Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-18
AFFECTED
BY WAR CONDITIONS
Curtailed Operations, in View of Ex-
perts, Means Change in Trend
Of Industry.

Business conditions have changed al
most as much during the last few
months as in the past two years. This
applies to nearly every industry in the
country. The fundamental factors in
fiuencing business have taken on rad
ically altered aspect due to the assur-
ance OF this nations fixed determina-
ton to stay in this fight to a finish
The coming industry of this country is
war. or, as it has been stated, Business
but not as usual" For most indus
tries this change means. Business more
than usual" with one important quail
fication. which is that growing en-
phasis will be put on the necessities
and utilities. No one can study the
tremendous financial preparations, the
estimates of which daily become larger,
without realizing that business must
continue in immense volume. however
changed in character. This is what is
Implied in the phrase, Reimbursement to
q war basis"
fundamental industry as building will
not be affected by this change. Some
OF these effects are already in evidence.
Today we speak of ''curtailed building
operations" which is the popular in
depreciation of the wars effect on build
ing. But this does not tell the whole
story. Rather should we say Change
in the building trend"
Value Of Work Started.
1t is altogether probable that the to-
tai volume OF building operations dur
ing the war will continue great. The
thing to bear in mind. however. is that
much of this work will be war con-
struction in all it's various ramifica-
tions. Particularly ought factory con-
-trncfiop to prosper in the changing or
der of things. This tendency toward
inuustriei building Is already apparent,
as the following figures covering the
central and eastern sections of the
United States will show:
Increase
de-
June. 1917. June, 1915. crease.
opsrstion.. sia.5oi.ooo so474ooo Saa
erations.... es,s5i.ooo as743Ooo -aTss
operations. s7,71s.ooo 5isss.ooo 7oqs
From the above data it will be seen
that manufacturing and miscellaneous
work Is rapidly growing. whereas pure
ly residential building (Which has a
greater tendency to be speculative) is
less active. The factors underlying
the present inclination TO forego spec
ulative investment in building are of
the same nature as those which keep
investors out of the stock market. On
the other hand. the increasing demand
for manufacturing structures and va
rious allied work (classed as miscel-
laneousl Is due to the same causes that
are stimulating the various industries
of the country to maximum produce
tion. In other words. activity now
tends toward the work necessary to
supply the basic needs of the country.
These are the lines that will flourish
most during the war, and this applies to
building. as well as to all other types
of industry.
In building circles, attention is now
nxed primarily upon the various gov
eminent operations, which have q d.
rect and Immediate military bearing.
These are proving to be of greater
magnitude than was at first estimated.
and will require the employment OF q
vast volume of labor. At the present
moment the greatest Importance at
taches to this work.
As the war progresses. however. We
shall see an increase In other phases
Of building activity less directly though
no less fundamentally related to the