The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-12-24
NOW is THE TIME
TO BUILD A HOUSE

With material selling at the lowest
figures and labor plentiful, now is the
time to build home at low cost, in
the opinion of local lumber dealers.
This fact has been called to the atten.
tion of the public by the American
Lumberman. The city of Chicago is
taken as an example. but almost any
community in the country is in a simi-
lar condition.
People who have been talking for
years about building house are hereby
notified that this is the time to have
the plans drawn and start the work of
construction.
ln other words, building of all kinds
can be done at the present time at
lower cost than at any time within the
last ten years.
A house that would cost SIC, 600 to
build year ago can be completed to-
day Tor $1,000. 1t may not cost more
than IS, ,000.
That does not mean that building
construction has stopped in Chicago.
10 the contrary. So far as the official
records go. as many buildings were
started last month in the city as a year
ago. AS already announced, the real
estate market for the first eleven
months of 1914 showed substantial
gain over the same period in 1918.
Chicago people are. in spite of the
business depression caused by the great
war, continuing their building opera
tions with no sign of stoppage. Once
they realize that they can get their
work done at discount of from 10 TO
20 per cent below last years figure
they may be expected to come forward
with a rush.
In the first place, the prices of build
ing materials are on the average, less
than they were year ago. Lumber,
cement. and structural steel are three
OF the building essentials in which the
drop in price has been most marked.
The best available authorities estimate
that at least 10 per cent can be saved
at present in buying bill of building
materials. In addition the present pur-
chaser can be sure of getting quick de-
liveries and other concessions.
Union mechanics of all sorts insist
on being paid the union scale now ex.
actly as when jobs are plentiful and
few men are out of work. But con-
tractors generally recognize that under
present conditions the same man will
do more work in day than when times
are flush and demand for labor is
greater than the supply.
1T is only human nature" said an
old contractor. When times are nor
NAL and there are more jobs than men
the average workman will not exert
himself. A bricklayer, for instance,
may under those circumstances lay 800
or 900 brick in day Now, when |
there are probably 1900 bricklayers
out of work in Chicago, one may expect
to have 1900 or more brick laid in the |
same length of time. think that the
increase in efficiency will amount to
from 5 to 10 per cent. Furthermore,
believe there is hardly man in Chica-
go who can not increase his efficiency
to the same extent under the same
amount of pressure.
I'm other words, one may now pick
the most skilled and expert men in al
most every line of work.
1t is also declared that at present the
person who is building house may
fairly expect to get more careful atten-
tion from his architect then when
craftsmen and superintendents are
overworked. So far as supervision will
effect it he should get better as we'll as
cheaper building.
But when one talks with contractors
another factor is covered which offers
still greater savings to the man who
wants to build house, fiat building
or other structure.
Every considerable contractor has in
his employ number of experienced
men on whose skill and loyalty he has
come to rely. The future of his busi-
ness largely depends on keeping his
regular force intact. In addition the
average employer feels certain respon-
sibility toward the MEN who have given
him faithful service. For both reasons
he is anxious to keep his force at work
as long and as fully as possible.
The result is that under present con.
1itions contractors are making very
low bids on new buildings. In many
instances they are cutting out practi-
cally all profit, and are offering to un-
1ertake construction work at cost. IL
the contractors normal profit be esti.
mated at 10 per cent, bid at cost, of
course, should make a saving of the
same amount to the owner.