Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-28

July building statistics for the Dis
trict of Columbia reflect clearly the
growing difficulties imposed upon the
construction industry by nation
wide dearth of money for building
investment and by the additional
shackles of a weakened transporta-
ton system. according to contractors
and other building interests.
Building permits issued in this
, period numbered $50 and represented
a total valuation of 1881 200. as COM
pared with 7O9 permits issued in July.
1919 and representing an investment
aggregating $2.227,205. The actual
decline in invested money was Sc per
cent.
That Washington is not alone in
| this respect is testified to in figures
| reported by building departments of
| 1876 cities to the American Contractor.
4O.793 Building Permits.
Building permits in these cities
number 40.793. are valued at S12o.-
| 427.096 and show a IA per cent re.
cession from July activity of last
year and decline from June ACTIVITY
of this year. July permits in 1919
numbered only 40.726. but the total
valuation was $145.772.961.
! The comparison between the first
month of the last half of 1919 and
| that of 1920 must be viewed with
| the proper background of facts. Nine
| teen nineteen activity reached It's
| peak in August from a very inauspl-
cious start during the first quarter
! of the year. During July there was
a slight let-down in the upward
climb. This years activity so far
&c VII
| high valuation peak of building per-
mits issued in April. followed by
! severe slump in May TO the level
/ of February activity. June showed
| modest pickup but. nevertheless
suffered recession of per cent
! from activity in June. 1919. This is
| followed by the further recession IN
| July June and July are the only
two months showing diminished
activity as compared to corresponding
months in 1919.
| for the months of June and July of
! this year shows 80 losses and "a gains
for July.
Reports From 100 Cities.
The total figures for June were
based upon reports from 1919 cities.
| only three more than for July, and
the total valuation was $131.117.320,
| or less than six million of dollars
| filoTe L HIS ihdulleStS IlO Great
| ical difference in the activity of the
| two months.
| More accurate comparison can be
| made in the case of thirty-one of the
! largest cities. whose total valuation
! of permits in June is sSS.470.475. and
| for July is only sS0.422.435. thus show
/, ing a 9 per cent decrease in July &C
| tivity. In eight of these cities July
| stands as the low month in the issu-
| ance of building permits.
| The total estimated valuation of
building permits issued in the Dis
+! trict of Columbia for six months just
| passed was s10.322,035, the statistics
! reveal. The month in which building
| was at its lowest ebb here was July,
! when the aggregate investment, as
shown by the permits, was less than
100000 The most encouraging
month so far was March, when per-
| mits totaling more than $2.700,00O
| were granted by the building inspec-
tor.
What Future Holds Is Problem.
What the future holds for Wash
ington is something which few build
ers are willing to predict Right at
present they say that construction is
almost at a standstill. Some apart
ments and business buildings which
were begun months ago are being
slowly completed. with varying
progress, due to uncertain receipt OF
materials and scarcity of labor.
The reluctance shown by financial
interests in lending money to pros
pective home buyers of small means
| is tending to hamper the building in
'dustry in the District, so far as