July 26, 1913





RECORD   AND   GUIDE





173





BUILDING  MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES





TENDENCY TOWARD LOWER PRICES IN MANY LINES NOTED
BECAUSE    MONEY    IS    TIGHT    AT    PRODUCING    CENTERS.





Lumber Jobbers Held Responsible for
Strict Adherence to List Quotations.





.''IIIIMHIIIIII





BIBIililK





PRACTICALLY every line of build¬
ing material used in the Metropol¬
itan district has shown a tendency
toward lower prices within the last ten
days. The reason for this change lies
in the fact that builders have had a
chance to scrutinize the new Building
Code, and most of them believe that if
the code goes through with a few minor
changes that it will not seriously in¬
crease the cost of construction.

They therefore intend to stimulate
construction as far as a tight money
market will permit.

In the brick market there was a little
firmer tone in demand, resulting in a
slight stiffening in prices, although this
was not general enough to warrant a
quotation on the wholesale market high¬
er than $7. The low range is $6.75 for
Hudson river common brick.and $6.50
to $6.75 for Raritan river brick in this
market. The storage capacities of many
North River yards are severely taxed
and dealers are reticent.

Oils and paints reflect the improved
tone in the finishing department of
building construction. In the varnish
market the steady prices of gums, oils
and vehicles have had a tendency to
keep prices to the consumer down, but
the volume of business being done at
present is exceptionally heavy for this
time of the year, considering the slump
in the volume of building construction
under way. Linseed, oil in the New
York market was without change this
week.

Lumber is in a tight market and
wholly in jobbers' hands. There seems
to be a well authenticated belief that
the wholesalers in some lines have over-
cut and are willing to have the con¬
suming market stimulated. This is borne
out by the announcement that a 50 to 75
cent drop in vessel rates to New York
took place recently, but the list of prices
to consumers is rigidly adhered to by
the jobbers here, despite the fact that
buying is timid. The wholesale prices
of lath, for instance, run from $4 to
$4.50, with the chief level at $4.25. Re¬
tailers contend that a fair price for this
material today would be about $4 as
the chief level. All hardwoods are firm,
because in this department mill supplies
have been contracted as far ahead as
December and all the dried stocks have
been  spoken  for.

If money continues as tight as it is at
the present time for another thirty days
building material prices will drop notice¬
ably for cash business. A change in the
price of cement is looked for by deal¬
ers, although wholesalers declare that
the price of $1.58 will be maintained as
long as present volume of construction
work holds.

Large orders are being taken by big
companies like the Republic Steel &
Iron Company, the United States Steel
Corporation, most of the big paint com¬
panies, hardware manufacturers, varnish
producers and some cement manufac¬
turers. Most of this business is on ex¬
tended credits and long term deliveries,
but it is sufficient to keep mills going,
and, as long as mills are operating, the
commercial fabric cannot seriously be
rent.





IIKICK   V VKDS   CHUCK-A-BLOCK.
Slaek   Loral   Market   May   Result   in   Cur¬
tailment of Moulding  Vp  River.

D RICK MANUFACTURERS in the Hudson
'~' River are considering the plan to restrict
moulding because storage capacities are Hear¬
ing their limit. One large producer had room
tor only three more arches on Tuesday. He
doubled-up his hacking capacity and provided
tempDrary room by shipping a boatload or two,
but with the local market continuing sick he
said he would soon have to stop mouding. This
is said to be the problem of a number of pro¬
ducers. Dealers are buying only for imme¬
diate needs and only when money is in sight.
.\ manufacturer ot halt a century's experience
said he never knew the market for brick to be
so dull.    Prices are weaker.

OffifHcial transactions covering the week end¬
ing Thursday evening, July 24, with compari¬
sons for the corresponding period last year,
follow:

1913.
Lett over,  Friday A. M., July 18, 71.

Arrived.          Sold.

Friday. July 18................. lu                 7

Saturday,   July   10..............    4                 0

Monday,   July   21...............  15               10

Tuesday,   July   22...............    4                 8

Wednesday,   Julv   23............  10                 3

Thursday,  July  24..............  11                 6

■Total   ........................ 54               S4

Reported enroute, Friday A. M.. July 25 7.
Condition ot m.irket, dull. Prices, Hudsons.
.$6.10 to .$6.00, with onlv a few specia, selects
reaching .$7. Raritans, .$Q..50 to $6.75. (Whole¬
sale, dock, N. Y. For dealers prices, add profit
and cartage.) Newark (yard), S8.2o. Left over.
Friday, July 23, 91,

1012.
Left over, Friday, July 19. 0.

Arrived.          Sold.

