday    ...........

Tuesday...........          . .           1

Wednesday........           1

Thursday    .........           2           i

Fridav   ............           2           4

Saturday   ..........           3           3





Total





12





Condition of the market, strengthening.
Prices. $G.75 to S7.25. Wholesale dock,
N. V. Allow for cartage, covering charges
and dealers profit. Raritan rivers, {7
dock. N. Y. Total covered left, 16. Total
open cargoes left. Mar. 2. none.

1011.
Left   over,   open   cargoes.   Feb.   27—-1.

Arrived.   Sold.   Covered.

Mondav    ...........          ..           1

Tuesday   ...........            l

Wednesday........           1           2

Thursday     .........           1           4

Friday    ............             ■ ■              8

Saturday   ..........           1           2





Total





17





Condition of market, dull. Available
covered cargoes, 10. Quotations on cov¬
ered cargoes, $5.50 to 55.G2i^. Open car¬
goes, $5.25 to $5.75. Left over open car¬
goes. March 4. none.

3Ietal».

Building metals face a peculiar prob¬
lem, just now. They are 00 per cent,
filled with orders, on the average, and
yet there is such a scarcity of cars that
few are promising prompt deliveries. Steel
shipments have been fairly regular, but
pig iron is hard to move, tin is stub¬
born and lead and copper are sullen.
Whether the transportation situation will
clear for them remains to be seen. Most
of these interests use flat cars which are
not suitable for coal haulage so that so
far the demand for coal has not seriously
interfered with this department. The
fuel situation also has less influence on
building metals than on many other
building products, because coke is so
largely used in the furnaces, but never¬
theless steel interests expect a general
stiffening in the market when spring
building orders begin to come out in bet¬
ter tone, and they are basing this ex¬
pectation partly on the premium they
may have to pay for coal and partly on
the  inability  to  get  sufficient  cars.

Once again it is well to caution archi¬
tects against delay in filing their specifi¬
cations and even small consumers will
look to their pig-iron supply, especially
those coming from the south.

A high record in flnished products is
eN:pected this month. All the larger kills
are working practically to 90 per cent,
capacity and the Carnegie 'Steel Com¬
pany has formally withdrawn all mini-
mums under l.loc mill. Two of the
strongest independents in the Pittsburgh
district followed the example of the Car¬
negie mills.

The shading of plates and shapes to
the 1.10c level is expected to lessen within
the next fortnight, as the mills manu¬
facturing the heavier tonnage products
are really more comfortably fliled than
they were in the middle of February de¬
spite market reports to the contrary.
Sheets show the most marked shading as
far as finished products are concerned
and there are irregularities of $2 to $3
a ton. Additional idle capacity in sheets
has gone into operation and there are in¬
dications that some of the interests that
have been most active in cutting prices
have about all the low priced business
they want  to  accumulate.

irisc«>llnii(Knis CominoilKicH.

In stone, kalamein, marble, fireproof¬
ing and santl there is little change, save
in the latter. -Sand is coming into the
market in larger quantities, although the
quotations are still stiff and some con¬
sumers are paying premiums for accom¬
modation. The biggest sand companies
are about able to take care of old cus¬
tomers, although some ot them are now
in a position to make accommodations to
newcomers.

There is a good movement in equip¬
ment orders, especially for elevators and
ijoilers. Pumps are also reported to be
in demand to a limited extent. Electrical
appliances are not in as good call as
hoped for at this time of the year, but
there is a good inquiry and the trade
is hopeful. Paints are in a rigid mar¬
ket, with raw materials stiffer than ever
and even fish oil maintained at a firm
level. Linseed is still high and China
wood oil is, if anything, stiffer owing to
the limited available supply. The spring
trade for oils, paints and varnishes is
looming up large. Dampproofing mate¬
rials are reported as active, but roofing
material is sluggish,