The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-19
REAL ESTATE NOTES AND TOPICS
Totals .9.435 $ss, ,Ss1, ,2ss 7.487 s34 81 3

Totals .9.435 $33, ,S61, ,233 7,487 $34, 81, ,85t
Regarding building operations
throughout the United States, the Chi
cago Tribune says:
Building operations continue On an
exceedingly active scale throughout. the
country. They are upon a much more
satisfactory basis than they were dur
ing the corresponding period last year
The month of May shows a satisfactory
increase over the same month q year
ago. According to official reports to
the Construction News permits were
taken out in twenty-five of the Drfn-
c1pal cities of the country during the
month just closed for the construc-
tlOn OF 9,435 building improvements
aggregating a total cost of $33,9 ,961. .233
against 7,4S7 buildings, at an estimated
cost of $34,811,856 for the correspond
ing month year ago. This is an in
crease of 1,948 buildings and a decrease
In cost of $850,623, or around per cent
The table shows the increases and
decreases are confined to no particular
section of the East or West. OF the
twenty-five cities fifteen show gains
varying from to 1895 per cent. The
latter figure, however, relates to Oma-
ha; and at this time a year ago that
city was in the midst of the most Sc
rlous troubles in the building trades
that 1t has ever experienced 1t is
gratifying to note the recovery in Pitts
burg, that city having undergone a pc
r1od of depression for some time. For
some years Pittsburg has been making
rapid strides in the matter of building
construction, having exceeded the ex-
pectation of its most Sanguine friends.
With the depression in it's steel and
iron industries last year building op-
erations declined. During the month
Just closed, however, it has regained
TO considerable degree, the increase
for the month being los per cent.
Indianapolis has an increase OF 1914
per cent, while Tacoma. in the extreme
northwest, shows a gain aggregating
110 per cent. Brooklyn makes a mar
velous showing. 1t is in keeping with
its record during the preceding months.
Its gain over the corresponding month
year ago is 73 per cent
Any one of dozen reasons may be
responsible for the falling off in some
of the cities. 1t is widely distributed
and therefore not considered in any
sense serious. 1t is probably attrib-
utable to some local cause other than
labor troubles, for, of the latter, the
month of May has never passed so
peacefully in the building trades of this
country. This is one of the most ia
Vorable symptoms of the building situ-
alton in this country at this time
There are no serious difficulties in the
building trades or in the allied indus
tries which contribute SO much in the
way of manufactured goods for the
purpose of construction.
The return 10 normal conditions is
bringing about healthy sort of activ-
1ty which will be pretty generally dis
tributed all over the country. The
completion of the st. Louis exposition
has had much to do with this return
to healthier conditions in the building
trades in the Middle West. There are
now sufficient men to be had in all
sections of the country and owners and
builders are no longer compelled to
pay extravagant premiums to secure
good workmen. The prices of building
materials are upon a favorable basis
with the exception of brick in some
cities in which. owing to the backward