The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-03
TIME TO BUILDs
ANSWER IS stNoW,v ACCORDING TO
 AMERICAN LUsfBhRstAN.
Outlay Required Much Less Than Here. tofore---Facts, Supplemented by Figures, for Considerations.
 Cost of Material Down.

 caption of an editorial in the last is- sue Of The American Lumberman. paper published in Chicago and devoted | to the building trade. and 1t will be | read with perhaps more interest than | any article in recent years devoted to the building industry. According to tks editorial. which contains facts sup | plenented by figures the cost of build- | ing material is far less this year than l 1t was in 1907. or in fact any time l within the past five years and the | claim is made that man with idle | money may ind employment and pros- | pefity by the improvement of vacant property
 Reports received by The American Lun German and incorporated in the editorial show that this decrease in ton of the country.
 Required Outlay Much Lessened.
 The following Is the editorial and the reports:
 statennents have been recived from manufacturers. builders and contrac- tors Tn all parts of the United States. Fhese statements go to show that the present cost of building ranges from ten to twenty-nve per cent below the statement can be made as to the reia- tive cost Of building this year. and last that would apply to all parts of the United States. The build now campaign is making wonderful prog ress. It has received the approval and indorsenent of practically every news paper to which 1t has been submitted and of thousands of ltimb ermen and commercial and trade organizations throughout the country The state nents made appear to have aroused a general desire to get busys and one of the best known means is to go to work. This may sound whimsical. but it is not SC intended. A man with Idle money oan find employment for himself and his capital by improving vacant property, and his determination to get busy will result in putting q score or more people to work
 The experience of thousands has demonstrated that aIi classes of build. ings can De put up much cheaper now than ct any time within the last five years. Those to whom employment is given will do more and better work for the same wages or for less pay than all kinds can be supplied promptly. and experienced builders know that promptness on the part of material people in delivering what is required has much to do with determining the final cost of a structure.
 Some fllumlnating Estimates.
 The ATinsrican Luinb this week has secured from representative deaiA CTS in Chicago close estimates showing the relative costs of materials this year and last. Among the Items showing the heaviest decreases are the follew- lnss
 Common brick, s5.1o to Ss.s6 in fs0f; ss.50 to S3.75 in 1908.
 Portland cement, domestic, now sa.e per cent. less than 1901, -
 General mill work, now ten to aeven- teen per cent less than In 1907. With reference to mill work, prices were secured from a local house, and the estimates made in 1904, 1908 and | 1906 are contfastsd with the prices of | the same buildings in 1908. The total | cost Of the mill work during the years first named was $s01,Bs. At the pres. ent time the material would be sold for S75o.26. 8 decrease in the value of | 1b.6 Der cent. 1. ss.5a- 1zf
 Situation in other Cities. | Condensing the reports on the pres snt cost of building received from all sections of the country, The American Lufnb erman Is pleased to give herewith relative statements which should prove of great interest and value to prospec- tive builders.
 Cleveland, o--on one building nere ! 1908 prices were compared with 1907 prices for the same structure and the saving In masonry and grading. plas- tering, plumbing, heating and painting was 2s.5 per cent. Lumber is $+ to ss lower.
 Hammond, Ill.--Comparins estimates | on eight houses, 1901 to 1908, common lumber and shingles only, today's prices are below the average for eight years. Des Moines. Ia.-LumDer and cement are on the bargain counter. Building material is cheaper today than at any time within the last eight, years. | - l Sycamore, nl.-Prices of general building material are estimated to be 10 to 14 per cent below last years Scale.
 San Francisco, CaL--Cost of eonstruce ton now is 25 to 40 per cent.less at this time than last year. Both material and labor have declined in price. Bridgewater, Mass.--Lumber is sell- | ing for s5 to $s thousand less now than the prices demanded last year. Decatur, 1ll-The low level in build ing material prices thought to have been reacneo, wages ana maGoftA1 now obtainable at IS to 20 per cent. less than year ago.
 Detroit, Mlch.--Labor can be secured for less money and is more efficient now than last year. The general cost of building estimated to be 15 per cent. below the. 1907 schedule.
 Winnipeg. Man.--An illustration of | the reduction in wages is furnished by report which shows that the rail- roads of Canada now are paying $1.20 day for men who last year command. cd s2.50 a day.
 Rhinelander. wis.--stonework, ce- ment, hardware and other building ma tertals much cheaper. One church is being built for 20 per cent. less than the price asked last year.
 Meridian. Miss.-Cost of building material is off about 25 per cent as | compared with last years prices. Wages of carpenters. masons and oth- | CT artisans are about one-quarter lower than last year.
 Buffalo, N. Y.--A great deal Of money is on the market seeking investment at | low rates of interest. Material and | labor can be secured cheaper than will be possible at any time after 1908. Utica, N. Y.---On the authority of a leading architect it is stated that buildings this year can be put up at a reduction of IS per cent. below last | xyear'a nriceg.