Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-24
MORE BUILDINGS,
NEEDED IN j. 8,
EXPERT STATES
Shortage of Construction
Has Been Accommodating
Since the War and Has
Reached Critical Stage.
lny The AssocIaiea Press.l


Cleveland. o., July 23.-The
shortage of building construction
that has been accommodating in
American cities since the outbreak
of the war is now so great that it
would require building operations
at the rate of 25 per cent above
normal for 10 years to make up
the deficlo according to q report
issued today by the Cleveland
Trust company. Col. Leonard p.
Ayres, the banks economist
reached this conclusion as a result
of the study of building operations
in so leading cities for the last 22
years.
The shortage began to be evil
dent in 1915. Colonel Ayres said,
and has increased in every year
since. 1t is now so great that, on
the average, it would require the
full-time efforts of the building in
dustry for nearly two and a half
years to make it up, the report
continued.
The greatest indicated shortage
was that of Portland, Ore,
amounting to about 3.5 years. 9TH
er important shortages were those
of San Francisco with one Of "a
years, Chicago 3.2 years, st. Louis
2.7, Minneapolis 2.6, New York
81, Boston 20 The most serious
building deficits were found in cit
les Of the western states, while the
least shortage existed among the
cities of the middle Atlantic Sec
tion.
The average value of the new
construction begun each year in
these cities from 1900 to 1916
was s31 for each person in the
population, according to the re-
ports. The highest average an
nual per capita expenditure was
that of Los Angeles, where it
was $64. and the lowest that of
Fall River, Mass, where it was
only $12. This wide range of ex-
penditure for new buildings was
partly due, it was stated. to the
varying rates of growth of cities.
and partly due to the great diff
ferences in the quality of of build
ings erected. In general the low
est average Expenditures were
those of southern or mill cities,
while the highest were found
the western cities that have grown
rapidly.
Per Capita Expenditure.
In general, the per capita ex-
penditure for building was found
to be increasing, even after full
allowance had been made for the
changing cost Of building and the
growth of the cities. The report
explained this as due to the rising
standard of housing in America.
During the last quarter of CEN
tury new type of dwelling house
has come into existence in this
country it was stated, much finer
than any that had heretofore been
available for any except wealthy
persons.
1t was hardwood floors, steam
heat, modern plumbing. electric
lighting, improved windows. and a
completely finished basement
These Improvements are now be-
ing Incorporated even in houses
occupied by people of the modest
incomes. Similar changes are talk
ing place in business, industrial
AND public structures, these i'm
prbyements largely accounting for
the rising expenditures.
An interesting feature of the re-
port is a chart showing changes in
the cost of building since 1910
This shows that the increase in
the cost Of building during the
civil war was relatively about the
same as 1t was during and follow
ing the world war. After the civil
war building costs fell irregularly
for about / years.
The SO cities studied included
about one-fourth of all the popu-
lation of the country. The esti-
mated shortage apparently would
require about $1,250.000 building
operations to make 1t up. the re-
port said. About 100000 of these
operations would be new buildings
the remaining ones would call fot
additions, alterations, etc. OF
these 100000 wohd be residences
and n majority of, the rest would
be garages