The Washington herald., 1908-06-21

Plambng -.-.--------.--...--.. so 500 rs /
Heating ......-................. 30 so 20 /
Painting .................--.-.. A0 hl Lt5 /
IUmher. s. 20 s. a thousand less.
The foregoing comparative values repre- !
sent actual figures secured by a gentle !
man who wished 20 build. The 1907 prices |
We're made during the latter part OF that
year and the 1905 prices this month.
1t is high time the general public in
forms itself OF this condition OF affairs
and profits by the opportunity now pre-
sented. one which probably Will not long
be available.
No uniform reduction in the retail prices
OF lumber has been made by the dealers
Of the country. Some have very material
~ reduced their prices and claim 10 have
encouraged building by this policy. In
other sections. however cheap lumber
now being offered has 10 be transported
SUCH great distances thdt the freight
rates put n high value on the products.
This particularly Is true throughout the
Eastern section OF the country and 10
more limited extent in the Northern ter
ritory where local supplies are inadequate
SnvInE of 2S.5 Per Cent Effected.
Referring again 70 the comparative
schedule Of values submitted. II viii be
seen that the total cost in 1907 would have
been S.Sl4 for the items mentioned. For
1905 the bids put in represented a cost Of
only 81, 727. a saving Of 81. .Os7 on the build
ing for which prices were secured. repre-
senting a decrease of 2S5 per cent. This
reduction possibly may be out Of the ordi-
nary II scarcely is possible that building
could be done for a third Jess now than in
1907. but the figures given represent esti-
mates made by contractors during the
two periods.
This showing is sufficiently strong 10
warrant every prospective builder or
every one who is in position 10 build in
taking this matter up and making a thor
ough investigation Of the subject.
Conditions In different parts OF the eoun-
try vary What is said Of one town may
not be applicable 20 another, and probably
would not be applicable to all the coun-
try, but in every city and every village in
the United States il is a comparatively
easy matter TO determine the relative cost
/ this year and last and beyond question it
will be found that buildings can be put up
/ this year at saving of anywhere from 10
| to y per cent Of the cost in 1907.
Conditions in Chicago.
Speaking Of conditions in Chicago and
the Northwest. the Lumberman says:
! Mills and factories are being operated
under reduced schedule. Some Of them
! are closed down entirely. The workmen
who manned those institutions are idle
some Of them are walking the streets
looking for employment. They are able
and anxious TO work and under present
conditions will give greater and better
/ service in exchange for less money now
J than they have been accustomed 10 give
/ in the past.
1 Money is easier Chicago bank has
| Just issued this statement:
we made a real estate loan late in May
! at AZ per cent and sold il three days after
we made H. We are making loans every
! day at per cent, and that will be the
/ current rate very soon"
Lumber now is being offered at prices
which appear ridiculously low when com
pared with market values last year.
Where the manufacturer or the dealer re-
fuses to make heavy concessions in prices
some one else willing 10 do so steps in and
takes the trade
Lumber Selling Near Cost.
This year a great deal of lumber has
been sold at prices that did not yield sufi-
cient to cover the actual cost Of producing
the stock. This. Of course, has not been
the case generally, but the lumber trade
so far this year has been conducted on
about the same basis as the business OF
the man who trades dollar for 100 cents.
| Yellow pine. hemlock, spruce, northern
pine, and hardwoods in all sections Of the
country now are being offered at prices
| ranging from 81 10 $40 below last years
schedules Shingles. red cedars from the
West. bring Sl.2O to S1.30 thousand below
last years level
Prices of millworS are on approximately
the same footing. other kinds Of building
material also are being offered at bargain
prices.
Retail dealers as a class have worked
off their high-priced goods. which have
been replaced by late purchases at as
near current values as II was possible "a
secure.
In some sections OF the country building
has been good. but as a whole it is far
from satisfactory.
Its sluggishness may be traced largely
to the ignorance Of the people who are
able to build and who do not appreciate
or do not know of present advantages.
A moments reflection could cOnvince
any one that il is a pretty safe thing &c
buy al prices which represent merely the
cost Of production 1t is incumbent upor
those who handle building material to ac-
quaint the trade with those facts.
Soon the railroads and other heavy con
sumers must come into the market. and
the instant they do prices are going 10 ad.
vance 10 TO . per cent. and the individual
who delayed building in the hope OF secur-
ing even better terms is going to be left.
While Won think OF IL telephone vour
Want Ad TO The Washington Herald, anc