Evening star., 1922-01-14
BUILDERS BIG YEAR" SEEN
BY CONSTRUCTION EXPERTS
F. W. Dodge Company and King H.
Pullen Find Great Interest In Outlook
Through the Country.

Construction interests unanimously
join in the prediction that 1922 will
likely be a year of unprecedented ac-
tivity in building circles throughout
the country. Their forecast was
based on indications Of business pros
perity in material. money and labor
markets.
According to the F. W. Dodge Com
pany of New York, every present in
dication is that the new year will see
a measurably larger volume of con-
struction than the program carried
through in 1921. This company's
statistician states:
THE principal factors favorable to q
big construction year are the still
unsatisf1ed demand for buildings of
every class and the steadily increas-
ing amount of money available for
investment in construction projects.
These factors are not uniformly
favorable everywhere. Recovery in
recent months has been rapid in the
east and very slow in the central
west. This unevenness in the rate
of recovery may be expected to con-
tinue we'll into 1922. The recovery
Of general prosperity in the central
west will continue to be slow, and
general business conditions in that
section will retard speedy revival of
construction ACTIVITY, particularly III
agricultural communities.
while it is reasonable to expect
increased activity in every class of
construction projects, it is probable
that residential building will again
predominate. Public works, business
buildings and educational buildings.
all of which made good records for
activity in 1921. may be expected to
continue at a satisfactory rate. Even
industrial buildings, which special
class is likely to be about the last to
return to normal rate of activity,
should show an increase over 1871.
Records Of Construction.
"The records of construction that
was contemplated during the past
three years indicate that about three
fourths of the total construction of
the country has collectively worked
tkward a three billion dollar total
each year. The average accomplish
ment per year has amounted to two
and half billions. The year 1920
was the only one since the war that
started off at a sufficiently high rate
to reach a three-billion dollar total.
That rate was maintained for four
months. and then the reaction came
This reaction was caused not only by
the reaction in general business con-
ditions. but it was also Influenced by
the fact that there was a sufiicient
supply of neither materials, ldDor
nor transportation facilities to carry
through the extensive program that
was mapped out.
"In 1922 the community's collective
effort will be toward a three-billion
dollar constitution year Cor four bill
lions for the entire country. The sup
ply of materials, labor and transpor-
tation facilities is still inadequate TO
carry through such a large program.
1t is neither likely nor desirable that
a program of such magnitude be ac-
tually started. SlowncSs of recovery
in general business. labor disputes
still unsettled. and other retardlns
factors may be expected to curb too
rapid boom in construction. If this
year shows a moderate margin over
two and a half billions invested in
construction contracts in the twenty
seven northeastern states tSay an in
crease of 8 or 10 per cent over 1921,
rather more evenly distributed than
the 1921 construction was. il Will jus
tify present expectations and spell
increased prosperity for the industry.
December building contracts in the
twenty-seven northeastern states of
the country. as reported by the F. w
Dodge Company. amounted to more