Friday, Julv 19................    6                 6

Saturday.   July   20..............    6                 5

Monday,   July   22...............  15               !■)

Tuesday,    July   23..............    5                 §

Wednesday.   July   24............  11               n

Thursday,  July 2.3..............    9               iQ

Total   ,....................... i7           iJ

Condition  of  market,  easy.     Prices,   Hudsons

$1   to .$------.    Raritans, $6.75 to $7.    Left over,

Friday, July 20. 5.

OFFICI\L SUMMARY.

Lett   over,   Jan.   1,   1013...................   113

Total   .N'o.   barge   loads   arrived,   including

left overs Jan. 1 to July 25...........    1174

Total   No.   bargeloads  sold,   Jan.   1  to  Juiy

25......................................J 083

Total   No.   barge   loads   left   over,   Friday

A.   M.,   July   23.......................■;      m

Total No. barge loads left oyer Jan. 1, 1012'. 71
Total No. barge loads arrived, including left

overs,  Jan.   1  to  July  2H,  1912..........1117

Total  No.  barge  loads  sold  Jan.   1  to  juiy

-6.....................................   Ill''

Total   No.   barge   loads   left   over.   Friday

A.   M.,   July   2G.......................       5

CORRECTION    IIV    KAHN    STANDARDS.

Mi.sprint    in    Latest    Bulletin.s    May    Con-
fu-se  EstimatorM.





P STIMATORS figuring on reinforced concrete
'-' work in this city and vicinity are advis»d
by the Trussed Concrete Steel Companv. of 23
East 2Hth street, that on page 116 of the latest
issue ot "Kahn System Standarr's" the heading
.should be chan'?ed to read : "Safe Loads in
Thousands ot Poun-is" instead of "Sqfe Loads
in Hundreds of Pound's," This corr-ction is
emphasized because ot the confusion that might
result from the typographical error in the es¬
timating  department  of   architects'   offices.

L,U:»IBER    DE\L,ERS'    STOCKS    LO^V.

A   Survey   of   tlie   Priee   Situation   in   the

AVIiolesale  Harket.

PRACTICALLY every retail lumber va-'d In
the met'*opoliton di^tri-t his wn-k^d -'ts
stock dnwn c'cse to the piling skids whi'-h ac-
rourts for t^e stiffn'"ss in eerf^^n lines in the
wholrs'^le merket at present. H^miooV v.'.or'is
fretn Pennsvlv^nii fre verv fi'-m nt !':24 "0 f"r
New 3'ork pnd vi^initv. Nnrth Carnlin-i o'ne,
however, still is unsettled nw'n? to pr-ssu-e
upon mill men to quickly sell stocks thev have
cut. Yellow pipe, 'n a'l erqr'es on'' s'z^s Is
dull w'th mill cenditioTis vrv mu"h Ike Ca^-o-
lina P'pe. Tone l"of from G^nreia, Flori-la J>nd
tlie tru'f and ^rkonsss shert leof er" na-ti-u-
l^riv btird'^n'^erne 'a-t'^'-s in the niMl m-^^-v-ts
iust now so thot oriees iiere a^-o ir-e?ii'„i. p^-tlv
breeu=:e of a d-ep of 50 to 75 cfnts in vessel
rat°s to th's port.
W'l^-'te pino  c^n  be hoimht  only  at r=t n-i"es

so     th^^t     ren''Um'''*s     shenid     pef     p.'noct     l»*^e-ql

coneeccjops in th'S ff-o''e. CoTT'd'on shippers
are   J''«:o   bel.'i'po^   to   stri'-t   li^^t   pri.>os.

T Pth. per^-ans, is tho mpst np^'-ttl-'d h^-'^nch
of the wl^eleonle mirket. W''-'-=ol6 nri-es
ren-'e a'l t^" ^-^y f-ijm .$t to .$4 "fl. w'th the
chief level fi.2'. The top pr'ce on th^se quo¬
tations is for reloading cargoes from vessel for





delivery   into   the   interior   points   in   the   dis¬
trict.

All hardwoods are firm, hence consumers
must e.\peLt to pay list p.ices. Practically all
ury stocKS are under contract at tue mills and
orcers have been booked to take care of de-
■ iver.es running as late as November. There
has been no change in local list prices for
hardwooas auring tne recent slump in the lum¬
ber market.





PAINTS    IN     BETTER    DEMAND.

Varnish   Trade   .\ctive—Linseed   Oil   Firm

—Current   Prices.





QILS and paints are reflecting the improved
^-^ tone in the finishing department of builaing
construction This incudes concrete dressings
waterproofing compounds and varnish. In toe
latter market the steady prices ot gums oils
and vehic.es have had a tendency to keep prices
to the consumer down, but the volume of busi¬
ness taken is said to be exceptional for mis
time ot the year, considering the general de¬
pression in  construction work.

