The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-06
THE TIME TO BUILD.

$500 AANsH ~ bSAbDs
Not In some years has a more favor
able time TO build every sort Of build
Ing presented itself than today. Pc
oullar conditions have combined TO
make the situation unique. It may be
quite natural, from the point Of view
of their own interests, that the lum-
bermen and producers OF building sup
plies generally are today urging, from
one end Of the country to the other,
Build Now Campaign" as 1t is called,
but. nevertheless. It is movement we'll
worth consideration by those who have
money to invest In real estate. It Is
the psychological moment, as II were,
from whatever viewpoint II is consid-
cred Not only are lumber and other
building materials cheaper but they are
much cheaper than a year ago or than
In several years; not only is labor apt
to be found more reasonable but GER
tainly better grade OF labor is avail
able; not only is the demand for desir-
able house and office rents increasing
every day but, with the return of
a new and better prosperity than this
country has ever seen, such as those
who are In n position TO Judge are ex-
pecting, that demand will reach a high
water mark.
The American Lumberman, a trade
paper that is very close to the building
industries, has made a careful canvass
of the manufacturers. builders and
contractors OF the country and has
drawn UP figures that show that the
present cost of building ranges from
10 to rs per cent. below that Of a year
ago. 1t need not be considered a case OF
hit or miss that the directors of the
Equitable Life have decided 10 build
their new giant skyscraper at cost OF
s1O,0OoO0O now. That cost would un-
doubleday have been considerably
greater a year ago Since that time
food, rent. and clothing. which COM
prise the basis for comparison with the
great middle class, have been but ut
tie cheaper, Il at all, but with lumber,
| steel, brick, cement. stone, plaster,
plumbing, fixtures and all the other
minor accessories Of building there has
been a decided drop. This has been be-
cause people have had to be fed. housed
and clothed With the commodities
that supplied those wants there has
been felt little less demand. But the
capitalist, great or small, has felt II 10
be the part OF wisdom not TO invest his
money until conditions changed. The
demand for building commodities
thereupon decreased TO a minimum UNI
I'll finally building operations suspended
and the supply Of building materials
stopped with the demands. The various
plants, factories and mills, manufactur-
ing building materials, shut down
Today those plants are reopening
From Pittsburg comes the news daily
of an unexpected business revival and
Of the steel plants there which are
now running almost TO capacity. The
disastrous forest fires OF the summer
may have their effect upon the lumber
supply. They cannot help but do so.
Yet neither with the lumber men, the
steel men or any of the others that
supply building materials. need de-
cided increase In price be expected yet
awhile. They are all too glad to see
prosperity returning TO want to dis
courage 1t at this time
As for the workmen even the best of
them have been laid off. Whoever
| would Dulld now can nave their pick
of the most expert. At rock bottom
prices they can build houses and Of
fees and have them ready for the de-
mand that is sure to come for them.
1t will be interesting to see II the
Build Now Campaign" has as pro-
nouneed an effect in New Haven, In
proportion to the size OF the city, as It
Is sure to have elsewhere. The fact that
the total cost of the buildings for
which permits were granted here dur
ing the month Of July was $l15,97O
greater than the total for the CORE
spending month last year is encour-
aging,