658





RECORD   AND   GUIDE





March 30, 1912





BUILDING MATERIALS.





General   Construction   Work   Still Shows
Sluggishness.

Weather, Not Politics, the Reason —Lumber Inter¬
ests Enthuse Over Suggested National Wood Pro¬
ducts Exposition —Iron  Buying Falls OH Sharply.

D USIXESS is Still backward. No sin-
■'-' gle . deparlment in the building
market, with the iiossible exception of
structural sleel, is reporting new busi¬
ness in the volume usually expected on
April 1. The steel mills are fairly well
supplied witb work, but there is some
concern regarding June, July and August
requirements in the metropolitan districi.

Hand to mouth buying Ik the rule
ralher than the exception in tbe paint
market. Retail stocks are moving very
slowly, because alteration work and new
construction operations are being held up
pending settled weather. The wholesale
market is crowded, and the price of raw
materials is still higb. although China
wood oil and linseed have dropped a little
recently.

Common brick is slightly firmer. Front
brick is a little more active. In enamels
there is practically no activity. Fire¬
brick and fireproofing are about the only
active features in the clay products de¬
partment. There is, however, a very def¬
inite movement toward betterment, if in¬
quiries may be relied on, and it is pre¬
sumed that the 1912 brick market will be
active  but late.

There is less purchasing in iron. This
was the most importani feature of the
week's business in the metal department.
Melters were not so keen to cover on
second quarter iron. The furnaces, hov/-
ever were firm, indicating an unmistak¬
able tendency to play safe in anticipation
of coal mine trouble. Copper stiffened
further, quotations now ranging between
1514 to 15^. Tin is easier, although
prices are stiU held firmly to last week's
levels.

Railroad requirements are monopolizing
the structural sleel market. There were
few active prospects in the market this
week, the S,000 ton Stern brothers con¬
tract being one of them and the others
being small loft building jobs requiring
from oOO to 000 tons. Fabricating plants
are not shading prices except for. very de¬
sirable   business'.

Portland cement is in a better market.
Lime is in steadier deniand. and plaster
is active as far as inquiry is concerned.

The proposal to hold a national annual
wood products exposition seems to meet
with the general approval of lumber in¬
terests in and about tbe metropolitan dis¬
trict. Tile genera! verdict would appear
to be an aci^-ptance of the proposition
and most interests say it would be a good
thing for the trade in general.

Boiler Arthur Johnson, editor and pub¬
lisher of the Lumber World Review, has
sent out practically to all lumber inter¬
ests and building material publications,
an appeal, part of which we quote in the
lumber department. There is no doubt
that such an exposition would do a great
deal of good, just as other expositions
devoted to building materials of different
kinds have been beneficial to tbeir re¬
spective departments. Tbe day of lum¬
ber and its uses is still a long one, and
it is a building material that will have to
be reckoned witb by many future genera¬
tions of builders. The day wil! come
when wood as a structural decoratmg
material will be as expensive as fine mar¬
ble is, because it will be as rare, A na¬
tional exposition will do a great deal of
good; all that is needed is that the lum¬
ber people get together, boost and con¬
tribute to the cause of progressiveness.
morally and financially.
Lime.

Lime is one of the strongest factors in
the whole market. The deniand is much
stronger and the prices are firm. But the
character of the cun-ent inquiry is the
most satisfactory factor. The increasing
call for ihe standard grades is largely at-
tribted to the practical application of the
"get-to-gether" principle among lime
manufacturers and to the success of the
educational campaign that is being con¬
ducted with the purpose of stimulating de¬
mand for good serviceable rather than
cheap, shoddy lime.

At a recent meeting .of the N. Y. Lime
Manufacturers Association it was shown
by sales statistics that the 1012 lime
market outlook was very encouraging and
that the "good lime" campaign was mak¬
ing splendid progress.

Rrick.

The last covered barge of briek was
sold last week. leaving_tbe market quota¬
tions, ranging from $6.o0 to .$7. Raritans
are being quoted at $6.25 to $T.





