Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-26
REBUILDING SAN FRANCISCO.
Instructive Calculations on the Cost Of
Labor and Material.
WAGES AND PRICES ON THE BOOM
Several Hundred Millions to he Elk
pended in Rearing New
City-MRrked Activity in
Business Lines.

The business of San Francisco since the
fire has been almost up to the standard
achieved before that disaster. Bank
clearings are constantly increasing, having
reached the high mark of S44,O00,OO0 last
week. showing an increase of o per cent
over the clearings of the same week of
1906 which at that time was considered a
banner week. The retail stores all report
better business than before the fire and
trade In all lines seems to be better than
previously noted.
Building sites are being leased for long
terms of years in all parts of the city, and
this .may be taken as a good indication,
for the most prosperous cities in the world
have the bulk Of their business done on
leased property.
San Francisco is being rebuilt as fast as
men and material can do 80. The indlca-
tons now are that the burned district will
all be under roof in three years. While a
majority of these new buildings will be of
temporary character. 1t will give the bust
ness men places in which to do business
while preparing for permanency. Already
just four months after the fire, more than
300 permanent buildings are in course of
construction, and contracts have been let
for as many more. All temporary buildings
within the fire limits may be removed by
the city after sixty days notice.
Cost of Rebuilding.
An instructive computation of the cost
OF rebuilding San Francisco and labor's
share OF the outlay is made by the Call
-Four hundred million dollars is the huge
figure set as the lost of rebuilding and
labor Thirty thousand workmen are en-
ployed, and this number probably will be
steadily increased, II the rehabilitation is
TO make the progress that is expected.
Ordinarily the labor put into building
costs about 80 per cent of the total con-
strucuon charges. In San Francisco the
general average Of wages for men of all
crafts, as we'll as the unskilled toiler, is
at least 80 per cent higher than the pre-
vailing rates which are usually considered
In estimating the cost of building. This
will give to San Franciscos working forces
about 43 per cent of the total cost of re-
construction, or about s175,OOO,OOO. No reck-
oning is taken here of the cost of clearing
the ruin-piled area of the burned district.
This will amount to about $50 600, of
which sum laborers, derrick men and
teamsters will get more than s15OOO,OOO,
making a final total of 900.
Labor leaders In San Francisco assert
that the minimum wage scales have not
been changed by the building trades coun-
CHS since the fire; they admit that the
minimum scale is universally disregarded.
AS matter of fact, the wages paid to
the various classes of labor are from 80
| cents to 81 more than the scale calls for.
| Statistics show that the San Francisco
workman is receiving the highest wages
paid anywhere In the world at any time,
and there is every prospect that the high
wage scale will continue throughout the
reconstruction period. There were $1,000
trades union men employed in San Fran
cisco before April IS. Secretary o. A.
Tveitmoe Of the Building Trades Councils
says that more than 5000 men are now
engaged in the rebuilding. Fully 10000
workmen have been attracted to the city
during the last three months, and they are
still arriving in large numbers.
| The thirty odd thousand men receive in
wages S0s.O00 a day, or almost $65OOOO a
week, even when they do not work over
time and on Sunday,
MasOn's Share I'm Rebuilding.
About 1900 buildings werA DESTROYED by
the FIRE. All of this number there is every
reason to believe, will eventually be re-
built At least 1900 structures will be
built OF brick, -Four thousand temporary
structures have been put UP since the dis
| aster at an average cost of about s., 900,
! aggregating a. 10000.
The only way of calculating the cost Of
the reconstruction OF the city is 20 take
| some building as a standard and figure
| from that. Engineers say that a four
story brick building erected on a plot 44xl1O
feet Is as good a standard as any. In the
construction OF a four-story building of the
type mentioned $4,000 bricks are used. Ten
years ago 1000 brick could be bought and
laid for 81. Today. in San Francisco, II
| costs almost as much as that for the labor.
A brlcklayers labor in laying 1000 brick
costs s6.l2 Then there is almost 81 for
hodcarrier and other labor to figure in on
| the work, bringing the total up to about
SO new brick in San Francisco now costs
80 a thousand). Therefore, the charges OF
labor in erecting a 54s.O0o-brick building
would be about $500. In l2,O0O such build
ings the grand total would be more than
$50, 10000.
II the city is TO be rebuilt within ten
| years, however, II will require the contin-
uous service OF at least 5000 masons II,
as has been estimated 6.5Te.OOooOO bricks
go into the rebuilding OF San Francisco.
the sggregate earnings OF the bricklayers
employed on the work during the recon
| struction period viii be something like
$4sooo,OoO Other labor will get out OF the
work Of hod carrying and preparing the
mortar s2aOl900o
Part of other Trades.
Undoubtedly 1000. 900 900 feet OF lumber will
go into the rebuilding. A few years ago
this amount OF lumber would have cost less
than SSo,ooOoo0 The normal price Of humber