The Washington times., 1919-04-12
CALL MEETING
TO STABILIZE
D.G.BUILDING
District Commissioners Move
to Revive Interest in Industry
and Weld Organizations.
NJ SILL PRICE

- SILL PRICE
The District Commissioners regard
as oe paramount ImpOrtanee the con-
fsrencs called BY them for next
Wednesday afternoon AZ $50 o'eIoek.
in the board room Of the District
Building, for the purpose Of attempt
Ing 20 revive and stabilize the build
ing industry in the District.
The attempt that win be made =
establish an understanding and co
operation will chiefly concern the
public, builders, organised labor.
dealers IN building supplies and ms
terial and financial interests
The conference q the result OF q re-
quest submitted 90 the Commissioners
by ". I. Galliher, chairman az q
meeting held April IN the Builders'
and Manufacturers' Exchange 20 de-
wise ways and means 70 bring about
stabiiization OF the building Industry
here for q fixed period OF time.
At this nrst conferences there were
present Representatives from the
Board Of Trade, Chamber OF Com
merce, Merchants and Manufacturers'
Association. banking and financial in
ton Chapter OF the American Institute
OF Architects, Department OF Labor,
builders and construction companies.
Lumber Exchange and Builders and
Manufaeturers' Exchange.
Tive TAeusana Houses Needed.
Competent authorities state that
1000 new houses OF all sizes are Bad
ly needed IN this city. This Is a min
imum estimate. There - q high de-
mand for homes. The builders are
falling 20 supply this demand and the
public IL resorting to individual con-
struction work, especially In subur-
ban sections.
The Commissioners are hopeful that
the conference next Wednesday may
bring about st4bIlization for 3 fixed
period Of time, at least. Of
Prices OF building materials.
Rates OF wages TO be paid.
Small profits to builders.
Liberal rates of interest on loans
Larger loans to builderA
The situation in WASHINGTON, as IN
many other places. Is briefly this:
Bankers and money lenders are wait
ing. They say II Is for the peace
treaty to be signed. The builders
are waiting for lower prices on build
ing material. larger loans. and for
an understanding with labor that II
they start work there will be no de-
mands for increase IN wages.
II the builders and real estate men
could have an understanding with
material dealers that they will cut
to the smallest their profits. thereby
lowering prices; with organized labor
that wages would not be increased
for a given period, and with the
money lenders that they win lend
more literally, building projects
would start all over Warrington.
Purchaser II Big Faetor.
The purchaser is. OF course, q big
factor in all this effort to stabilize.
The builder must be able to show to
the purchaser that he has construct
ed houses at price possibly as low
~ they viii be constructed for In
many future years; that it was done
through q general agreement Of all
concerned to shave their profits, 10
other words, that the houses put on
sale represent value and merit.
The builders say that their hrst
and foremost trouble Is that money
lenders will not loan any more on 3
building now than they did before the
war; ha.t is, they will loan 100000 on
building that costs $150.OOO. They
loaned $4,000 on the same buildine
when its construction cost was only
800, 900.
Their next trouble Is the cost az
building material. 1t is claimed that
the material men are holding back for
fancy profits The thi-S element is
labor. The builder does not want to
reduce wages but he does want to
know that IL he puts In his money and
time and starts work, labor will stand
pat on present wages for q time at
least Then the builder must yield as
the other elements do and agree that
his margins and proft shall not be
UP to former, days.
II the Commissioners are able to
bring about a definite and binding un-
derstanding OF all the interests con
cerned. including the purchaser,
something good may be accomplished
for Washington.
Capital Falls Behind.
OF all places in the country the
Federal Capital is worst on for new
buildings and is apparently slower to
to the fact that there is lack OF agree
menI anu uuQeEsLAnOlhB- OLnGE parts
Of the country are far more active.
The Department OF Labor. after q
thorough canvass Of building opera
tions throughout the country, finds
that contracts were let in March for
building and construction projects the
money value OF which exceeds the
normal average OF that month for the
last eight years The Chicago district
alone reported T41 contracts in March,
involving S1s,212,29s.
The representative OF a great con-
struction firm recently returned from
France declares that the impression
Of dealers in building material that
France and Belgium are going to buy
heavily of materials from this eo1E-
try Is the worst sort of error. Part
OF the peace agreement with Germany
will be that the first indemnity pay
ment from that country will so back
to Germany and Austria to large e1
tent for raw materials for recOnstruc-
tion. Therefore, dealers in building
materials in this country must looOS
to construction In the United States
for their sales and not abroad