Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-23

of home owners increase. This city
has gained the reputation of being an ex-
pensive place to live, and while good deal
of that is due to the uniformed and care
less writers of articles about the city that
appear in the current publications. still in
some respects the cost of living here is
greater than it is in some other cities.
Not Most Expensive Place.
A careful comparison of the various items
that go to make up the weekly or monthly
budget of household expenses would show
a total that would compare favorably with
similar totals of hOuseholders in other
places. The striking difference would be In
the items or, in other words. while some
things cost more in Washington than In
SINE other cities yet taken a whole the
expense is not great.
This sort of argument would not sound
Well, especially now as an increase in official
salaries seems to be the fashion. 1t
is not necessary, however, in order to JUS
tify the need of better pay for the servants
of the government, to establish that Wash
inSton is the most expensive city in the
world.
Better Office Facilities.
The real estate firm of Chas. S. Muir G.
Co. has just completed improvements in
their offices at No. 1903 New York avenue
The sales department, under the manage
ment of Charles A Rhodes, has been great
ly enlarged. Allan Gales Jennings and A.
Lynn Mcdowell have recently become iden-
titled with the sales force of this firm.
bonding department has been added to
the business.
As to the Market
1t is natural there should be quite a va
riety in the views entertained by real es-
tate brokers, architects and builders in re-
gard to the prospects for the coming months
of spring and summer. The evidences of
what Is coming and what is to be done in
the way of new building enterprises and
other phases of an active market are not
val of time. AS a. rule people are in the
midst of things before they realize that
anything at all is going on.
The consequence is that developments in
a business way are apt to be more less
surprising. whether one is interested in the
stock market. in real estate or in CONNER
cial lines. According to one idea change
in the weather will do much toward clear
ing the situation and giving more distinct
view of what the future mas III store for
those interested in the real estate market.
Such person has great faith in the infu-
ence of a bright. sunshiny day upon those
who are either proposing some enterprise or
the purchase of property. When people are
able to move about and see things, then,
according to such view, they are apt to
get busy.
When Money is Plentiful.
On the other hand is the opinion that
the condition of the money market has
good deal to do with what is going to be
done in real estate affairs. A scarcity
of money means a let-uD in activities of
various sorts. for in reality as we'll as in
other activities money is the motive power
and without it there is not much that can
be done.
1t is also thought even with good weather
and plenty OF money the market will not
be helped If there are any extensive addi-
lions made to the number of houses. The
thought of the man advancing this view of
the market is that the supply of houses
counting those that are not W to date or
are in bad condition. ought to be reduced
before any more houses are built.
Houses UP to Date.
He does not think so merely because he
wants the city to be developed in a uni
form fashion, for the same reason that
some years ago protests were heard against
adding to the number of subdivisions while
there remained vacant ground within the
original bounds of the city. OF course 1t
would be well to exhaust the available
houses before additional ones are provided,
but merely refraining from building would
not bring old buildings up to date or make
the repairs that are necessary to keep
houses rentable.
Houses that are not rented because of
some defect are not likely to have much
influence on the market. In fact, 1t is more
apt to be the other way. as the market
compels the maintaining of property in a
first-rate condition.