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September 6, 1913 RECORD AND GUIDE 449 iBinniMiiiaiiiiiiiii BUILDING MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES FALL BUILDING SEASON OPENS AS FINANCIAL SITUATION IS CLARIFIED BY PROGRESS OF THE CURRENCY ^BILL. Wholesale Market Feels Stronger — Inquiry Covering Winter Deliveries. iililJllllllllllHIIWlill»ll»WW!llWIWllllMIM^ STRENGTHENED by a more active movement among building material dealers, in town as well as in the suburbs, for building grades of lumber, sand, crushed stone, lime and hardware, the wholesale market was further heart¬ ened this week by the news that the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives had agreed to the bank¬ ing and currency bill by a vote of 160 to 9. While further amendment was not made impossible, radical eleventh-hour changes are generally considered improb¬ able by well-informed persons. At first glance it would seen-i a far cry from building materials in New York to currency legislation at Washington, but when it is remembered that witli Wall street in a nervous state building construction is hampered and projected building restricted, by reason of the tightness of securities, a close relation¬ ship is discovered. The changes recently made in this bill have generally been in line with improvements urged by Wall Street, with the result that building money lenders entered the first month of the fall building season with a shade more friendliness to prospective borrow¬ ers than they had shown at any time this year. Almost every leading- wholesale build¬ ing material man interviewed this week said that he came into the fall season at least complacently. No one is satisfied with the volume of business in hand, nor with the quantity in prospect now. The brick-making season in the Hudson river district is practically at an end, a month and a half earlier than usual. There is little change for the better in lumber, except in a few lines. Portland cement shading has only been partially success¬ ful, showing that the market cannot be forced. Lime sales have been stimulated in a vain effort to bring up total ton¬ nages, and slate and tile salesmen have not been able to bring these commodities out of the depression they fell into early in the year. Hardware and all other steel products, however, have felt an im¬ proved tone. While the inquiry has not been reduced to actual tonnage, such names as the General Electric Company, the Standard Oil Company, the Inter¬ borough Rapid Transit Company appear¬ ing behind current invitations to bid, give a stability to the outlook which even the pessirnistic hesitate to belittle. But the real cause for optimism in building construction is the informal September statement of the steel inter¬ ests showing that more rolled steel orders were received in August than in July. A further significant fact is that the forward buying movement of fabri¬ cators requiring steel of this character, which was conspicuous last spring, con¬ tinues and that manufacturers of basic building steel are making no restrictions for 1914 requirements. This conclusively proves that the analysts of the big steel companies look upon the 1913 slurnp in liuilding construction as due to financier¬ ing and not to over-construction. Did they share the latter belief, forward buy¬ ing of basic steel and steel making iron would not be so steady, much less show an increase in the month ordinarily the dullest of the year. I'.VINTERS" STRIKE ENDS MOND.W. Settlement I'rjiotienlly .Vgreed I pun \ es- leruuj—Keiereuuuiu l\o%v lu iToj^ress. T F the journeymen painters and paperhangers vote to accept the terms arranged witu ttie bosses by the business agents oi the Inter¬ national I'ainters ana fapernangei-s' bnion, the strike which has been in progress about a lort- night will eua to-uay and the painters will re¬ turn lo work on .Monaay. 'Ihe nnal count ot the ballots is expected to be made to-night and will be ratined to-morrow. 'rhe terms ol settlement call for a wage ot .•fl8.10 a week instead ot ^^20, demanded. Recog¬ nition of the union, among other demands made by the men, has Deen couceued. I'ainting and paperhanging hereafter will be recognized as two distinct trades. -VORI'H.V.IIPTON fiEMENT PL.VNT SOLD. Ilondliolder.s' Committee Takes It Up For .