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854 RECORD AND GUIDE May 9, 1914 BUILDING MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES i GLASS MANUFACTURERS PREPARING TO MEET BELGIAN COMPE¬ TITION IN THIS MARKET—COMMERCIAL SIZES OF COAL CRAMPED Effect of New Standard of Buildings on Construction — The General Market. IBIIIIM'""'"'""^^ mmi—M WITH a slightly firmer tone in com¬ mon brick prices, a strengthening of sentiment in structural steel and an improvement in the demand for Port¬ land cement, even though prices had to be shaded to bring it about, the week's movement of building materials' in the wholesale market was such as to in¬ spire greater confidence in the construc¬ tion field. Building operations, some of which were planned long ago, are mov¬ ing ahead and others are about to come out. There is likely to be trouble in the window-glass department, due to the activity of Belgian manufacturers in trying to gain a foothold in this coun¬ try. At a meeting of the American man¬ ufacturers in Pittsburgh endorsement was given to the price-cutting campaign now being waged by domestic interests on the Pacific coast, and the threat was made that if foreign glass continues to under-sell the Eastern market the same tactics wSuld be followed here as in the' West with the idea of protecting the local market from the inroads of foreign producers. Current quotations are 90-20 per cent, on single thick and 90-25 on double thick, wholesale to dealers with A quality still scarce. Since investors take their cues from the railroads and the iron and steel industry, the low volume of steel tonnage handled by the U. S. Steel Corporation, with the eeneral policy of conservation adver¬ tised by the railroads since the first oi the year, has had its eflect upon financial interests, which have been slow to en¬ courage building speculation. The re¬ sult has been that only self-financed ope¬ rations, such as factories, specialty buildings, loft and residences have been able to move on their plans, some of which have been filed for half a year or more. But since the Steel Corporation is showing a disposition to hold fast to current quotations, with the apparent idea of letting the smaller mills fill up on small profit margins, while they wait for the larger business and larger profits that now appear to be on their way, there is an increasing tendency on the part of prospective builders to take ad¬ vantage of the low prices prevailing everywhere in the building material de¬ partment with the exception of hard¬ wood, crushed stone and sand, by com¬ ing into the market for material and going ahead with their long deferred building operations'. There is another factor that may operate toward an increasing volume of plan filing and speedy operation. Out in Chicago this week there was in ses¬ sion the National Fire Protection As¬ sociation. One of the important mat¬ ters before it is a proposition to change the standard of so-called fireproof con¬ struction. In fact, the word "fireproof" is to be discontinued as a description of a type of building construction, and the word "fire resistive" substituted. No wood is to be permitted, whether in construction or furnishing of "fire-re¬ sistive" buildings, save only in table tops. If this recommendation is adopt¬ ed, general changes in building codes throughout the country will ultimately result for the reason that the National Board of Fire Underwriters, have ap¬ proved, through its consulting engineer, Ira H. Woolson, of the measure, and in¬ stead of old style "fireproof" buildings enjoying special insurance rates, it is quite probable that still lower rates will be made on "fire-resistive" buildings with the result that codes everywhere will have to be changed to meet the bet¬ ter type of buildings. Ultimately this' new standard will be made to conform to tenement houses. Plan filings for new buildings in the five boroughs' this week compared with last week show big gains. Week Ending No. April 30. No. May 7. Manhattan ..... 15 $523,400 13 $2,144,000 Bronx .......... 23 44T,TT5 20 $495,662 Brooklyn ........ 84 800,950 IIT 1,15S,600 Queens .......... 86 326,025 146 548,580 Richmond ....... 