The reopening of navigation dispelled
the last fear that construction interests
here entertained regarding a possible
shortage and open market buying was re¬
sumed in something like seasonable pro¬
portions. In this department, activity is
markedly restricted, because of the large
quantity of stock material that still has
to be disposed of.

Transactions   last   week  with   those  of
the corresponding week last year follow:
1912.
Left over, open list, Mar. 23, 0.
Covered.   3.

Arrived.   Sales.   Covered.

Monday     ............;         0            2            2

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

Wednesday    ..........         5            IJ

Thursday     ...........        1(1            -1

i'Tiday    ..............         U            2

Salurday    ............         2            5

32           14            3

Condition of market, strengthening. Prices.
Hudson. ¥tl.-"0 10 S^T. Raritans, .$(!.25 to SO.T.i.
{Wliolesale, Dock, ,\. Y. Allow for cartage,
and dealers' iirofit.)    Left over, Marcli 25,   18.

IDll.
Left  over,  Mareh  19,  4.

Monday   ........................         T            10

TuesJay    .......................         3              4

Wednesday     ....................         2             "J

Thursday   ......................        20            14

Friday    ........................         0             1

Saturday     ......................         fl              G

41            31

Left  over,   Marcli  26,   ,S.

Prices   on   Hudson   River   common,   $4,75   tO'
-^■^■^.■>,    Raritans, $.j.    Condition  of market active.

There is no change in olher ciay prod¬
ucts departments, save that of steadier
inquiry and a flrmer tone in certain
lines.

Liumber.

The lumber market is strong. Prices
are being held close to list and there is
considerable rough material going into the
suburbs to retailers. Distributors, how¬
ever, are aggressively after new spring
business, but they are not taking it at
the sacrifice of margins. They had enough
of that kind of b uiness last year, but the
weeding out of a iarge number of the un¬
desirable element in the trade during the
last six months has brought aboul a con¬
dition of solidity which the trade in gen-
oral is glad to see.

>i'iitlonnl   \Vooil   Prodncts  Shon   Suggested.

Lumber interests here are being invited
to consider the probable support a na¬
tional wood products exposition would
have. "The Lumber World Review" will
have tbis to say of the project in its next
issue:

"A wood products exposition in this
country is imminent. It is in the atmos¬
phere. It is necessary. It seems inevit¬
able, and it does not at this moment
seem that there can be urged a single
objection to such a movement by any
member of the lumber press or any manu¬
facturer or retailer of lumber or user of
wood.

"This proposition is larger than any
one lumber trade newspaper, than any
one lumberman or set of lumbermen,
than any one state or any one locality
in any state.

"Already five hundred letters have
lieen sent lo five hundred lumbermen in
tbis country asking them what they think
about   it.

"Here in Chicago, where the "Annual
Cenient Show" advances the interest of
that material so remarkably each year
and where the "Clay Products Exposi¬
tion" has just held its first grand meet,
it wiii not be difficult to convince anybody
in interest that a building .woods expo¬
sition  must   be  inaugurated.

" 'The Lumber World Review' is formu¬
lating a statement concerning this propo¬
sition in conneclion with the 'Clay Work¬
ers' Exposition.' which will be forward¬
ed, when secured, to anyone who ex¬
presses a desire to know the result of
that exposition, and is now in possession
of valuable data in regard to the various
cement shows that have been held in this
country.

"The possibilities of a forest products
exposition are so much greater than that
which have or could be organized to
exploit any other building material that
all the cenient shows and clay workers
sliuws rolled into one and shaken up with
the other types and varieties of exposi¬
tions that have been held in this country
since the great White City made exposi¬
tions popular, that there could be no
comparison as to the beauty, interest and
public value  of such an exposition.

"If you would like to see this thing
accomplished, say so. If you do not
want to see it accomplished, say so, and
in each case be good enough to give your
reasons.

