The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-20
Statistics for Operations in
1909 Indicate Large Per-
centage of Growth.
CONCRETE POPULAR WITH
BUILDERS OF MODERN DAY
Pacific Coast Cities Shown to Be
Largest Users of Lumber
i'm Construction.

The United States Geological survey
has just published the statistics OF build
ing operations in the United States for
the calendar year of 1909, The figures
show a decided increase over the 1907-0
period.
The cost of building operations in fifty
one cities that reported for all three years
was s6i6.059,S55 in 1907, $3.50, ,16o, 404 In
for 1909 over 1907 OF SIPS. .s77, ,7O9, or l9.4s
per cent, and over 1908 of s205, 772, 100,
or 1884 per cent. The estimated cost OF
building operations in these cities in
1906 was ST00, ,000, 900. so that there was
an increase in 1909 over 1906 of more
than 10 per cent.
The increases and decreases for indi-
vidual cities in 1909 as compared with
1905 are not very significant. because 1908
was not normal year; The largest in
crease reported for 1908 was 1914, f20.
or IS. rs per cent. by Chicago. and the
next largest was si,ii6.I09, or 1872 per
cent, by New York; the increases In 1909
by these two cities were. respectively,
S2S. DOB $50 or .l.65 per cent, and S6s.22S:-
O95, or 57.9l per cent. Brooklyn. which
had the largest decrease (s26. 42I,6O4) In
1905 showed the third largest gain In
1909-Sl. .402, 06l. OF the cities that
showed decreases in 1909. San Francisco
had the largest s5.4Si,273, or 1872 per
or 47.42 per cent. the largest proportional
decrease; and Oakland was third. with
sl.O02 O51. or 1856 per cent. The de.
creases in these cities may be ascribed
to local causes. The significant decrease
in San Francisco indicates that the build
Ing activities OF that city have probably
reached a nearly normal condition after
the abnormal condition following the
building operations in San Francisco for
the last Ave years has been as follows;
1905. SIS 2Gs. 753. 1906. s34.o27 1896: 1907,
i56.57i,S44. 1908. S3l ,66S,34l; 1909, s26,-
ISL. .06S.
Increase In Permits.
The number Of permits issued in these
1fty-one cities increased from l74,oS4 In
1905 when there was & decrease from
1907 OF 1851. to 213. 49S In 1903, gain
OF 3s 904 or 80 % per cent. The number
OF permits or buildings does not seem to
bear any definite relation 20 the cost OF
the operations. several cities showing
Increases In cost OF buildings showed de-
creases in number OF permits or build
ings. while some OF those showing de-
crcases in cost showed increases In num-
Der OF permits or buildings
The average cost Of operations under
the total permits issued in these fifty y-one
cities was $36l6 In 1909, against s32i3 in
1908 In New York the average cost per
building was s2i.3SI In 1909, against SD
305 in 1908, in Chicago 1t was si34l In
1909. against S6327 In 1908; In Brooklyn.
S4672 in 1909. against si259 In 1905; In
Philadelphia, S2iS0 in 1902. against s2lOI
In 1903; IN San Francisco. S4536 in 1903.
against S3iOb In lJuS-
For the first time an attempt was made
TO collect statistics OF the building opera
tons by character Of buildings and also
by additions. alterations and repairs 10
each class of buildings. Figures reported
from l2S cities gave details showing the
kinds OF buildings erected and the addi-
tions, alterations and repairs 10 each
class OF buildings under 2a6,536 permits al
cost OF 03,3S5.95i, the new buildings
constituting 90.3 per cent Of the cost and
the additions. alterations and repairs 81
per cent. OF the cost OF these new build
ings. 73. "a per cent was for hre resisting
buildings and 26.T6 per cent was for
wooden buildings. OF the total cost OF
additions. alterations and repairs. 65 %
per cent was for fire resisting buildings
and 81 - per cent was for wooden build
ings. The average cost IN 1909 for new
brick buildings, s9522; for store build
ings. $ll.67o for concrete buildings. sl7,-
0a9; and for miscellaneous hre resisting
buildings, SG3.S90.
Wood Used On Coast
Seattle had the largest number of new
vas waS'ta second on'ah with 5ssi Buildings. Chi
.cago was the leading city in cost OF
wooden buildings with total OF SlS,-
$3.50. San Francisco was second, Si2:-
Reading was the only city that reported
no wooden buildings erected. New York
reported the construction OF fire resisting
buildings at a cost OF s1Si. 337, Chi
iO5 500; Brooklyn third. s5+ 65S.72l. Phlla-
dclphia fourth, si2,570.77o. St Louis NTH.
500 i22.929 and San Francisco sixth. s13a
l2i.9ST. The average cost of new fire re-
sisting buildings In the fifteen cities re-
porting the greatest cost for this class
ranged from s2l5l in Philadelphia to 500
3s; in New York In new brick build
ings New York was the leading city.
Brooklyn second. Chicago third. and
Phllad elphia fourth. Chicago took the
lead In stone buildings. New York being
second and San Francisco third, Chicago
was also in the lead In concrete ouild :
ings, with Seattle second and Philadel-
fhia third.
Out of the i2S cities considered. seven
ty-ainc erected new concrete buildings:
1871 In number which shows the wide
spread use Of this material.
In addition 10 these l2S cities nine
others reported only totals for permits
and for cost of buildings. which brought
the total number OF permits ~ TO 273. sS@
this total cost the ffty-one cities already
referred TO furnished 1895 per cent,