Paints are said to be in better demand than
last year, probably because there is an increas¬
ing activity in alteration work. White lead in
0.1 in 100, 20J and 5U0 lb. kegs is 7'4 and 7V4
cents per lb.; in 25 and 30 lb, kegs, 1% cents
and red lead and litharge in 100 lb. kegs is 7
and 7% cents. Lamp b.ack is now quoted at 1>
to 14 cents; Chinese blue at 3li to 40 cents-
Prussian blue at a2 to 30 cents; Van Dyke
brown, 11 and 14 cents; chrome green at 1'
and 10 cents; raw or burnt sienna, 12 and 15
certs, and raw or burnt Umber at 11 to 14
cents. Local jobbers are quoting 40 and 40i4
cents for turpentine, which is said to be in
much better demand.

Linseed oil, which has a direct hearing upon
the current price of paints, some concrete dress¬
ings, waterproofing and varnishes, is steady at
the new level of 40 and 50 cents for city raw
American seed.





LINSEED   OIL   FIRM.
Fla.\.seed   Price.s   .Moved   Up   Slightly__Lu¬
bricants On Easy Call.

T HE linseed oil market, which has a very
close bearing upon the stability of the
paint, concrete coating and damp and water-
prooBng, IS steady at present, with prices run¬
ning from 40 to 50 cents lor city raw Amer can
seed, but tbe price of flaxseed showed a tend¬
ency at Duluth to move up on Monday, Tues¬
day and Wednesday, owing partly to the heavy
demand and low Government crop estimate
with the result that the market stiffened con¬
siderably among paint interests, and the de¬
mand   for  linseed   oil   increased   sharply.

Any protracted rise in the price of seed will
at once affect the oil market and, since prac¬
tically every paint ingredient is now higher
than It was two years ago, it was said this
week that any further advance in linseed oil
will result in a change in paint lists upward.

SOFT    COAL    PRICES    FIRMER.

Supply   Not   Likely   To   Overtake   Demand

—-Anthracite   Requirements   Lii^ht.

■T HE New York coal market is divided. Soft
coal prices are firm and the demand is
such as to promise little chance of the supply
overtaking it. The heavy stacking and reserva¬
tions made by bui.din? managers early in the
season is responsibe for the exaggerated lull
just now for anthracite in the consuming
market. Some of the mines are storing, and
most of the larger companies are working their
plants to full capacity, although here and there
plants have shut down ostensibly to make re¬
pairs. The fact that anthracite stocking has
been delayed until now will tend to reduce
the amount of id.e time at the mines this
month and next, so that scheduled sh.pments
will  go ahead.

There is little prospect of supply overtaking
demand in the soft coal department in the
near future, since labor is no more plentiful
than it has been and the car shortage is sure
to become a factor as the crop moving period
draws near. Managers who have not yet made
their reservations should not defer action much
longer.





SLATE    COMPANY-    E.XPANDS.

E.   J.   Johnson   Iluys   Nert-   (Quarry   at

Pen   .\rayl.   Pa.

P J. JOHNSON, the slate operator of S8
^' Park row, has purchased the new slate
quarry at Pen Arsiyl. Pa., from whi-h he will
produce black roofing slate, structural slote and
slat' bla-kboards for schools and institutions.
This makes the fourth quarry now operated
by this house, which has for years specialized
on black,  purp.e,  green  and red slate.





GRANITE     SITU.VTION     PUZZLING.

Movement    Said   to   He   on   Foot   to   Have

Much    Cutting    Done   at   Quarries.





p RANITE interests in this city came Into
^^ the market with more confidence this week
because of the settlement of the qu^sfons at
is^ue between the ccnt"?ctors and the cutters,
althcu'-h buvirg was n"ither active nor general.
The chief sien of imprcvement was noted in
inoui'-v and in this eenn^-^t'en a tendency rather
out of the ordinary developed.

Under the new arran^^^mert the cutt''rs will
receive S5 a day for yar' worlt an! $5,.''iO a day
en b'lild'rsrs. QuTry 'nterests who have re¬
ceived inoui'-ies during the iast week rp'^rt
thet marv bu^rs are desiTus of hoving the
granite eut et th" nuor-y where the wageg will
r'main .$"^.2.'5. Many of the stone m'^n in this
e'tv believe thet th's cannot UT-an a general
t'-n''eT>cv be"ause it 's net D-aeti"able to heve
all the stone rut at the quarrie-s for a city like
New "^'ork for the re.oson that nil quarries havo
ret the eouipm-nt to meet the requirements
that   a   normal   stone  year  demands.