Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-18
IMPROVEMENT
EXPECTED IN
ALL BUILDING
There is Optimism Toward
Future Of Building, Say
Officials.

immediate future OF the building IN
dustries. throughout the country. ac-
cording to reportsIreceived during the
last few days by the information and
education service of the department
Of labor. The strike situation on the
of those who are in touch with the
New York situation, do NJ hesitate to
express the belief that an early set
Element, will be a in the building
trades controversy which has been. de-
laying work there.
It is apparent, also. that the state
ments made by Secretary OF Com.
Treasury Glass in which the former
gave positive assurance of the gov
ernment's determination to go into the
price situation and the latter suggest
ed there was no reason why necessary
building projects longer should be de-
layed, are exerting a helpful influence.
Another development calculated to
reflect confidence in industry and, in
directly to benefit building and con-
struction work, is the United States
senate's> action in providing a way Tor
an early settlement by the government
on war contracts both verbal and
written. The uncertainty in this field.
SO 1t is asserted by many industrial
authorities who have been In touch
with the department of labor, was
holding back plans on many important
improvements and extensions to In
dustrial plants.
A casual review Of the building in
dustry publications, made by the di-
vision of public works and construc-
ton developments of the information
and education service, indicates last
week was off-color on building and
construction work, u undoubtedly
to the growing uncertainties incident
to the troubled labor conditions east
and west. The decision of the ship
builders On the Pacific coast to stand
by their agreement is accepted as q
precedent and has led many building
and construction interests to believe
organized labor is not to desert its
policy Of living up to it's contracts.
Some of these builders have asserted
that the high cost of materials and
labor was not the deciding factor in
holding back projects in which they
were interested. They defended their
project on the grounds that they were
uncertain as to what labor would do.
These uncertainties presently will
! be eliminated in the opinion of many
building authorities reporting to the
department Of labor.
Secretary Of Commerce Redfie1d's
,utterance on price adjustments leads
L. Alduy sDluuSLIld1 duLllOI1 I1C6 u USl4cNe
that price reduction will be in ratio
to the increase in production all down
the line, except in such instances
where prices have been inexcusably
| high. 1t is commended that high prices
in building materials do not come~un.
der this latter classification but are
the result Of substantial causes which
preclude any marked decline for sew.
eral years.
AS the information and education
service of the department of labo,
gathers new evidence on the genera
j shortage of dwellings through thu
%tcountry, it is watching the homie
building activities with deepening in
terest. In the central west where as
prosperity Of the people, there Is NOR.
evidence Of activities in dwelling
building than elsewhere. Even ther'
the residential building is far below
normal out it shows encouraging sign
of getting under way.
From many localities come com
plants Of difficulty experienced in OBJ
tanning loans on prospective buildings
Leaving out Of consideration all othel
features of the question:, from tn
7 standpoint Of making available almos
. two billion dollars for longtime loan
{ on dwellings. the department of tlabo
Is convinced that the federal hom'
: bank would be very beneficial. TIL
building and loan associations, tn
j, country over, are getting behind thi
> next congress will be asked to estab
fish a system Of federal home LOAF
), banks, much like the federal farm
!, loan bank system, in which the build
Il ing and loan associations may find
way to make liquid a large part o
, their first real estate mortgage assets
Among the exceptional building
projects coming to the attention Of tn
: department of labor last week are tn
following:
New York City-A s1,75o,ooo apart
a ment is to be built on the corner Q
Slender will build 80 bungalows q
t. Coney Island. A building to cost fror
s s2,50O,0 900 to 100000 is planned 70
Seventh avenue and 39th street. wor
: is ordered begun or the Masonic Tenn
: pie at 23rd and the Parkway. The cos
Z is to be $3.50, 900. z
4 Rochester, N. T., is to have q $3.50,
900 kodak factory.
6 In Cleveland, Ohio, the fourth yea
construction activity on the 81, 500, 90
public hall has begun by laying cor
crete walls extending from the foun
. dalton to the street level. The directo
project will be. completed this yea
The Cleveland board of education J
getting under way a $780, 900 build
n ing program. The Mercantile Mfl
9 company will. construct a building
: - eAD On