>:£UO,OUO—'I'o Kesume Operation.-*. "TUB hrsi mortgage bondholders' commlilee of the iNortuampion Portland Cement Company at Stockertown, fa., bought in the plant tor .f2i.w,(JUU from the EquitaDie Trust Company of tnls city, trustee for tne bondholders, this week. It is planned to operate tue plant some time after the nrst of the year. ^ Contracts for Portland cement deliveries held by this company here will be taken care of. '1 he new ho.uers of the property will continue shipments from stock in hand until the stock warrants resumption oE operations. HRICK I'LAXTS ESC.4,PE STOR.M. -Manurnvturcr.s Have Millions of liubnrned llricii Expcsed to Weather. ("■ 0.\1.M0.\' brick manufacturers in the Hud- ^-^ son and Raritan River districts barely es¬ caped fearful loss when the storm which threat¬ ened the Hudson and Raritan valleys ou Thurs¬ day afternoon passed over and broke in this cily instead. There is approximately S,OUU,UOU brick valued at .fO a thousand, or $48,UU0, lying in hacks in the .North River district alone, for the reason that .New York market has backed up on both Raritan and Hudson districts with the result that sheds have been filled to overflow¬ ing and where one or two hacks nominally pre-- vail on yards as many as eight and ten are found today. Had the storm struck in Haverstraw, New¬ burgh or Kingston the loss might have been ruinous to many producers, in view of the sick market that has prevailed so far this year. Consequently there will be no immediate up¬ turn of prices because of loss of raw brick at kilns. Brick makers are looking for an improved condition. The sales for the week ending Thursday night showed a decided gain over ar¬ rivals, which is considered an encouraging sign, although prices for either Hudsons or Raritans have not changed. Offlcial transactions for Xorth River common brick covering the week ending Thursday even¬ ing. September 4. with comparisons for the cor¬ responding period last year, follow : 1913. Left over, Friday A. M., August 29—S2. Arrived. Sold. Friday, August 29.............. 1 7 Saturday, .■August 30............ 5 8 Monday, September 1........... 8 2 Tuesday, September 2........... 3 s Wednesday, September 3........ 10 ' 8 .Tliursday, September 4.......... G 8 33 41 Reported en route, Friday A. M., September 5—8. . Condition of market, strengthening. Prices, Hudsons, .f6 lo IfO.oO. Raritans, ,$6 to ------. I Wholesale dock. N. Y. For dealers' prices add protit and cartage.) Newark (yard), .1;7.7.">. Left over, Friday A. M., September 5—74. 1912. Left over, Friday A. M., August 30—38. Arrived. Sold. Friday, August 30.............. 18 14 Saturday, August 31............ 4 g Monday, September 2............ 21 24 Tuesday, September 3.......... 0 7 Wednesday, September 4........ 8 7 Thursday, September 5.......... 9 g Total ........................ 55 70 Condition of market, nervous. Prices, Hud¬ sons, .fO.'S to $7. Raritans. .f6.75 to .'f7. Left over, Friday A, M.. September 5—23. OFFICIAL SUMMARY. Left over, Jan. 1. 1913.................. 11,3 Total No. barge loads arrived, inciuding left overs. Jan. 1 to Sept. 5............ 1,,399 Total No. barge loads sold Jan. 1 lo Sept. 5 l!.32.5 Total No. barge loads left over Friday A. M., Sept. 5........................ 74 Total No. barge loads left over Jan. 1. 1012 .................................. 71 Total No. barge loads arrived, including left overs, Jan, 1 to Sept. 6............ 1,471 Total No. barge loads sold Jan. 1 to Sept. 0 .............................. 1,448 Total No. barge loads left over Sept. 6.. 23 LINSEED Oil, MOUND HIGHER. No Chanj^e in Curd, But Crusliers Demand 1 tent More for Carload l.ot». J__I.