Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-11
HOW LUMBER HAS SCARED.
Cost Of Ready Cut House Increased
27O Per Cent In Five Years.

Abnormnlly high lumber prices were in
part responsible for the arrest OF the
house bhiu|ding movement within the last
few months, says report submitted 10
the Senate by the Forest Service Of the
United States Department of Agriculture
and just made public During the latter
half OF 1910 and the early months of
1920, says the report, lumber prices IN
the United States Increased more sharply
and went to far higher points than were
ever known before. In March, 1890, aver
age mill prices had increased 300 per
cent and more over 1914 While costs Of
production and distribution Of lumber
likewise increased, the rise in lumber
prices was wholly disproportionate.
Present prices, though somewhat
lower, are still excessive and yield prof
its unjustified by costs, says the report.
"A shortage in housing accommoda-
tions that is almost worldwide has
brought home vividly the close relation
of building to the comfort, health and
general welfare of the public. When for
any reason construction falls below nor
NAL, overcrowdng, high rents, lowered
standards Of living and other evils fol-
low.
Lumber prices, however, do not tell
the whole story. Difficulty and delay
in securing material and the inpossi-
bility OF getting many OF the grades de-
sired tend TO make the construction Of
n home at the present time q highly
uncertain and speculative venture and
take IL out OF the reach Of large numbers
OF people. According to figures of the
United States Housing Corporation, the
report states, normally 80 per cent of
the number Of buildings constructed are
dwellings. In 1919, however, dwellings
were only Is per cent. Even before the
war 100000 families in the United
States desired houses. In 1919 only
10000 houses were built, when 5O0,OO0
were required to meet the demand. In
1913 house construction was still less
than in 1919.
As example of tho increase in the
cost Of lumber il is stated That the Pitts
burgh home builder of 1913 paid s27 per
thousand board feet for No. / common
dimension framing. In 1920 he paid s72.
Sheathing lumber No. 2 common yellow
pine cost s26 in 1913 and $50 IN 1920.
The report shows other striking figures in
the cost Of lumber.
The total cost of houses has increased
proportionately, the report states. A
frame house built in Washington, ID. G.,
In 1917, for s6,250 is now being dupli-
Gated from original plans at cost of
si2,250. A st. Paul architect reports
that house was built for 81 ,240 in 1915,
not including plumbing, heating and
wiring, and that house built from the
same plans in October, 1919, cost 81, ,724,
while from identical plans for February,
1920, tho cost rose to s11 $50, or 179 per
cent over the 1915 price. The lumber for
a ready cut one-story five-roorn house
which was listed at 1888 915, had been
raised to 1892 in April, 1920, a total in
crease of 270 per cent.
This condition is partly due, The report
points out, to the depletion Of the luno-
ber supply Of the country. One after
another the great softwood forests Of
New England, the Lake States and the
South have been attacked and success
sively diminished. The only remaining
large supply Of softwood timber IN the
ls that of the Pacific coast,
and already this is being called upon to
make UP the deficit in the Eastern mar
kets caused by the failure Of forest re-
gions closer at hand to supply adequate
II is shown by the report that there
is enough land in the country not adapted
for any other uses to produce an ample
amount Of timber for all the needs Of the
country, If IL were stocked with trees.
At the present time forest fires cause i'm
mense damage each year and prevent
young timber which Is already on the
land from making It's best growth or from
producing timber Of good quality. The
only way In which an extreme shortage
of lumber with all its attendant evils and
on development, can be avoid
ed, the report says, is by the adoption Of
a well co-ordinated policy Of timber grow
ing which viii combine the efforts OF the
Federal Government, the States and pri-
vats individuals, with emphasis laid first
Of all on stopping the destruction wrought
by forest fires.