The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-13
IS BIGGEST BOOM
TOpeka's Building Program
Greatest in Fifteen Years.
it's Due to Last, Belief of Gull
ford Dudley.
MAY RAISE LUMBER PRICES
Mills Taxed to Capacity-MOre
Demand-Higher Prices.
Possible Drop in Rents Is Re-
suit of Boom.
MAY RAISE LUMBER PRICES

Everyone who gets about at all.
knows that Topeka is undergoing a
tremendous building boom at the pres
ent time. But just the magnitude of
the fer-vor of construction which is
sweeping the city at this time is hard
Ci,IfIford Dudley. Topeka lumber
man. has been in the lumber and ma
teriaI business in Topeka for the past
fifteen years.
s.5ince 1 have been in touch with the
building industry in Topeka. have
never seen anything like the boom
which is on here at the present time
he< declared before leaving for Texas
Friday.
Topeka is not the only city in
which there is building revival,
Dudley asserted. In every large city
in the country, building is going on
at a pace which is calculated to make
up for the delay during the war Ere
cisely the same condition pertains IN
every other city of the state, and in
deed of the United States, at the pres
ent time.
"And the. boom is due to keep up
till one of two things occurs" Dud-
ley says. Either the demand Tor
housing will be met and reduced to
normal. or there will be an increase in
the price of lumber and building ma
teriaf which will force slackening
of activity in the building lines"
The lumber mills of the northwest
are being taxed to their utmost at the
present time, to keep up with the de-
mand for lumber. Dudley says And
there is a possibility that the. demand
will increase during the coming sum
mer and fall.
Hitherto. the building fever has
been confin ed to the cities. Every city
in the country is trying to Ca tch up
with the building program which was
al ad dTrino the During
the spring, and last winter, there was
little demand from the small towns
and from the farmers, for building
material.
This summer the small towns are
commencing to build. and farmers
who have refrained from building for
the past several years, will be COM
PEELED to either build or at least re-
pair. If the abnormal demand of the
cities keeps up, and the normal de-
mand of the country and the small
towns is resumed, the mills will either
have to start running day and night,
or there will be an increase in lun1-
Der prices which will mean the slack
ening of the building boom. Only
time will yell which will be the end
of the race
Materials IS Per Cent Higher.
Lumber and building materials. at
cent greater than they were in 1914,
but they are some 80 per cent below
the peaks which were reached in 1919
and 1920, according to Dudley.
1t will be possible for the mills to
increase their production. But the
law of supply and demand will at the
same time operate to increase the !.
prices.
demand of the cities for building ma
terial is taxing the mills to meet it
with their normal production and the
surplus. stocks which they have in
Ill ~
normal demand from the small towns
and the farmers. and the mills will be
running day and night 1t is a ques-
ton whethepThere will be an increase
in price steep enough to check build
ing activity and restore it to- normal,
or not"
The price of lumber practically reg
ulates the price of building and con
which is done, Dudley points out, tho
there are many other factors entering
into the cost of putting up a house,
beside the cost of the humber.
Trades Still Get Peak Wages.
THE men engaged in the building
trades are still receiving the peak
wages for that work." he says. But,
more for the money, they are earning
their wages, and there is more effi-
cheney and less 1oafing on the job, than
existed during the war.
Building trades will continue to
receive peak wages so long as the
building boom keeps up, because of
the same old law of supply ana de-
mand-there are barely enough car
penters at the present time TO fill the
places which are vacant for them
The building which is being done
at the present time in Topeka is chief
ly residence and home building. Dud-
ley says, tho there is a fair percent
age Of business and other building in
the BOOM
The demand for houses has not yet
been met People during and since
the war. put up with housing condi-
lions which they would not have ordi-
narily tolerated. and are now building
homes of their own. The building of
residences,- barring the arrival of
price hike which makes it prohibitive
will keep up till the demand for
houses is normal. and the condition OF
approximation has been remedied
This viii result, slowly. in the low
ering of rents. Dudley believes. tho he
did not promise any Immediate mil
lenium for tenants It is only when
the people who can afford TO build
their own houses have done so. and
apartment houses have been. put up
which can be rented at a low figure
and yet be profitable. that the happy
day for the payer of rent will have
arrived.
Rents will b. reduced when the
building boom has caught up with
the normal demand for places in
which to live" Dudley says