39 5T,S72 37 38,235 Totals .......247 $2,156,022 333 $4,382,077 WINDOW GLASS. Manufacturers Tak^ Action Against In¬ roads of Foreign Interests. IP the architect or builder who has been searching in vain for an answer to the ques¬ tion, "What is the matter with the glass mer- ket?" had been present at the meeting of twen¬ ty-flve American manufacturers in Pittsburgh this week he would have learned that tha American producers of window glass are worried over the activity of the Belgian manufacturers of this commodity in the American market.t He would have heard endorsed the action of the American Window Glass Company in making very low prices to distributors on the West Coast and a strong intimation that if the im¬ porters on the Atlantic seaboard continue to wage a price cutting war the same tactics would be adopted here. In other words, it is not the intention of the American glass manufacturing interests to surrender the fleld to foreign pro¬ ducers. It was stated that stocks in the hands of American manufacturers are in such shape that it would be a simple matter to carry tho necessary surplus to meet the expected demand during the summer and fall. Current quotations on window glass in this market is ijO-20 per cent, on single thick, and 90-25 per cent, on double thick, triom jobbers' lists with A quality glass on light supply. The bituminous trade reports little spot de¬ mand. As many steam consumers have ordered contract deliveries cut down, the operators af¬ fected by the central Pennsylvania suspension have not been obliged to come into the market heavily to take care of obligations, most of them having had a large tonnage on cars when Uie shutdown occurred. All loading ports are still congested, though the amount of demurrage coal -at piers has been reduced to some extent during the last tew days. The men have voted to return to work at the old schedules, but the companies aver that no matter what the decision of tbe men is the mines will not resume operations until June 1. This will keep prices up and the supply low. Some are now making future contracts where it is possible to do so. COi»IME:RCI.4L. CO.\L. Steam Sizes in Lower Grades Accuniulat- infsc—Cold April Upsets Calculations. WHEN the New York building managers close up their accounts for the year they will find that their expenditures for coal have been heavier than in many former years, owing to the cold weather in the latter part of April and the first part of May. Incidentally, the demand tor coal today is much heavier than distributors had expected, and the supply is not quite so free, with the exception of steam sizes in lower grades. These, siz^s have been accu¬ mulating until this week, when they began to move out. partly as substitute material, until the supply of better grade coal could be replen¬ ished. Barley coal has been especialy trouble¬ some in this particular, but it is in better de¬ mand now. In the upper anthracite ports all sizes are flrm on circular. CEMENT COMPANY EXPANDS. Leliish Portland 'With Its Subsidiaries Now Has Output of 12,000,000 Barrels. A LL the real estate, personal property, in- " eluding stores, of the New Castle Portland Cement Company, located at New Castle, Law¬ rence County, Pa., have been purchased by the Lehigh Portland Cement Company. It has also purchased the New Castle & Butler Railway Company, an industrial line having connections with various industries at New Castle. The mill of the New Castle Portland Cement Company has four kilns with an annual capacity of 800,- 000 barrels, and the real estate consists of 1,000 acres, containing shale and limestone. The Le¬ high Company has two plants at New Castle, which have been in operation for several years. They have an annual capacity of 200.000 barrels. This additional plant, therefore, will give the Lehieh Company a capacity of l.Ono.onO barrels. With its new purchase the Lehigh Portland is now the owner of twelve mills. BHve of these, at West Coplay, Ormrod and Pogelsville, are in Lehigh County, three at New Castle, two at Mitchel. Ind.. one at Mason City, la., and one at Metaline Palls, State of Washington. I'he total annual capacity of the company is 12,000,- c.CO barrels. The deal was authorized several weeks ago by the stockholders of the New Castle Company and is said to involve $1,200,000. $300,000 FRONT BRICK CONCERN. Kittanning Interests Incorporate to Handle Clay Frodncts Here. WILLIAM A. SIMPSON of Kingston, N. Y.; David P. Oliver of 314 West ITTth street, and Edward Doyle of 155 East SSth street, are incorporators of record in papers filed at Albany this week, incorporating the Kittanning Pace Brick Company for $300,000. The papers were filed by James P. Mack, an attorney of 203 Broadway. The charter gives the company the right to manufacture and deal'in flre brick, fire clay, face brick, tile, terra cotta and other clay