The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-01

Some of the above work is already
in progress, The Fifth ward sewer is
we'll under way, and will probably be
completed before the winter is over.
But before it is completed, the work
on the Sixth ward sewer will be in
progress. The Sixth ward job will
be considerably larger than the Fifth
ward job, and will give employment to
at least a hundred men throughout
the winter The pay for this class of
work is good, and the contractors are
Obliged to work an eight-hour day.
The new work planned by the Ex-
ceisior Gas company in rebuilding its
plant and extending its mains promises
to make a big demand for labor The
company will put in a couple of large
buildings at cost OF $6O,OOO ana
will also begin the construction or ~
miles of new pipe lines within the city.
The work of building the new pipe
lines will be in progress for year
and a half, but the company is bound
to expend a total of $175,000.
NJ. Heery, one of the oldest contrac-
tors in the city, said the other day: Il
never saw the prospects so good for lots
of work. There will be enough gong
on to satisfy anybody. One of the best
new houses-dwellings, I mean. These
new houses are not being built for spec
ulation; they are being built by people
who want to live in them. 1t is always
town begin to build their own houses.
The speculative building boom is not
such a good thing.
''It does not look much as though
there was any panic coming, although
think one is about due. They come
every 20 years or so, and the last one
was in 1873. 1 think that the crash is
likely to come most any time, and when
it comes it will come quickly. But I
don't think it will affect US out here in
Kansas; our people are we'll fixed to
Withstand trouble. If we can just con-
tinue to have good crops, panicS won't
now. The trouble is that when times
are good, a man with $500 income
gradually increases his expenses until
he is paying out several hundred dol
lars more every year than he takes in.
Some day there must be settlement,
and then is when the trouble starts"
The building permit business in Fire
Marshal Wilmarth's office has been
heavier during the past year than ever
in the history of the office. The amount
of the permits may not loom up quite
as large as it did the year the Santa
Fe built it's big shops, but the number
dences is astonishing. The building
boom struck Topeka quite unexpected
", but it has been growing steadily in
strength.
One contractor was asked why people
are building so many houses now when
lumber, building material and labor are
all SO high.
because" he said, 1.-THE chances
are that these things will not be any
lower Lumber is scarce; there is
not enough in the country to supply
the demand. We will never have
cheap lumber again. I believe that
the same is true of labor. Labor is
getting higher prices now than ever,
and 1 think that the high standard is
likely to be maintained. Nearly every
body has come to the conclusion that
if they want to build, they had better
build now before things go any
higher"
If the Edison Electric company gets
its new franchise, it expects to go
ahead imm ediately with an important
enlargement of its plant which will
involve a large outlay of money in
Topeka for material and labor. There
is also a promise of the usual number
of large buildings next summer.