Evening star., 1922-12-09
INCREASE IS NOTED,
IN BUILDING WORK
Five Per Cent Jump in Con-
tracts Occurs During Month
of November.

Building contracts awarded during
November in the middle Atlantic
states, embracing the District Of
Columbia and nearby territory. called
for construction work costing $32.
ss3, 900, according to the F. w. Dodge
Company's summary Of building
statistics. This was an increase of
5 per cent over the preceding month
and of per cent over the correspond
ing month of last year.
The principal items in last months
total were: $14 ,425.O00. or ~ per cent.
for residential buildings; $6.3750oo. or
10 per cent. for public works and
utilities: $4,776.ooo. or IA per cent. for
industrial buildings. and $2.33S.OO0. or
Z per cent. for business buildings.
During the first eleven months Of
this year contracts have been award
ed to the amount of $45l.30 900, COM
pared with s355,235, 900. for the entire
year 1921.
Contemplated new work reported
In November amounted to $ao.443.oo
an increase of II per cent over the
amount of contemplated work report
ed in October.
Building Contracts.
Building contracts awarded during
November in the twenty-seven north
eastern states (Which include about
three fourths of the total construc-
tion in the country amounted to
s24s,3 900, according to the Dodge
cent under the October figure and Is
30 per cent over that for November,
1921.
Residential construction started in
November amounted to $126. 6.46S.000. or
81 per cent of the months total. This
i., I& fry. In
building reported since last juno.
Other important items in the Novem-
Der record were: $29,93S.00o. or 12 per
cent. for business buildings; $2s.242.-
600. or 12 per cent. for industrial
buildings. and s27.516,000. or II per
cent. for public works and utilities.
Construction started during the first
eleven months of this year Mas
amounted to s3.135s1o,0Oo. This is IS
per cent greater than the total for
the corresponding period of last year.
and 33 per cent greater than the total
for the entire year 1921.
Buying in the lumber industry con-
tinues brisk and there Is no dearth Of
orders. with producers in a position to
accept new business. Stocks are be-
low normal and are ill-assorted In
many manufacturing districts, and In
addition to this the car supply is by
no means adequate. although some i'm
provement has been noted.
business Men Cautious.
AS a result manufacturers are exer-
cising caution in accepting business.
as in most cases they have sufficient
orders to keep them running full
force from one to two months. A
careful investigation undertaken by
the American lumbermen shows that
there has been shipped this year fully
as much lumber as has been produced.
Added to this is the fact that orders
have exceeded production by a con-
siderable extent when deliveries by
wagon and automobile in local ter
ritory are taken into consideration.
In the fir manufacturing territory on
the Pacific coast. 1T is estimated that
conservatively one-half billion feet
have been delivered by truck and
wagon by the lumber manufacturers,
and these sales are not totaled when
a report is made of orders received.
Taking this condition into considera-
ton, and also. the fact that produc-
tion was exceeded by orders by about
per cent. the conclusion is reached
that. from the period from January
]. 1921. to date. the manufacturers
have booked orders for about 8 per
cent more lumber than has been pro-
duced. This figure is for the entire
country. Naturally conditions vary
somewhat in the different manufac.
turing regions. in some cases the pre-