Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-11-18
BUILDING ACTIVITY
STILL ON Increase
Laborers Scarce, Costs OF
Material Cause Delay;
Houses in Great Demand
ARCHITECTS BUSY
WITH NEW PLANS

Following a week Of quiet, the week
just past in building circles has been
unusually active and with great prom
ise for the future, it is declared by
builders and architects. The pc
culiarity of building conditions just
now is the disposition of many people
to hesitate about having the, work
done after plans have been prepared
Whether they are deferred by the cost
or decide to wait until the outcome OF
certain business affairs is not ex-
planned, but architects comment on
the number of people who ask first
for drawings, then plans and specifi-
cations, and after bids have been re-
ceived and estimates given stop the
entire proceedings.
Building affairs also are suffering
from high cost Of materials and diff
Guilty in obtaining labor. Not only
do laborers of all kinds demand high
prices for their work, but they often
are unwilling to work for more than
a few days a week and are particular
about what they do. HOdcarriers will
not mix cement, for example, It is
declared. Diggers will not carry the
hod. Assistants to carpenters or brick
LAYERS will not do anything else.
Building material is coming in more
rapidly than for some time and jobs
which have been held up on this &C
count now are progressing rapidly.
There is still a great demand Tor
low price houses both for rent and
for sale. In spite OF the great de-
mand and the willingness of people
TO nav high rentals. builders are not
disposed to erect new houses in large
numbers on account of the heavy cost.
Even the high rentals will not pro-
vide a sufficient income TO warrant
erection OF new houses, It Is SAID,
buildings which formerly could be
erected for $4,000 now costing around
$4,000. The worst feature OF this, II
Is said. is the fear that the new
houses once erected at the high cost
NAV prove bad investments when az
fairs become adjusted and rentals as
sumo their normal level
In spite of this many new homes
are being erected and occasional re-
norris are received Of blocks OF eN-
cellent homes constructed for rental
n,irnoses. The number of these IS
not adequate to the demand, however
and the house situation in Whining
ton already intense last spring IS
ranidlv becoming serious. II is al
,nost imnossible to obtain adequate
honses of any kind and people who
Svould ordinarily be occupying houses
are living in a few rooms or boarding
because adequate accommodations are
not 10 he had. The proper remedy
Tor This is the erection Of new homes,
A. is declared, and this will come about
an snite Of the declaration Of builders
that it will not pay. go,
The situation is one that always con
fronts any rapidly growing city, u Is
declared and there will be an ADJUST,
,,,on+ ;ust a. soon as architects ana
builders discover the new relation OF
~ertals 10 cost of building as It appears
,,rder 'nreseut conditions. In other WORDS
tbe cost of materials and OF labor Will
dron after a while and the lack Oh ac-
oommodations will keep rentals 10
nrice so high chat it will actually pay
h erect numbers of new houses.
No now large contracts have been let
5,,rino the mast week, but contractors
all report they are busy with small JOBS,
"a busv in fact that they can scarceiy
at. care Of the work. John II. healy
q Con have started work on the WI
.,,,D,+on Club and have about hnisheo
tha excavatine. Work is progressing on
4be new building of the Electric hose
~ p,,hber COMPANY, at Twelfth anu
D,re streets. This company aso -
carving out a piece OF worN loi ~ -
Speakman Supply and Pipe COMPANY Ti ~, ~
Thirtieth and Spruce streets - nV anJ
consists of additions. and aiters''oll7 a.
ryill cost about $1,000. WORK on vu
warehouse at No. s22 Iatnau sllee''
bein0 done by this company, IS progress
inc rapidly now, although heia up 'O' "
WbiI9 bv lack of materials: c.,
A :. Reed, Brother and sons ~
many are estimating on new organi'
laboratory for the DUPONT fo"uer O '3'I
any at Henry Clay. The new Duilu'
tbe only one 81 the kind IN the
s+oto and possibly in the country Is
- no a feet bv 80 feet in ground area
80 stories high and with a basement
Tho structure is to be OF brick ana con
= W. Wi, on the new High School build
- ~, is progressing rapidly with 'he
~ a-;,ol of building material. The ROOF
III = in Mace and the inside beams
~ 80 be;ng received. Recently four car
lads of gypsum building blocks werf
roceived for partitions. Work - oe'ns
carried on inside the building. WoIEon
~ Miller Road dupont mechanical iaoo-
'otorv is progressing slowly. Inc s,ruc'
t,re ;s 10 be of hollow tile ana slon''
Much Of the stone work is being u1nc
Nv. n. Haddock & Co. are now piacans
tbo foundation of the st. Andrew new
oarisb house. AZ Eighth and erange
Streets A. s. Reed, Brother and sons
Companv are digging cellar TO lns
Raedenkopf Building. at Seventh anu
Sbinlev streets. This building Is no"
otherwise about completed and WORK
men are LAYING the floors and setting the
partitions for the big show windows.
7. s. Bader & Co. report great ae.iV-
CIV IN all lines. Mr.. Bader said yester-
dev however. he could not give out
nnvthing particularly, although general
building conditions are active.
Among the architects affairs are ,
rushing, il is declared. Numerous
mans and specifications are being
prepared. although in many cases the 2
building does not materialize or often /
gets no further than the estimates .
fhe owners stopping when the cost
of the new structures are learned.
As this produces activity among the
orabifacts however " IS not regarded