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Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 30, no. 752: August 12, 1882
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Real Estate Record AND BUILDERS' GUIDE. YoL. XXX. NEW TOEK, SATUEDAT, AUGUST 12, 1882. ^-. 752 Published Weekly by The Real Estate Record Association TEEMS: OSE YEAR, in advance ----- $6.00 Communications should be addressed to C. W. SWEET, 191 Broadway. J. T. LINDSEY. Biismess Manager. STILL NO LUMBER EXCHANGE. The lumber dealers of this city are still without any distinctive organization, and, so far as we can learn, are making no move to^ wards such an end, in this respect standing almost alone among the leading commercial interests of New YorK. Business is allowed to move along in the old happy-go-lucky, go- as-you-please sort of style, every firm or in^ dividual dealer running matters from a more or less different stand-point, and at times creating a market of a decidedly mixed character. No one sees this more promi¬ nently that a commercial writer for the press in his peregrinations among the trade, where, at almost every turn he is met, not only by variable reports, but by flat contra¬ dictions of the most positive character, re¬ garding strength and form of demand, prices , current, grading and quality of stock, sup¬ plies available, etc., etc., until the " informa¬ tion " at times becomes so chaotic as to prove almost u eless. Operators never—or at least hardly ever—report anything but their honest convictions it is to be pre¬ sumed, and the absence of unanimity must therefore be attributed to the absence of proper facilities for the interchange of views and an opportunit}'^ for an adjust¬ ment of matters beneficial to all. Every commercial body, either of old or new birth now existing in this city, is growing daily in strength, simply because the members discover that association is working for their good in a thousand and one ways they never dreamed of until they thus came to¬ gether, and in the various forms of business represented and working harmoniously as an Exchange, those who are not members are very apt to be looked upon witb suspi¬ cion. We find many lumbermen who con¬ sider the plan of ah Exchange as likely to prove useful, if it does nothing more than fix some uniform basis for quotations and establish a standard of inspection, aud it seems as though a little energy ought to start the movement properly. Opposition is to be expected of course, and especially where there is a tendency to monopolize certain branches of the business, but all ef- . forts for the general good have the same enemy to encounter and overcome, and fre¬ quently secure vie! ory after a very short contest. Our lumbermen have a consider¬ able advantage to start with, unless they desire a thoroughly distinctive organization, in the existence of the prosperous Building . Material Exchange. . As its name indicates, all component parts of a buildiug are dealt n upan the floor, of the above mentioned institution, and should the ranks of the lum¬ ber dealers, who are already members, re¬ ceive the liberal accession they deserve, "rules and regulations" suited to this par¬ ticular branch of business could oasily he embodied among those of the Exchange. In some form, however, it is to be hoped our vast lumber trade will come together as a commercial body. WORK DONE WITHOUT AUTHORITY. In the cape of Mulligan vs. Kenney, heard and determined by the Supreme Court of. Louisiana, iu January, tho plaintiff was employed by the defendant to put a bell in a cburch tower. The plaintiff found, while performing his work, that some of the beams of the tower were rotten and urged the defendant to allow him to make the necessary repairs. He informed Mulligan that he had no authority to make any conti'actex: ceeding fifty dollars in amount, without the sanction of higher church officials, and only con¬ sented to allow the work to be done upon Mulli¬ gan's guaranty that it should not cost more than forty-eight dollars. Mulligan was further advised of defendant's unwillingness, owing to financial difficulties, to incur heavier expenses for repairs, however necessary, defendant sa\-ing to him that he would see the tower tumlMe down before he would do so. While Mulligan was em¬ ployed in the work contracted for, defendant left the city for Europe, and . was absent about two months. Thereafter, Mulligan, discover¬ ing that the cross-timbers' supjjorting the roof of the church were rotten, exposing the roof to danger of falling, without consult¬ ing any person, and without communicating at all with the absent owner, braced and strength¬ ened the timbers with iron ties, plates and bolts, and, other reparations, and upon the return of the defendant from Europe presented him with a hill for more than $1,600, on which the present .suit is brought.. The evidence is that the repairs were iusufflcient to render the supports of the roof safe, and left them still in need of new and expensive work to acconplish that purpose, in the execution of which the work and materials of the plaintiff would not be of the slightest use. The defendant appealed. Judge Fenner, in gi\in^judgment for. the de¬ fendant, on the claim beyond fifty dollars, said : We are clearly of opinion that this is a case where the workman has intruded his services, not only without the consent or approval of the owner, but ag.^lnst hiswill, as plainly inferab'e from the prior intei-views between them. Iii such case, the equitable maxim, that no one should enrich himself at another's expense, which is the foundation of the right of the negotiorum gestor, is without application. Aside from this, we are doubtful, under the evidence, whether the expenses, reimbursement of which is claimed, were "useful and necessary." The work may have afforded some temp<»rary relief; but it is clearly proved that the work necessary to .secure the roof permanently was still required, and would cost as much as if plaintiff's J work had never been done. We see no naerit in plaintiff's case, except 'o the amount of the work contract¬ ed for, and allowed by the judge a quo. The de¬ fence vva=! established, and the claim should have been absolutely rejected.—Architect. ----------m----------' THE BUILDING! OUTLOOK. In our account of the prospects in the building business published some months since, we called attention to the fact that the amount of buildnig contemplated in this country this season was, probably, in excess of anything that had ever been accomplished before. We pointed out that there were several grave dangers that misht be I encountered, among which was the po.=ssible de- I mands upon the cart of mechanics and laborers i for more wages than circumstances wbiild perinit builders and real estate operators to pay. In subsequent issues we noted the stoi)iiage of several large opei'atums, and letters fiom cor¬ respondents directing attention to local euibar- rassuients < f the building industry ai'ising from some of the cam-es just mentioned. The s<-ason has so far advanced that it is jjos'iible in a measure to judge of the actual condition of the buildinjr btisiiiess for the year. While the labor difficulties have been a grett embaiTassment in many sections, of the coimtry, the amount of building th-it has gone on has been mm.-h larger than might at first have been supp.j»ed. There are very,few mechanics who are out of employ¬ ment, and, for the most part, wages are satis¬ factory both to the employee and tiie employer. Building operations throughout tlio We^t seem destined to be very large during the lemainder of the season. Many things have conspired to delay and hinder work throughout this S'^etioii of the country during that portion of the season HlTi&dy past. Au exchange, in commenting upon this subject, mentions among the reus ns why work has not progressed more mpidiy, the scar¬ city of labor aud material occasioned by strikes, and the fickleness of the weather, which, inniany regions, has been anything but favorable to the erection of buildings. Many who have been de¬ terred by the high prices of labor aud inat-iia's, have finally concluded thit their interi-sts would still be best served by pushing ahead with the building enterprises first contemplated. All the enterpi-isiug cities and towns of the West are c.hai-acteiized at the ])reseut time by intense buildiug activity. In Bt. Taul, Minneapolis, and many other places in the West, there ai-e in pro¬ cess of erection lai-ge business blocks, numerous churches, extensive factories, public buihlings and residences almost without nuiui)er. The building permits issued in Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee and San Francisco, show that the period of iDrosjjerity has not, as many have sup¬ posed, temporarily ceased. The smaller interior towns. who5,e population range from l,l)i)U to 10,