products. The company contemplates the erection of a plant at East Mosgrove, Pa. It has no connection with the Kittanning brick interests represented here by Fredenburg, Louns¬ bury & Houghtalling, Inc., whose plants are at Cowanshannock, Pa., just outside of Kittanning ; and at East Brady, Pa. STRUCTURAI, STEEL. Optimists lioolc for June Rally—^Larger Discount on Pipe. STEEL, the barometer of all building mate¬ rials in this territory, is strengthening in tone, as indicated by the belief among optimists in the trade that June will bring a change for the better. This belief rests upon the expecta¬ tions of many that the Interstate Commerce Commission will grant the prayed-for rate In¬ crease, which will give immediate stimulation to building construction everywhere. At the same time It was learned in the steel trade this week that some of the larger com¬ panies had declined to take reasonably large orders at further concessions in prices, being disposed to make a stronger stand tor remu¬ nerative returns. Th esmalier mills are anxious to keep their mills employed and are not, at present, taking such a determined position. Mill advices show that April ingots were pro¬ duced by all companies to the total of l.TOO.OOO tons, of which only a little over 1,500,000 tons were cast by the U. S. Steel CorporaUon. 'Upon this basis the total production of rolled products was about 1,300,000 tons, ot which ahout T85,000 tons were produced by the subsidiaries of the U. S. Steel Corporation. Total orders were esti¬ mated at about 830,000 tons, of which 500,000 were taken by the corporation, indicating a de¬ crease in unfilled orders by all companies close to 4TO,000 tons, a possible decrease of 280,000 tons from March totals. The National Tube Company announced a ro- duction ot price of 2 inch line pipe on May 1 by increasing the discount one point, or $1 per ton. COMMON BRICK. Baclcn-ard "W'eatlier Responsible for Slug- gisli Demand. COMMON brick showed practically no gain either in unloading or wholesale selling this week, due to backward building weather. There were better prices obtained for special or culled brick, however. Local top prices ran as high as $6 per M. and for Newark lightered brick of special quality approximately $6.25 per M. Sales in the wholesale market were approxi¬ mately TOO.OOO below arrivals. Offlclal transactions for Hudson common brick covering the week ending Thursday, May T, in the wholesale market, with comparisons for the corresponding period last year, and a comparjative statement of Hudson brick un¬ loaded from barges for consumption here, fol¬ low: 1914. Left over. May 1—T. Arrived. Sold. Friday, May 1................. 6 4 Saturday, May 2............... 5 5 Monday, May 4................. 18 10 ■ Tuesday, May 5............... 4 T Wednesday, May 6............. 8 11 Thursday, May 8............... 3 1 Total ...................____ 41 50 Reported enroute, Friday A. M., May T—8. Condition ot market, flrm. Prices: Hudson, basic, ------■ to $5.T3: Raritans, ------ to $6 (wholesale dock, N. Y.; for dealers' prices add proflt and cartage) ; Newark, $7.25 to $7.50 (yard). Dull. Left over Friday A. M., May T—9. HUDSON BRICK UNLOADED. (Current and last week compared.) April 24......1,333,050 May 1......1,914,T50 April 25...... 718,000 May 2...... 862,000 April 27......1,361,400 May 4......1,747,500 April 28......1,305,500 May 5...... 164,500 April 29......1,403,650 May 6......1,363,000 April 30......1,533,750 May 7......1,596,000 Total .....T,T45,350 Total .....1,64T,T50 1913. Left over, Friday A. M., May 2—41. Arrived. Sold. Friday, May 2................ 6 8 Saturday, May 3............... 7 14 Monday, May 5................ IT 12 Tuesday, May 6................ 2 4 Wednesday, May T............. 6 11 Thursday, May 8............... 3 1 Total.......................41 50 Condition of market, easier. Prices: Hud¬ sons, $T to $7.25 : Raritans, $6.87% to $7.12V4 ; Newark, $8.25. Left sver Friday A. M., May 9—32. OFFICIAL SUMMARY. Left over Jan 1, 1914..................... 87' Total No. bargeloads arrived. Including left over bargeloads, Jan. 1 to May 7, 1914... 355 Total No. bargeloads sold Jan. 1 to May 7, 1914 ................................... 34S Total No bargeloads left over May 8, 1914. 9 Total No bargeloads left ovor Jan. 1, 1913. 113 Total No. bargeloads arrived, including left over Jan. 1 to May 8, 1913............ 549 Total Xo bargeloads sold Jan. 1 to May 8, 1913 ...................................509 Total No. bargeloads left over May 9, 1913. 32