The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-04
For Good of
 the Community

uIlCll IIlO 0llOIC IS IIldU0. I10 KNOWS IlOI what he can get thing for until he goes into the market with the actual money and bargains for what he wants with those who have it to sell.
 Those who wait for the bottom to drop out of the bucket, get what they have been waiting for, the useless bottom. By the time they have finished speculating on what they are going to do with the bottom someone is walking by with a good bucket filled with something worth while
 There is no such thing as something for nothing. No free pass was ever issued by utility or any other concern that did not have string attached to it. Services ren- dered in return for free passes have ag- gregated many times the value of the passes.
 Three weeks ago buyers moved on New York to purchase cotton goods They had to buy because their shelves were empty In trice they had cleaned out the job- bers, the wholesalers and the stocks of manufacturers. Prices began to move up. The man who kept away from the market during those two weeks waiting on lower prices, paid higher ones.
 The lumber market sagged to low levels and mills went idle Better idle than pile up lumber at cost of production compared with sales price. Then came some wise buyers recently and ate up considerable portion of the mill stocks Lumber at mills arose 10 per cent The retailer who was waiting for the bottom to drop clean out paid 10 per cent pen atty for dilatoriness
 Why build now? Because all building materials are 20 to 50 per cent below them to descend to pre-War levels is in- dulging in delusion and snare, because there are too many things in the way of pre-War levels, principal of which is the generally higher standard of living as- sumed by the masses during the war. New standards of living are clipped, but they are never marked out.
 The sanitary pipe that enters into a house is more than 30 per cent under what it was. Nails and wire goods are lower. Brick, cement and hollow tile are lower. Labor is more efficient. Contrac- tors will make close prices because they are able to figure with exactness what material and labor will cost them. Build ing home now will not be guess work It can be estimated to the nicety of gnat's heel
 Special inducements to build are held forth. The Milner company will furnish free either lumber or hollow tile for ;< seven-room house to those who purchase lots by March l. fine who wishes to build will go to the various realty companies and to the building and loan associations he will find them all in singularly recep- tive mood He will find them willing to do their part fully, honestly and sympa- thetically He will discover lots more of the live and let live spirit in this commun- ity than he may think there is.
 Rents are still high The man who builds to rent can lease house at a figure more than corresponding to the cost of lot and building. He who must have home, cannot escape the four walls of narrow and expensive apartment except by home ownership. He who loves his little chil- dren does not wish them bundled about from place to place of reluctant admit tance
 No man has the right to go about the streets declaring he cannot afford to build now until he has made real effort to see <,4l l>.,%