November 18, 1916





RECORD   AND   GUIDE





707







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H




CURRENT    BUILDING




OPERATIONS,    1





1




MATERIALS    AND




SUPPLIES               1





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"T^HE compelling influences now press-
^ ing most heavily against the build¬
ing material markets are the ascending
price of coal, the car shortage and the
paucity and high cost of labor, all three
being the direct consequence of the war
in Europe and its extraordinary demands
upon  American   industry.

.A.S these adverse circumstances have
not on the whole checked the demand
for materials, though they have caused
the postponement of speculative opera¬
tions in numerous cases, their present
effect is seen in the continued advance
in the quotations of nearly all the ma¬
terials entering into the composition of
buildings. This has been a week of ris¬
ing prices. The skyrocketing of coal,
the latest economic phenomenon, has
forced up the cost of various commod¬
ities, especially cement, which through
all the excitement hitherto had adhered
to  a  comparatively  low  valuation.

This is the serious aspect for the build¬
ing trades of the coal crisis—the effect it
is having upon the cost of those mate¬
rials in the manufacture of which coal
is largely required. With soft coal five
and si.x times higher than normal for
some grades, the manufacturers most af¬
fected have but one recourse, and that
is to  raise their quotations.

Apparently there is no height that
the coal market may not scale before
midwinter for consumers depending on
the open market and not covered by con¬
tracts. Scarcity of cars and boats is re¬
sponsible for part of the insufficient sup¬
ply, but the principal difficulty which
the coal companies allege they have to
contend with is the shortage of labor
at the mines. But the authorities who
are investigatin? the market are not
convinced that the causes of the panic
are entirely natural. Hard coal prices
were put back from as high as $13 a
ton to as low as $8.75 at the close of last
week, but the bituminous grades have
since risen in some cases to $7 a ton at
the mines. Mills which formerly could
buy culm coal at as low as 80 cents, and
even 60 cents, a ton, and now have to
pay $6.00, have a formidable problem, be¬
fore  them.

The car shortage which hinders
prompt deliveries is the worst the coun¬
try has seen in nine years. Fear of even
a more serious situation and a desire
to take measures to avert it brought to¬
gether at a conference this week in this
city one hundred railroad presidents and
other officials. United with the car
shorta.ge is the inadequate supply of
lightering boats and ocean-going vessels.
Both barges and steamers command ex¬
traordinary charter fees, which have
added to the cost of all materials com¬





ing to market by water. The labor dif¬
ficulties complained of by manufacturers
mostly relate to common labor, biit the
skilled mechanical trades are also well
employed.

Furthermore, they have the promise
of good employment during the winter.
Secretary Tompkins of the Building
Trades Council estimates the percentage
of employment in the unions affiliated
with that body at 90 per cent. Some
contractors are short of mechanics, and
other cities are applying to New York
for journeymen. Even the steel erectors,
who might be expected to lack work,
owing to the delayed deliveries of mate¬
rial and postponed operations, are kept
well employed by New York contractors,
if not on city jobs then on outside work.

A noteworthy fact in connection with
the current work that is keeping the steel
erectors and some other trades very busy,
if that it is largely outside the city limits
—in the surroundin,g industrial towns and
more distant places. Reports to the
Record and Guide of contract lettings
from week to week are more numerous
from the adjacent territory than from
the city proper. Still, city work is stead¬
ily growing in importance, numerically
and   otherwise.

Further price advances were announced
this week in brick, cen-.ent, plaster, lin¬
seed oil, builders' hardware, pig iron,
copper and its products, cast-iron pipe,
tin plate and reinforcing bars. Recent¬
ly spurts in prices have rather animated
than deterred buyers. But some manu¬
facturers of building materials are ex¬
pressing the fear that the rising costs
of production, or else inability to get
their raw materials promptly, will cause
them to shut down. The situation in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania districts,
where the cement, brick, tile and other
manufacturers have to contend with the
high wages paid by munition factories, is
said  to be a serious one.

Already tlie incidents of election week
seem to have been forgotten by the buy¬
ers of structural steel, as a larger number
of orders than is usual for a weekly
quota is reported to have been booked
by local fabricators.

In the case of many steel and iron
products the mills are sold up as far
ahead as they care to sell, and prices
become less well defined as manufactur¬
ers become more conservative. The
American Sheet and Tin Plate Co. has
withdrawn from the tin plate market on
account of being well sold up. Pig iron
is advancing on an average of $1.50 to
$2 a ton each week. The steel market
is not likely to be any different on ac¬
count of the national election verdict, so
long as the war continues in Europe at
least.





Brick.—With onlv one more trip prob¬
able for up-river brick barges to this
city before navigation closes, under av¬
erage weather conditions, city dealers
are hastenine to cover their winter re¬
quirements. The present week made the
record of 53 cargoes of North River
brick sold to dealers, the largest weekly
number for the season thus far. The
arrivals numbered 56. The shorta.ge of
labor at the works limits the number of
barges that ran be loaded, and prevents
the  market from  being oversupplied.

