The Washington times., 1922-08-19
Washington s
Great Boom
BY BILL PRICE.


ton of homes, apartments, ETC.,
i in the District as revealed in
this newspaper, has attracted wide
spread attention in all directions,
out-of-town newspapers expressing
wonderment at the building and
business activities in progress in the
National Capital.
So prosperous is the business life
of the community that the railroad
and coal strikes have had practi-
cally no deterrent effect, and what
is spoken of as "the customary
summer dullness" has little mean
ing for the active, energetic people
Of the District who believe that no
other city in the country has a
greater future than this one.
When it is realized that the
building operations Of Washington
in the month Of July were 80 per
cent Of the entire volume contracted
for in the Middle Atlantic States,
containing some Of the largest
cities Of the United States, then the
significance Of the strides Of this
community may be fully under
stood.
Throughout the entire year the
District has led the country in
building operations, exceeding
whole groups of States and cities.
In July, for instance, the total
value of building operations here
was 220 per cent more than all
States west of the Mississippi put
together.
There is no measuring the whole
some community effect of the ex-
penditure Of many millions OF dol
lars in construction work. A large
percentage of these millions is going
into homes and apartments, home
construction exceeding all other
items.
Every business establishment feels
the strong currents Of this financial
tide. In the first place, mechanics
and laborers are prospering, and
their money is spent here. The
lumber and material dealers cannot
supply the demands upon them; the
hardware and paint dealers are in
the same predicament; engineers,
architects, craftsmen, are going at
full speed.
Many thousands Of young people
are bidding good-by to rented rooms
and to boarding house life and
going to their own homes, fitting
these homes with furniture, house
hold utensils, stoves, carpets, rugs,
window curtains, shades, etc. That
spells active business in every mer-
camille concern in Westinghouse
least every one shrewd enough to
appreciate the situation and make
known to these young householders,
through judicious advertising,
where they can find the most at
tractive offerings.
Business is just waiting in the
offing to get beckoning nod from
alert advertisers. None Of this
business should be allowed to 60
out of Washington, either. Mail
order houses are doing everything
possible to get attention, but those
starting in housekeeping careers
should be made to understand that
Washington business houses are in
splendid position to offer prices that
equal those in any other city, with
the still greater satisfaction of di-
rect dealing and known responsible
ity Of local houses.
Practically every Washington
business. concern came out Of the
upset conditions of the world in
better shape than those Of other
cities. There was no industrial de-
preston here; the steady Flow of
cash into local business houses en-
abled those houses to take advan-
tage Of forced sales by manufac-
turers and jobbers. The Washing
ton purchaser gets the benefit of
all this.
.lI,v 60 ~.~A