The Washington times., 1905-04-30
All Sizes and Degrees
of Cost Represented
in Proposed Work.
OUT In THE NORTHWEST
Some People Contendins
That Erection of These
Structures Is Ovardone.


Thomases. who seriously question the.
advisability of continuing the erection
OF apartment houses, both large and
small. at the rate at which these struc-
lures have been and are stnl being
reared. The men-and among them are
several whose experience in the real es-
tate business entities their opinion to
respectful Observation-Disclosures that the
building of apartments is decidedly
oVerdene. and must result, sooner or
later. in great pecuniary .osg to those
who engage in it,
They point to the fact that as soon
as new apartment house Is erected in
a certain neighborhood. there is almost
Immediately an exodus from older
structures, and this migration eontin-
ues ad inffnitum They argue that rem
tails in the structures thus abandoned
must necessarily decline. and that it is
only a question OF time when these de-
elnes Will amount 10 positive loss
on the investment Il is quite prob
able, however, that they lose sight of
a very obvious fact The rentals gain
ed from a new apartment house are suf-
ficiently remunerative to compensate
its owner for the proportionate loss re-
sulting from lower rates after the
building is less modern than its COM
petitors.
No Cessation in Building.
Whatever may be the considerations
that influence the construction Of apart
Tnent houses. il is evident that their
potency has not abated in the least.
On the contrary, investors, as well as
speculative builders appear 10 believe
as strongly as ever in the paying quail
tiles Of the apartment house. If pres
ent indications can be trusted, there
will be more of these structures reared
during the current year than in any
preceding twelvemonth in the history
of this class of architecture in Wash
ington The character of the buildings
TO be erected will. of course, vary great
ly, and it can be said that they will
range from the cheapest of the two
story class to the most expensive sky
scraper The building record for 1906
VIII be made up largely. as far as the
amount expended is concerned. from
the sums involved in the construction
Of apartment houses.
In this connection one may well point
to the experience of all great cities
where the apartment house has come
into vogue. In European cities 1t pass
ed the eXperiernntal stage long ago, al
though IN the majority OF Continental
cities it has never attained to sky
scraper proportions. But the building
of apartment houses has continued there
in ever increasing numbers, and ever
the smaller towns have followed the
lead OF their bigger sisters. In New
\ ork, Chicago. Philadelphia. and Other
american cities The experience mas Deer
duplicated, and il is not at all proba bl'
that washington will prove an eHcep
ton to the general rule.
Where Do People Come From.
There is one puzzling feature In con
nection with this matter. so far a!
Washington is concerned. No mattel
how many apartment houses are built
there is an unceasing demand for dwell
ings at rentals ranging from s25 TO $50
Where, it is asked, do all the peopl
come from? Perhaps the answer 10 th
question may be found in the recen
police census. and then, again, ther
must be considered the considerabl
floating population, which has its abid
ing place in the National Capital dur
ing more than half OF the year. and
goodly portion of which is not satisfie
with accommoda dations to be found in
boarding house. Again, there can b
no doubt that the boarding houses fun
nish q large quota of those who I'll
tee smaller apartment houses. and eVe
some OF The larger ones, while anOthe
contingent occupies the smaller dwell
ings vacated by those who have chose
TIE fiat for their abode.