The Washington herald., 1921-05-14
BUILDERS CHARGE
HIGH COST STOPS
WORKONSCHOOLS
Senate Committee Takes
Testimony of Big
Contractors.

High costs of school buildings in
Washington were blamed largely to
Transportation rates by witnesses
before the Senate District Subcom-
mittee on schools yesterday.
Henry wardman, C. d. Wise, v.
F. Mooney, George e. wyne and E.
W. Davis gave the committee data
on price fluctuations and prospects
for the school building program, for
which. an initial Sz,0oo.0Oo emer-
gency appropriation is asked by the
District Commissioners and school
officials
Construction Costs High.
wardman said the lack of provi-
sions for ssisting home buyers
caused considerable loss in the
handling of this kind of develop
ment and said the difficulty of SELL
ing homes was one of the causes
of the house shortage generally.
other. cities have arrangements for
the handling of deferred payments,
declared Wise. who quoted figures
voluminously to show the high
prices of construction here. A school
building that would cost $4,000 in
{ October. 1919, he said costs $4,000
now. while the normal price would
be about $4,000.
Carpenters who received 81 a day
before the war. now receive 0S.40:
brickIayers who formerly received
IS a day. are paid SO now, while
ordinary labor that was $1-25 is now
from $500 to 81 a day per man. In
common labor there has been a re-
duction on some jobs in Washing
ton from 81 to $500. but no changes
have been noted in skilled labor
since the war. Wise favored some
organized steps for the handling OF
home buying. II a further drop in
prices come, he said, it would mean
better business. but he was unable
TO say when that would come
Denies Combine Here.
Senator Capper inquired il there
existed any organization of con-
tractors or builders that could bt
regarded as a combine in restraint
OF trade, and was told that the only
organization among contractors wa:
one that posts its members on tn.
labor situation and adjusts difficul.
ties with labor bodies.
Mooney testified that the buiIdinr
cents per square foot. whereas 4
was Is cents at one time. Tber,
was the possibility of a reduction
in materials. he said, but it de.
pended largely upon transportat tfor
costs When asked by Senator Can.
per II the schools of the CITY ar,
in bad condition. Mooney sal,
building conditions are run dow,
'on account of the high costs. H
said prices are off IS to 80 cent.
compared to what they were las
year. and he hoped for a reductio,
In labor costs. explaining that labo
Is plentiful
Are conditions here as fayorabI
'as elsewhere?" Mooney was aske,
by Chairman Capper
Like Other Cities.
Large cities have conditions tha
are about the same as those il
Washington" was the reply. "w
have to buy some materials else
where, in the same markets wher
they are bought by other cities"
Wyn egave figures on steel, bricl
and other materials, saying stee
that formerly cost $50 a ton is nov
$40. brick that were SO a thousan,
are now $50 and he saw no prospec
of reduction within a year.
Davis said that so far as he knew
there was the stiffest kind of com
petition among contractors anC
builders. indicating the high cost OF
building are not due to any com.
bine. Lumber has undergone a re-
duction, but is still very high, hi
said. compared to rates of norma
times