The Washington times., 1921-05-21
HOME BUILDING IS
DUE FOR REVIVAL
S. W. Straus Says All Signs
Point to Big Increase in
Construction.

Commenting on the building sit
uation. 8. w. Straus, Of 8. w. StTaus
& Co., says:
"Notwithstanding the retardins ef-
fscts OF labor difficulties In many
places. building conditions through
out the nation are showing improve
ment. and activities are on the
increase.
Residential types Of structures
other classes of new work. and
about ne-third of the country's s
building program is devoted to an
Increase in housing facilities.
1T Is quite generally felt that the
labor difficulties that are interfering
with building progress will prove
transitory, and that the season will
develop increased construction work.
"It Is becoming more apparent
that very active building conditions
will have a remarkable stimulating
effect on general business condi-
tions. There is no industry which
has so many ramifications and which
toucehs so many varied trades. A
resumption on large scale this
summer will go far toward bringing
back normal conditions of prosperity
to the American people, for II will
mean employment for thousands of
men directly employed in the biuld-
ing trades and thousands more in
allied industries. 1t will mean an
increased volume Of freight, and
more work for the steel foundries.
brick yards. cement mills. and lum-
Der industry and scores of other
industries which take the raw ma
terials Of our mines and forests and
convert them into finished products.
1t will also mean increased business
for all lines of mercantile industry.
augmented payrolls and an increasd
demand for food. clothing, and all
the other necessities Of life. 1t will
mean also an increase In public con-
hdence throughout the county,
psychological factor which 10 just
as necessary to the return of pros
perity as any material or economic
one.
In short, the building industry 10
tine key to the situation. We cannot
have general prosperity until we have
great activity in the building indus-
tiles and all the various allied and
supplementary trades.
Evidence Is accommodating that the
more far-sighted builders have
grasped the situation and are going
ahead, realizing that now 10 the most
advantageous time to build, both from
the standpoint OF good business and
public policy.
"A great many people erroneously
| compare building costs today with
what they were five or six years ago.
On such . comparison there Is q tre-
usndous increase. but this does not
OF itself mean that building prices
will necessarily 20 lower. Prices Of
building material. were steadily in
creasing from 1910 to 1918, and even
| without the war it is safe to say that
building material costs would have
gone up considerably between 1915
end the present time. In addition to
this natural increase. there are fac
tors directly attributable to tho war.
including increased freight rates,
wages, unusual taxation, increased
cost of fuel and monetary inhation.
"It Is evident therefore, that . re-
turn of building costs to anything
like the 1918 level 10 out Of the ques-
tion and every consideration Of pru-
dence and foresight unite to give en-
phasis to the argument that now II
the time 70 baild.~