Hudson River brick is being taken
about as fast as it can lie shipped. The
Raritan brick manufacturers are out of
the market entirely, and the Hudson
River works are the onlv source of sup¬
ply. Dealers are thus forced to fill their
current and prospective requirements on
a rising market. Prices advanced this
week from a minimum of $8.25 a thou¬
sand to $8.50, with $8.75 as the top price.

SUMMARY.—Transactions in the North River
brick market for the week ending November 17,
1916;





Condition ot market: Demand good, prices
higher. Quotations: Hudson Rivers, $8.50 to
$8.75, to dealers in cargo lots alongside dock.
Number ot cargoes left over from last week, 3 ;
arrived, 5<;; sold, ,53. Distribution: Manhat¬
tan, 19; Brooklyn, 21; Bronx. 1 ; New Jersey
points, 8; Astoria, 1 ; Portchester, 1; Bridge¬
port, Ct., 2.   Left over Friday, November 17, 6.

Cement.—Under the compulsion of the
rising costs of manufacturing, and espe¬
cially the extraordinary advance in coal
prices, the open market quotations on
Portland cement were raised ten cents
a barrel more on Monday in the whole¬
sale market. The oresent quotations
from manufacturers to dealers and con¬
tractors are $1.87 and $1.92. in SOO-bar-
rel lots, alongside the wharf. This is
an advance of 20 cents a barrel within
the past month.

Trade reports state that, as most
dealers are now covered by term con¬
tracts, they will not be affected by the
higher prices. Some firms are said to
have contracted for sufficient supplies
to last them well into the coming year.
Manufacturers   state   that   the   coal  and





labor situations have reached a serious
point, and that the restricted transporta¬
tion facilities are still another problem.
Rumors of possible shut-downs cannot
be verified. Demand is gradually ex¬
panding, but production is restricted by
the labor shortage. The quotations for
Rosendale are unchanged at 90 cents a
barrel, wholesale, with the usual rebates
for bags returned. Pacific Coast cement
manufacturers are no\v allowing only
7'/2 cents each for bags returned, in¬
stead of 10 cents, as formerly. The lo¬
cal rebate for bags returned continues!
to be  10 cents.

Gypsum Products.—Increased manu¬
facturing costs have forced further ad¬
vances in the quotations to dealers for
plaster, plaster boards and blocks. Ma¬
sons' finishing plaster is bringing $15
a ton in bags, with the usual rebates
for bags returned. Dry mortar in bags
is bringing $6.75 to $7.25 a ton, or 25
cents more than the previous quotation.

Nearly all the constituent elements
entering into the cost of manufacturing
gypsum products have been in the
ascending scale of late—including labor,
coal, ocean transportation for the pri¬
mary material and even the paper used
in making plaster boards. Demand has
increased to normal proportions, but
production is restricted by the insuffi¬
ciency of labor and deliveries hampered
by car shortages.

Iron and Steel.—The week following
election has brought out a larger num¬
ber of contracts for structural steel con¬
struction than any week has seen in a
long period. But, while the lettings are
more numerous, the new inquiries have
been fewer this week. By far the larger
share of the new contracts is for indus¬
trial plants in tlie surrounding towns and
cities. The fear of still higher prices
is evidently bringing out orders from
general building contractors obligated to
go ahead.

A few of the more important local
contracts  are  here  indicated.

The American Bridge Company has
booked an order for 900 tons of steel
for a Loew theatre in 125th street. The
Hinkle Iron Works has booked a con¬
tract for 850 tons of steel work for the
Rodin Studios apartment house at S7th
street and Seventh avenue, and 800 tons
for the Mayer apartment house at West
End avenue and 92d street. George A.
Just Co. will fabricate 100 tons of steel
for the Pine Hill Crystal Water Com.¬
pany garage at 544 West 3Sth street.
The Passaic Structural Steel Coinpany
has taken the contract for the McLaugh¬
lin apartment house at Broadway and
105th street, requiring 900 tons of steel
shapes. The McClintic-Marshall Com¬
pany has been awarded 1,200 tons for
the Joseph Dixon Crucible plant in Jer¬
sey City. The Phoenix Brid.ge Coinpany
is to furnish the 1,200 tons for the Jer¬
sey Central station at Newark.

Other awards embrace 2,200 tons for
the Broad No. 2 telephone exchange t'>
Eidlitz & Ross; 600 tons for the Kenyon
pier, Brooklyn, to Post & McCord; 400
tons for tlie Kings County Court House
to   the   Guerber   Engineering   Company.

Cast iron pipe makers have advanced
tlieir quotations $5 a ton, six, ei.ght and
ten-inch pipe being quoted at $36 a ton,
foundry, while twelve-inch pipe has been
Dut to $35 a ton. Four-inch pipe has
been moved up to $39. Gas pipe and
Class .\ pipe still command $1 over the
prices given for tlie various sizes.

Electrical Supplies.—The manufactur¬
ers of electrical equipment are reported
to be so over-supplied with orders and
deliveries so much delayed that jobbers
see little use in soliciting new business
until the congestion is reduced. Prices
for all kinds of supplies are above nor¬
mal.





RECORD  AND  GTJIDE  QUOTATIONS  ARB  ACCEPTED   AS   OFFICIAL.   BY   BUILDING  MATBRIAX   EXCHANGES.