Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-07-11
DE SPTICsN or
BUILDING ACTIVITIES
AND ERATICNS
~. Ds9ge g'sEpaayss ReSsess
4 ssa Rasaiaag Activity fsaraag Ths
Rsxxs Six Monssa Oh 1918

the nTeE hall Of 1918 In that portsnm 81
Eh& United States east III the AiisaisgIn-
ps River and north 81 the Ohio River.
0saIfed 1855 90a 900 according ID sta-
lstAez complied by the III Dodge
ompAny This Indicates an increase
81 volume Of operations 81 q per cent
oEcv Inc average volume for similar
periods III the eve years preceding
1919 This notable Increase has taken
plaee IN spite of The many conditions
Which ~ the opening of the year were
booked upon as deterrents ~ the re-
sumption Df Building activity
For purpOses of accurate compare
son, figures based on 1919 e0nstrnc-
zion coftH. The average of the figures
Ter contracts awarded during the ilrat
llaiF IL each 81 The years 1914 10 1918
depressed I'll terms III 1919 yalnesl
Wae sa92. 800 900 Il shouid be noted
that hts average includes over $780,
60 600 worth Of Government work In
elsa slrnt halg 81 1918.
ln expressing values for previous
years III terms of 1919 values. figures
S8tk AsAA es8Ass 1eSer Ik &4fAsBNk NLkANtM &AA@&H
IS COMPLIED by the Division of Public
Works and Construction Development
81 Tie United States Department 0f
Dor have been used These figures
ahoN that on the average construction
costa III the first part of 1919 were &c
aF cent higher than In 1914 In 1918
they were 5s per cent higher than iii
1915 In 1917 they were SO per cent
higher than III 1914: Iii 1916 they were
per cent higher than In 1914. In
construction costs were practical
81 tAe same as In 1914
AZ the opeuing OF tho yoar the ma
snfasg 0f people we're either puzzled
o. Dessimistic about the outlook for
bgsilding activity in 1918. Prices and
ages we're high III comparison with
previous years. and almost every one
expected declines. Renta and property
valves had not. III general. advanced
sufficiently 70 give prospective build
aga the prospect of an adequate return
on their investments nc prevailing
csats. IN view Of the uncertainties
aaiserent In The situation, bankers were
Iow IL making loans on building ven
atsTsa pesainiisln regarding ihe out-
aOk was fairly widespread.
u spite of slacknesB III business,
lc1s did not drop Government hu-
vs. and other agencies gave nation
tide publicity to the underlying eco
nllalC conditions Affecting prices and
agss, These factors Increased public
ohedenco Ill the stability Of prevail
n@ costs In tho meantime, rents
aad property values advanced conaid-
sEmhly, reaching i figure bearing d
soksial ra5atlon % current prices and
q addltion 70 these thlngs Was the
pressure of actual building needs. The.
eeuntrs vas several years behind on
ka normal building program. The
uxtaEe of housing facilities and 0f
aigiings for industrial purposes was
AEy great. The public, which had
ebn an enormous volume 0f business
enc 81 high prices during tho war,
on learned that the same thing could
- Done IN peace time.
The fgures for contracts awarded
ar each Of the past SIX months tell
u es0ry of the growth Of puhlic con
aRce and the increase 81 building
lYtsles. Contracts awarded iii Jan-
fy Gin The territory covered by the
Dodge Company amounted To-
ss0. 7S1 900. which Was Just 81 per
snt nf the average for the sAlne month
IS NE preceding tISe years. The Feb-
figure WAS 90 per cent oF the.
seeage f0r the same month OF the
Ing ave years: March, S7 per
cent April 1ss per cent May 1853
per cent. The total amount 0g cons
acss awarded III june vas $3.50. 17s,-
This was ia per cent Of the.
szage figure for JuAe Of the preced-
g Eve years In these comparisons
ngnFea for the years previous Ia
hare been reduced Ia 1918 values.
0f the total value of contracts
aSsaraesi Ii 1919 up 10 the flrst of June,
per cent was for residential huild-
ms and IL per cent for industrial
hasldlng The Middle Atlantic States
Aew the largest proportion OF resi-
tlenslal building oil ans az the Districts
covered. as well as The largest total
volume of residential construction. Ii
Ms iu this section that the housing
shortage VAS most acule and that rents
Md property values have shown the
0st marked advances. In the Cen
rhl West. whore the amount 81 con-
tracts awarded was lii excess az nor
rel aA early as February the Impetus
came 10 the construction Of stores.
theatres, schools and public works.
ssnar than in residential c0nslruc-
Eson: ~ fact residential building iii
ahsa district although very large III
volume has maintained only slight
lead over Industrial construction dur
aag The entire hall year.
seems likely that tho present vol
aa IS activity will continue Tor three
R fnaF months 10 come Toward the
us If the building season ii il pos
that the amount of contracts
Eaal mAy show q slight decline,