Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-07-16
Do It Now.
(Reprinted From Manufacturers Rec
ord Iulv Q 1914 Y

Do It Now.
(Reprinted From Manufacturers Rec
ord, July 2, 1914
Building material is low. labor is
abundant and eager for work, archi-
tects and contractors have more time
now to plan and carry out contracts
than in periods of activity. Lumber is
cheap, machinery builders are anxious
for orders. pig-iron is much lower in
price than it ought to be to yield a fair
profit to the producers. and to many
other things pertaining to building, to
machinery. and to construction work
the same things apply.
Every man who knows this country
and its recuperative power knows that
this condition will sooner or later give
way to Astounding prosperity. Just
how soon that prosperity will come no
one con say, but it may be much near
er here than many people anticipate.
Even. however, if it should be some
what delayed in it's coming, it will
eventually be here in full power.
The man who wants home and has
the money with which to build it can
build now to better advantage than
when prosperity comes, and at a much
lower cost and with more care and at
tentlon on the part Of contractors and
mechanics. The manufacturing con-
Germ that needs new equipment. or will
need it when prosperity comes, can se-
cure this equipmeet today to much bet
ter advantage than it can do at time
when every factory is crowded and
when machinery people are able to
command a full price for everything
they turn out.
There are thousands of concerns in
this country who fully intend to enlarge
their plants and have available at pres
ent the money which could be thus ex-
pended, hut who. by reason of the spir-
/ it Of pessimism abroad, merely sit
down and wait, taking the ground that
they will do nothing until times are
better. When times are better they
will then rush like a flock of sheep each
one struggling to be the first to enlarge
his plant or to buy new equipment, and
the cost will be greater than it would
be at present, and the plant will be
under construction or under enlarge
ment at the very time when it should
be running to its utmost capacity to
turn out goods. A boom period is no
time for wise expenditure in the en-
largement of plants. A period of de-
preston is the time for doing work of
this kind.
Thousands and tens of thousands of
men in this country are intending to
build homes for themselves, but are
waiting for what they think will be a
more propitious moment, when every
body will be an optimist rather than
pessimist. When they do undertake
to build, every item will cost them
more and they will find great difficulty
in securing as much attention in com
struction work and in the equipment of
their homes as could be had now.
There are some concerns 4hat could
not raise the money for betterments at
such period as this. There are man.
men who cannot afford to put money
into the building of home at present.
fThese are not the ones we are consid-
ering. The ones who ought TODD
these things are the ones who have the
money available, but who follow the
general talk of the day and sit down
and do little or nothing, merely be-
cause they say times are ba and 1--WE
| will wait for better times
This is prominently the time when
every man who expects to build a home
a store or an Office building, if he has
the money, should do it. This is the
time when every manufacturing enter
prise which knows that it needs new
machinery or the enlargement of its
plant. and has the money available,
should do the work. This is the time
when our municipalities should press as
vigorously as possible all Of their i'm
provemeDts in order to get the benefit
of the lower prices of materials now
prevailing as compared with boom per-
iods. Almost over night change in
business could he brought about if peo-
Pile who are able to do this building
and construction work would under-
take it now.