The Washington times., 1904-07-03
CHEAPER PRICES
NOT PROBABLE
IN BUILDING LINE
Demand for Labor and
Material Exceeds
Supply.
APARTMENTS INCREASE
This Style of Housing Grow
ing in PopuIarity-More
Loans and Fewer Sales.

4 what the majority Of Washington
real estate brokers say is true-and
there is no reason to discredit their
statements-the situation is about this;s
The loan business Is excellent. but the
selling of property is exceedingly dull.
The causes for this latter condition
have been stated repeatedly in these
columns so that there is no occasion
TO repeat them. They do not furnish
ground for discoura cement, because
they are merely temporary and win give
way TO Improvement before many
months.
The activity in the loan department is
readily accounted for by the great
amount OF building progressing in all
parts OF the District The Southwest
section perhaps is the only one that does
not share in this. Everywhere else archi-
tects contractors. and the host of me-
chanics OF every description have ample
employment. Never. except in boom
times. has such an amount OF building
been in evidence The structures be-
gun and planned comprise every va
riety. from the modest two story. plain
brick dwelling TO the most pretentious
residence, and from the cheap two
fat" apartment house to tie most ele-
giant creation OF this character
More apartment Houses.
II would seem that the erection OF
apartment houses has by no means
reached it's zerith. The more are built.
the greater seems 10 be the demand
FOR them. Men who are concerned in
this class OF investment declare that
no sooner is It known that an apartment
house is TO be built in a certain neigh
borhood than they have applications
from would-be tenants. and besides.
they say. there Is almost immediate in
quiry for ground in that vicinity suit
able TO the building of other apart
ment houses. It might be argued from
these facts that there must be a large
number Of vacant houses in consequence
of people being so anxious to go into
apartments, but real estate agents who
make a speciality Of renting say that
not only is there no surplus Of vacant
dwellings, but. on the contrary. they
have no little difficulty 10 supply the
demand. especially for low-priced ones.
in - Z a c-<r.
Gle the busiest architects in the
District and withal one Of the closest
observers of the trend of eve. ]r ',-e. -
~ gave it as his firm belief that Wash
ington is still In the experimental stage
OF apartment house building. bold as
s"oH --' night appear. The expe-
rcrc y cosmopolitan clty-and
N says. surely must be ac-
one-has been that. once
me accustomed TO the
partments. the demand
construction. The con-
d there. the Tightening
s burden, the elimina-
xteut. of the vexatious
-l- -. ooIvi4I-aIl these circumstances
tend TO create and augment the desire
for this method of housekeeping. This
same architect also ventured the predic-
tion that Washington has not yet seen
the greatest elegance in apartment
houses and he prophesied further that
even such magnificent structures as
Stoneleigh Court. the Rochambeau. and
the like would be surpassed before many
years. while rentals for large and ele-
CANT apartments as high as 5000 and
$500 a year would come 10 be regarded
as ordinary.
Prices Not Coming Down.
In view Of the activity In building
and the consequent demand for ma
terial and labor. it Is looked upon as
rather curious that a good many men
who had intended 20 enter upon building
investments have RETAINED from doing
so because they believe that prices Of
both viii come down before long. II
well informed architects and contractors
are 10 be believed, there IS but little
prospect FOR such a change In Wash
ingfon. a least. they declare. condi-
lions are altogether adverse to II. They
point 10 the work. already begun, or 10
be begun in the near future on the
Union Station, the building for the
House Of Representative, that for the
Senate, the central heating and light
ing plant for the Capitol. Library OF
Congress, and the two structures just
mentioned. the Columbian University,
the Hall Of Records. the Continental
Hall for the Daughters of the American
Revolution. the new National Museum.
the Municipal Building. Police Court.
Business High School. and other school
buildings. 10 say nothing Of the War
College and the great complex of struc-
lures In and about Washington Barracks. /
the filtration plant, the Connecticut
Avenue bridge. and numerous other un-
dertakings already started. They point
further 10 the fact that workmen have
been known 10 leave work IN this city
and 90 TO Baltimore because they could
get a dollar more a day than they were
paid here. They ask how il can be-
thought possible that the price II labor
can be cheapened IN Washington when
the demand is almost all the time
greater than the supply. Not only do
they not look FOR such cheapcnlng. but
they are inclined to advise persons who
contemplate building enterprises 10 go
at them before prices go stil higher.
New Almshouse.
Building Inspector Ashford will adver-
fiee Hclfh.n q few dars for hid 20. ~.