December 6,  1902.





RECORD AND   GUIDE





845







naterial Market.

COAL.

Five dollars a ton wholesale—if you can get any.

It is difficult to convict the party who is responsible for certain
things that are irritating in the matter of anthracite coal. The
consumers look askance at the coal-yard proprietors, who in
turn decry the speculators, who thereupon indict the companies,
and so on around. A citizen who this week approached the firm
that acts as selling agents for one of the largest coal roads, and
asked a civil tiuestion concerning the situation, was of the opinion
that he was in the presence of the real Essence. He continued
to think so after having been pleasantly informed that the repre¬
sentative of the great corporation had nothing to say. The policy
of silence had been enthroned. It reigned throughout the great
building, over all the big and little companies, and the big and
little jobbers and agents.

With the advent of "coal" weather the public anxiety increases.
The railroad companies will sell coal for $5 a ton. wholesale, but
the total delivery falls far short of the requirement. Most of
the roads are shipping their coal northward and westward. The
Erie is loading about one hundred canal boats daily at Newburgh,
its principal tide-water shipping point. Nearly all go north and
west through the canals, and the principal delivery will continue
in those directions until the close of navigation. New Tork can
be supplied as well at one time as another, and the preference
must, therefore, for the time being, be given to distant com¬
munities.

"Coal arrives here only in small and irregular quantities," re¬
marked one wholesale dealer. "Some dealers are asking only
$6.50 for domestic sizes, but this favor is extended only to old
customers. Some dealers, indeed, are actually selling coal at a
loss. When a dealer can get a shipment it is by buying outside
and paying the price, which may range from seven to nine dol¬
lars. We hear of combination at the expense of the public, but
you cannot prove it. It will be several months before New York
gets back to normal conditions. For one thing, coal is not yet
being mined at its former rate. The effects of the long strike
have not all passed."

The retail prices of coal were given on Tuesday as $7-50 for
pea and $8.50 for domestic sizes, by a dealer whose yard is on
the Harlem Hiver. "Hardly any straight coal is coming Into
New Tork," he said. "We have to get it from speculators, and
only limited quantities at any price." Some families are obliged
to pay higher prices than these, depending on location.

The conditions favor those who take every opportunity to en¬
force abnormal profits. That some part of Lhe profit represented
by the difference between $5 and $8.50 or $10 is chargable to or¬
ganization, must be believed. The coal business is organized all
the way through, from the bowels of the mine up to the coal-hole
in the consumer's sidewalk. It would be curious to know how
many profits we must pay before it can be shoveled Into
our furnace. There is excellent authority for saying that the
original cost of a ton at the mine ready for shipment is not more
than one dollar. But some dealers are more feeling than others.
In some towns it has been a matter of honor with the sellers not
to  take a penny more  than the usual profit.

BRICKS.

The week has brought no improvement, according to the pro¬
ducers' observations. Prices are kept low by heavy receipts,
which exceed the requirement largely. But most of the product
of the Upper Hudson will all be in this week. Owners will hardly
risk their boats out after December 10th. This refers to the
manufacturers situated north of Rondout. Many yards have
their stock nearly depleted. Since coal has been obtainable they
have been burning and shipping furiously. A month ago it was
apprehended that the spring marltet wouid be crushed with an
over-supply. But the indications are that, while it may not be in
high spirits, it will by no means be flattened out.

The close of navigation no longer works a complete transfor¬
mation in the brick market. New York can get a supply at any
season, the Haverstraw yards never being beyond the reach of
powerful tugs. Besides, city dealers have millions in stock, and
boatloads will be at the piers through the winter.

Brick-makers do not expect that the construction of the Hud¬
son River tunnel wi!! be any windfall for them. The modern en-
gineer has a prejudice against bricks, the manufacturers of them
believe. Steel and concrete will be the chief materials used in
the construction in all probability. But no one can make a
brickmaker believe that bricks are not the best material in the
world for tunnels.

ROOFING TIN.