\SEED OIL still seeks higher levels at Duluth, although no change in quotation is reported m this market. Card prices run at 53 and u4 cents with 53 cents ^or city boiled Ameri¬ can seed, and 70 cents for raw Calcutta. Even on the new basis of 31 and 52 cents for car¬ loads an increase was noted in the demand This means that the local market will stiiien before the flrst of next week, providing the de¬ mand continues as heavy as it is. The market for shellac remains firm, owing to the strength of the situation abroad. Calcutta shipments during August to this country were ,i,iW packages. Quotations for D.C. are 30 and from that flgure they dropped down to 23 and 28 for b.cached. China wood oil used largely in varnish making IS I his to 7% cents and is moderately strong at that basis. .VNTHRACITE COAL ACTIVE. Hush to Place Order Prior to Pull Circular C'row-ds Shippers. "T HE sharp falling off of anthracite coal orders ' this week following big volume of orders taken just previous to the first of the month when the fuh circular price became efte.:tive was responsible for the belief that the heavy demand for domestic sizes was directly attribu¬ table to a desire to save the ten cent discount prevailing in August. The general prospects are that business in domestic sizes will not de¬ velop a brisk tone until the latter part of the month. Building managers have their coal engage¬ ments practically all made and the falling off in general construction during the last nine months is reflected in the small volume of new business in steam coal sizes taken during the summer and so far this month. Generally at this time of the year a large number of new buildings are about ready for their Hrst supply of coal. This year the tonnage called for by new customers is many thousands of tons be¬ low the usual fall volume generally reported by September first, which may account in some degree at least, for the dullness of the steam size department of the hard coal market. Some of the companies shipping larger size hard coal to this cily may have to restrict shipments more or less toward the latter part of the month be¬ cause of the scarcity of labor at the mines and the shortage of cars reported by the railroads, but prices probably will not change. REINFORCEMENT PRICES. Uusines.s C'ontinues Good—Current Quotations. 'T HE .American Sleel and Wire Company, man- ^ ufacturers of Triangle Mesh concrete rein¬ forcement, reports business to be in fair volume with little prospect of immediate change from the following current net quotations : U.NGALVANIZED. Priee per 100 sq. ft. ^ ^ L. C. L. Less Style and over than No. Car 10,000 10,000 lots, sq. ft. sq. ft. 1........... .fl..53 $1.86 $2.18 2........... 1.20 1.37 1.85 3........... 1.13 1.37 101 •4........... 1.00 1.23 1.43 5............SO .07 1.14 G............63 .77 .91 *7............49 .60 .71 *23........... 1.69 2.05 2.42 24........... 1.46 1.77 2.08 23........... 1.29 1.37 1.83 •26........... 1.17 1.42 1.68 ♦27............EG 1.17 1.38 28............80 .97 1.14 29............66 .80 .94 31........... 2.49 3.02 3.56 .12........... 2.16 2.62 3.08 33........... 1.93 2.34 2.75 34........... 1.48 1.80 2.12 35........... 1.17 1.42 1.68 .30............87 1.05 1.24 •38........... 3.53 4.30 5.06 39........... 3.05 3.70 4.36 40........... 2.68 3.25 3.82 41........... 2.05 2.48 2.92 *42........... 1.55 1.88 2.22 43........... 1.10 1.34 1.58 GALVANIZED. 1........... .$1.69 $2.02 $2.34 2........... 1.43 1.71 1.98 3........... 1.25 1.49 1.73 •4........... 1.12 1.34 1.53 5............89 1.06 1.23 C............71 .84 .98 ♦7............55 .66 .76 •23........... l.SS 2.24 2.60 24........... 1.62 1.93 2.24 25........... 1.43 1.71 1.98 •26........... 1..30 1.55 180 •27........... 1.07 1.28 1.48 28............89 1.06 1.23 29............73 .87 1.01 .31........... 2.76 3.29 3.82 .32........... 2.40 2.86 3.32 .33........... 2.14 2.53 2.96 34........... 1.64 1.96 2.27 .35........... 1.30 1..35 1.80 .36............97 1.15 1..34 •38........... 3.93 4.68 5.44 .39........... 3.38 4.03 4.68 40........... 2.97 3..54 4.11 41........... 2.27 2.70 3.14 •42........... 1.72 2.03 2..38 43........... 1.23 1.4G 1.70 Styles marketed with an asterisk are usually in stock. Prices on snecial reinforcement two Inches will be given. These quotations are F. O. B. Pittsburgh mill. A discount of 2 psr cent, is allowed if settlement is made within len days of invoice, otherwise due net 60 days. Structural sleel business this week was for small tonnages running from 10 lo 50 tons each. There is little steel building contract pendin.g throughout the East. Current quota¬ tions for structural steel at tidewater are un¬ changed.