Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-06-18


The press of the country occa'
s,onally prints an article setting
forth the advantages which builders
may derive, but no systematic cam
paign for the enlightenment of the
people who are In position to build
ever has been launched.
THE TIME TO BUILD. This
country is suffering, IL at all, with
suppressed enthusiasm. The ware
houses are full; stocks of lumber,
building hardware, lime cement and
all other classes of building material
are more than sufficient to supply
the, present demands. Nomlnally
some manufacturers of building ma
terials have not lowered their prices.
but In every line. owing to the slack
demand, dealers are willing to makp
concession to secure business. This
Is true of the glass makers, lumber
men, hardware dealers. brick and
stone men and Of producers OF al
most every article that enters into
the construction of dwellings, ware
houses and Office buildings.
It is true in every line of industry
in the United States and each par
ticular department of trade Is walt
ing for SOMETHING TO START.
NOW rs THE TIME TO START
1T. The reason has been stated and
may be reiterated.
Material and labor can be secured
on more advantageous terms now
than at any other time within the
last Ave years, and probably more
cheaply than will be possible at any
time after 1908.
Mills and factories are being OPP
Grated under reduced schedule.
Some OF them are closed down co.
tirely. The workmen who manned
these Institutions are idle; some OF
them are walking the streets look
ing for employment. They are able
and anxious to work and under the
present conditions will give greater
and better service in exchange for
less money now than they have been
accu7tomed to give in the past.
Money Is seasIer. A Chicago bank
has Just issued this statement
WE MADE A REAL ESTATE
LOAN LATE IN MAY AT AZ PER
CENT AND SOLD 1T THREE DAYS
AFTER WE MADE 1T. WE ARE
MAKING LoNAs EVERY DAY AT
5 PER CENT AND THAT WILL BE
THE CURRENT RATE VERY
Lumber now is being offered at
prices which appear ridiculously
low when compared with market
values last year. Where the man
ufacturer or the dealer refuses to
make heavy concessions In prices
some one else willing to do so steps
in and takes the trade.
This year a great deal OF lumber
has been sold at prices that did not !
Yield sufficient to cover the actual
cost OF producing the stock. This,
Of coarse. has not been the case gem
orally. but the lumber trade, so far
his year, has been conducted on
about the same basis as the business
,f the man who trades a dollar for
100 cents.
Yellow pine, hemlock, spruce,
lorthern pine and hardwoods in all
sections OF the country now are be-
ng offered at prices ranging from
s2 to $40 below last years schedules.
Shingles, red cedars from the west,
bringing s1.2O to $40 a thousand
below last years level.
Prices of millwork are on approx
mately the same footing. other
Iinds of building material also are
,elng offered at bargain prices.
Retail dealers as a class have
worked on their high preed goods,
which have been replaced by late
purchases at as near current values
Is It was possible to secure.
In some sections of the country
has been good bat as
Whole II is far from satisfactory.
Its sluggishness may be traced
argely TO the Ignorance of the peo-
lie who are able to build and who
10 not appreciate or do not know
# present advantages.
moments reflection could con
'inee anyone that 1t is pretty safe
hing to buy at prices which repre-
ent merely the cost of production.
IL Is incumbent upon those who
landle building material to aoquaint
he trade with those facts.
GnOu rafpoaAg anA afbap |