The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-08-12
CAN SAVE MONEY !.
BY BUILDING NOW
Local Architect Says Lumber
Prices Will Probable Make
Advance Soon
Of. A. Swingle, Architect)

After a careful analysis of all o.
the conditions and circumstances o,
the building construction business
the writer feels justified in advising
any or all parties contemplating thu
construction of home or building Of
any kind, to take advantage of the
present low prices of lumber, and lei
their contracts within the next coupl.
of months, as conditions are now more
favorable than they have been for the
past two years.
] The chief commodity, and especial,
ly of resident construction, is lumber
and the present low price of lumber
that is, low compared to what it was
two years ago, was predicted by a
number Of careful observers, and their
prediction was based on a perusal OF
the weekly reports of the West Coast
Lumbermen's association. These re-
ports show that for some time now
from two to fifteen million feet of
lumber each week have been put into
stock. This, however, was not be-
cause of no demand for lumber, but
for the reason that cars for shipment
have not been available. The car
shortage, in fact, has been SO great
as to cause many of the mills to close
down, and production has been some
what curtailed. In view of the large
stocks on hand, and in order to move
these stocks, the local price of lumber
has been cut until dimension lumber is
retailing for from $28 to $50 per
thousand, where less than three
months ago, the price was, around $40.
As concrete example, this means
that the lumber for a $500 house
can be bought at saving, today, of
approximately $500, less than one
would have had to pay three months
ago.
It is apparent to anyone CONVEX
SAINT. with the conditions in the lum-
Der business, that the present price
of logs, coupled with the present
scale of wages and hours of labor,
that when you get below sgt per thou
sand, there is little profit in the lum-
Der business for the mill men, and it is
neither to be expected nor desired
that he should cut the lumber and
sell it at loss, as the lumber bust
ness is one of the greatest industries
of the northwest. Nor is the lumber
man anticipating any such step as
this, as there is relief in sight.
Another two months and large
number of cars that have been with
drawn for fruit and grain traffic, will
be available for the lumber business,
and he can then confidently expect to
dispose Of his product as he manufac-
lures it, and gradually work off his
stock also; and then the building pub.
lie can expect to see the price of lum-
Der go up again.
1t is not likely that it will ever
reach the high level of few months
ago, but in the opinion of most OBJ
servers, it will come very close to
those prices, and unless there is some
radical change in conditions, causing
a cessation of demand, together with
a drop in prices Of all commodities,
andin the scale of wages, it will quite
stay around that price fort
some time.
The fairness of the stand taken by |
the Seattle master builders associa-
ton, who, while having been COM |
PEELED to differ with the unions, and
sever relations with them, have not
cut wages, but, on the other hand,
have. increased them somewhat since
The break, has caused a greater degree
of contentment, and feeling that I
they can rely upon getting fair treat
ment among the men.
This, coupled with the higher degree
mechanical ability caused by the re-
turn of many of the so-called ship
yard mechanics to their original lines
Of work, whatever they were, is pro-
ducing better results in the way OF
work done, and in turn holding down
the price of building.
The return Of these men, also the
partially colsing down of lumber, and
other industries, has had tendency
to raise the efficiency of labor. The
shortage Of housing facilities and the
demand for homes, is so great that
either residences OF apartment houses
at this time, under the
present prices of lumber, appeals to
the writer as being good investment.
Dear Mr.. Editor.
have read with interest the con-
tfOVerSy hofUoop your county com. !