" 'The Lumber World Re\'iew' expects to
have detailed plans made of this affair
and to keep hammering this proposition
into   the   ears   of   the  lumber  world   until





the movement crystallizes into a show
which will help to right many of the
wrongs that have been forced upon lum¬
ber interests by their lack of enterprise in
matters of exploitation and to set the
trade straight with the great building ma¬
terial consuming population of this and
olher countries."

MetalH.

A decrease in activity in the iron
market was the feature of the metals
market   this    week.        Metiers    are    less

anxious to contract for second half de¬
liveries and there is a falling off in de¬
mand for even second quarter iron. Fur¬
naces, however, remain firm, indicating
that the tendency is largely governed by
the prospective coal strike. Bar iron is
quiet, but steady at l.IOc mill with a
range of 1.15c. which brings tidewater
quotations up to 1.20c@1.2k>c on common
bars. Refined and double refined bars are
held at 10 cents premium. First half
qtiotaUons on Xo. 1 X Foundrv Xorthern
are lo.25@15.75; 14.7o@15.25 for No. 2 X
Foundry Xorthern; 16@l(i.50 for Xo. 1
Virginia foundry, and 15.251415.50 Foun¬
dry   Southern.

Copper further advanced this week.
Small consumers are buying heavily for
May and June shipment and are paying
higher prices. Quotations on Wednesday
ran to 15yic. cash, or 15%c. delivered
thirty days for May and June shipment,
but cn Thursday the quotations were 15^^
on nearly all business, with the new level
firmly sustained.

Tin is firmer and easier. Otterings by
operators are freer as a result of the
smaller demand  from consumers.

Structural steel business is running
mostly to bridges. The West was more
active this week than the East as far as
contract were concerned, but there is a
very encouraging inquiry. The architects
of the Grand Central Hotel say they will
have plans ready for figures by the first
of May. The active feaiures'of the steel
market as far as local requirements are
concerned were the Sterns store operation
in 42d slreet. which will require about
S.OOO tons, and several small West Side
operations-     Quotations  are  unchanged.

Paints.

The paint and oil market is showing
seasonable activity in spots. The absence
of good outside painting weather is still
restraining orders, but there is a fair
amount of interior work now being done
by painters and decorators.

Linseed oil is quoted at 72 and 73 cents
for city raw, American seed with out of
town Ta.-w. American at 71 and i2 cents.
China w{iod oil is now quoted at 11 and
13 cents, but the level is only temporary.

Stone.

The general stone market continues to
gain strength. Prices are still firm for
granite and limestone. Blue stone is be¬
ing shaded in spots, due to a supply
somevv'hat  greater  than  normal.

Crushed stone is coming in in larger
quantities since the Hudson has been re¬
opened lo navigation. The new ship¬
ments are aiTiving just in time as
weather conditions are more conducive to
-outside concrete construction work. Quo¬
tations run from S5 cents to 05 cents for
1^ in. sizes, 110 cents for three-quarter in.
sizes, with here and there dollar business.
Screenings bring a dollar fiat, where 500
or more cu. yards are bought at a time.

Snnd.

Sand is still in very .heavy deniand
here, although prices are still pretty
firmly held at 45 cents. In fact, it waa
stated this week that there is little likeli¬
hood of quotations dropping very much
below that figure because of the large
amount of work that must go ahea.d at
once as a result of protracted delay in
building and surface construction work
due to severe weather conditions earlier in
the   year.     Gravel  is  slightly  firmer.





Emergency Lights in the Subway.

The Public Service Commission has
issued an order to the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company, which operates the X'ew
York Subway, to install an emergency
liglit ing system in all cars operated in
the subway. These cars are lighted with
electric lamps, the current for which is
supplied by the same cables which furnish
power to the motors. In emergencies due
to accidents or other causes the power
current is sometimes suddenly shut off
and this leaves the trains affected in
darkness. The emergency system will
furnish a certain number of lamps in each
car whicii will be supplied by current in¬
dependent of the power cables, either by
storage battery or other device, and will
be so adjusted that when the ordinarj-
laiiips go out the emergency lamps will
at once automatically come into service.