The reduction in price ordered by the American Tin Plate Com¬
pany for goods shipped on or after December first, has not yet
been felt in this market.   Certainly none of these goods can arrive





before the'fifteenth, and it will be well along toward the latter
part of December, or even the flrst of January, before store stocks
will acknowledge the new standard of value.

CEMENT.
Winter is upon us and the building trades feel its detaining
hands. While orders for present use have fallen off this week,
there are others still unfilled, and there is heavy buying, espe¬
cially of Rosendale, for stock, in anticipation of the close of
navigation and an increase of price in consequence of larger
transportation rates. Winter makes but little difference in the
shipment possibilities of domestic Portland, as a large share of
the production comes by rail anyway. The imports of the Ger¬
man continue in comparatively large quantities. No changes
are necessary in the quotations for immediate delivery of domes¬
tic Portland, but it is understood that bids at a discount are be¬
ing accepted for delivery at indefinite dates.

The domestic cement men look back upon the season of 1902
with almost perfect satisfaction. The conditions for their busi¬
ness have been ideal. The hare has always kept ahead of the
hounds, and there will be no killing at the end of the run. The
public have also been exceptionally well dealt with throughout.
Prices have been only fair. The advance over five years ago has
been scarcely 10 per cent., which is very fully represented by
increased cost of production. The profits of the manufacturers
have come from fhe great volume of business rather than from
the larger price. It must be admitted, however, that foreign
brands have performed an important function in behalf of
American consumers during the whole course of the season.
They have been undeniably Instrumental In preserving the equib-
brium.

The prospects are for another year fully as busy as this. The
work on the subway will be continued, and the railroads of the
country at large will use even a greater quantity than they
have during 1902. Many of them are rebuilding bridge abut¬
ments so as to bear heavier traffic. The elaborate flreproofing
of modern structures of bulk in cities and the infinitude of new
uses for cement all predict a heavy requirement. And it may
be hoped that the Pennsylvania tunnel under the Hudson will
be another large receptacle for cement before the close of another
year.

Concrete building, long crude and cumbersome, is rapidly
under modern patronage and skill becoming a simple operation.
Houses are now being constructed In some towns of moulded
blocks of concrete. The blocks are colored or ornamental when
desired for special work, and ordinarily present a rich and sub¬
stantial appearance. With the newest invention there Is no need
to back up the blocks with bricks, at least not in small struc¬
tures. It is positively asserted that there is no danger of build¬
ing too high with them, and that under test at the New York
University a specimen block stood the teat necessary to sustain
a wall of such blocks thirteen hundred feet high before the
lower course would be crushed. The blocks are made with one-
third of the interior space open. The hollow space affords facili¬
ties for inserting gas and water pipes, electric wires, speal^lng
tubes and ventilators. Cheapness of cost of construction, with
handsome appearance. Is the comprehensive claim for all such
blocks.

The blocks are moulded on a machine at tbe rate of two hun¬
dred a day of ten hours.   They cost to manufacture from 18 to 22
cents each, and commonly measure 9x10x32 inches each.
IRON AND STEEL.

There is indeed a change in the wind when pig Iron drops
as far as it has this week. Notwithstanding that it is officially
said that the call for iron and steel and wire and tin plate is
larger now than at any time during the year, yet this recession
in values has occurred. It is not believed that prosperity is
leaving. A more probable explanation is that prices reached such
a height that consumers simply called a halt. Orders, of course,
are far in advance, but It is significant that premiums for spot
iron and premiums for special deliveries of manufactured prod¬
ucts are diminishing.

The general tendency of iron and steel prices is at the mo¬
ment downward. In nearly all the items entering into building
construction, under this head, values have either turned or are
stationary. There has simply been an awakening to the fact
that they were advancing beyond the ability of the public to
buy. In builders' hardware a descent to a lower level is only a
question of time. In structural steel prices are getting scat¬
tered. Premiums are not so large or 30 easily exacted. If there
could be an assurance that quotations would recede still farther,
there would be no question about building activity next season.
Some independent mills will now accept easy orders for delivery
in sixty days at official prices. The demands for small lots
from local Stocks have fallen off considerably, which, however,
is attributable to the season principally.