The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-12
PUBLIC WORKS AND
CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT

Private individuals and corporations
are responsible for most of the build
1 ing activity an that section of the
country oast OF the Missouri river ard
north of 'he Ohio. according TO a
statement tust issued by the division
OF public works and cons 'ruction de-
iTelopmert Of the United States de-
! nartment OF labor. The building fig
~ ~ }bej ats,smeent ere fQr 'bs hE.t
] they show huflatHg activities far be-
low the pre-war normal. they show
also a marked increase in February
over January OF this year.
! Contracts awarded during the first
I three weeks in February cover build
Ing and construction owrirn 10 cost ap-
lproximateiy s92,o00,000. The total
OF the January contracts was but $780,
7S1 zoo. FebrUary's Increase over
January. since the former figures are
for three weeks only. will be more
THAN $5o.00o,000, or almost double the
January figures
Nov England In not MAXIM the
showing western districts are making.
The New England states, during the
first week in February. reported con-
tracts awarded to the amount of
1891 900. In the second week the
sum was 1854 600. and for the third
week S662,00G, making n total for
the three weeks of s1.5s7.000. The
January total was s4.64s.0oo. The
dc 2artment az labor's statement makes
tins cu-ainant on the New England
situation:
The New England section contrasts
IN this respect with other Gect,ons pf
the country, especially he middle
west, where February Ia showing a
large gam over Janu1Ty in the amount
Of contracts awarded OF the CON
tracts awf -ded during the week end
ing February 20. private construction
vas ~ per cent while 6 per cent was
for ,veTnment construction. nothing
, In the way of municipal or state i'm
proveh1enfs being included OF tho
private construction. 81 per cart was
of an industrial character az per cent
business and SO per cent residential"
New York and New Jersey show
gain rs February over January. Dur
Ing the first week In February this
district reported contracts on building
and construction work totaling g.
! 10000; during the second week, So
$4,000 and In the third week. So
J 20l GOO Total for the u rec weeks.
I se,lSa, 600. The January total was
Ssl52. 900. OF the contracts awarded
/ during the week OF February 81, in
I n oney value. II per ceut wRs for pri-
vate fnterests and 81 per cent for state
/ and municipal work while federal
government work was per cent. or
The private construction, Ts per cent
W1@ Of an industrial, nature ana only
- per cent residential
In Philadelphia, Baltimore and
/ Washington and adjacent territory
contracts awarded In the first week OK
FEBRUARY were of n money total of 81
X be- a Az
3 was Sl,677,e00. and for he third we K
st,577,o0o. a total OF 34,984,oOo for
me three weeks. The contracts IN
( January totaled $1S.so5.0o0. This
latter figure. however, was larger
| Than the normal for January. based
on figures from 1910 10 1917. In that
period the January contracts ala rot
/ exceed $4,000, 900.
Ohio. West Virginia and western
! pennsylvania show contracts awarded
| In the sum OF *l.9s0000 for the first
week In February, s8.56s.0oo In the
second, and s1.f7S.0o0 for the third
week AS January shows contracts
in the sum of $4,000, 10 the dis
trict keeps up the February aversxs
for the last week In the month It will
show a. slight Improvement over Jam
uary Residential building In this
territory was So per cent Of the nri-
vate building. which latter was so per
cent OF the total
! Iowa, Illinois. Wisconsin, Indiana.
| Michigan. Missouri and Kansas. on
the basis OF the de partment OF labor .
! figures, show approximately five fold
increase in February over January
For tie frs week In February in this
6iH'~fct the contracts reported totaled
ASS, 900: durEg the second week,
$3.50 0o0, ard In the third week
SAC. 10000. The three weeks total
| Is $50, ia 900. The January total was
si3.tl0,ooo. This division OF nubno
works and construction developme mt
make this comment on the wertern
, figures;
| ut Is evident that the business men