Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-12
BUILDING BOOM TO
. END HOUSING LACK
lumbermen Here Announce
Cuts in Prices and Urge
Others Follow Suit
SEE 1922 AS RECORD YEAR

The acute housine shortage in Phila-
delphia will be relieved this summer
BY one OF the largest home. building
booms In the history Of the city. Local
lumber dealers are planning such cuts
In prices as they believe will encour-
age builders 10 break all annual rec
ords.
This promise, backed by table of
figures showing the absolute necessity
of more homes here was contained in
an address today at the Lumbermen's g
Exchange luncheon, In Boothbys Res
taurant. by II. J. Baringer, architec-
tural engineer Of the Philadelphia
Housing Association.
Despite the huge increase in pop
ulation. the record breaking number of
marriages, and the huge smount of
work that would he furnished by an
increase in building. construction has
fallen off until, Mr.. Raringcr says,
there nre only about 800 dwellings in
Philadelphia of proper sanitary and
structural condition which can be
rented at $50 a month or less.
40 Vacant Homes
From a field study Of 20, $50 prop.
critics in fourteen industrial ccnters Of
Philadelphia, Mr.. Barlnger said. "thp
philadelphia Housing Association
found but 4T9 vacant. OF those there
were but eighty. 'hree available nj $50
month or less, which were in sani.
tary and structural condition fit for
occupancy. On this basis proratcd
over the nearly 800 900 dwellings
shown on the assessors list. there
would be. less than 500 houses in the
~ haf H.. -. Eal
at rental value of 500 and under.
The population increase has often
been referred to. The Marriage License
Bureau recently published the number
OF licenses issued in 1921 a. 90. 1J9.
That figure is 1925 more thnn the an
nual average for the last twenty five
years III" housing shortage Is forcing
young COUPLES To so elsewhere or 10
double up. Rents are high. but n
building boom will relieve conditions. +"
Mr.. Barinyer said the lumber inter.
ests here are willing to take leading
part In the proposed boom. first. by
holding down prices for builders and
encouraging quantity purchases: Soc
ond, by establishing easier terms: third
by pooling mill orders on the volume
principle and extending the accruinG
advantage 10 the consumer and fourth
by carrying larger stocks to avoid price
manipu'ation on non competitive
tnsis.
Actual Shortage Of 10000
With the population increasing at
the rat" Of 10000 n year. Mr.. Bar
niger explained. there must be 6tlOO
homes builr annually to keen up the
average The city's record for the past
three gears has fallen short of those
requirements by 1000 dwellinrs
Add to this" he added. the II 900
homes necessary to care for fcxibllity
OF domicilc and We are faced with a
shortage Of 20, 900 houses. Leading
builders here feel that the city will not
obtain more than 5000 new dwellings
this year. That will be but a quarter OF
the need.
Nothing We can do can force our
builders 10 proceed. but nearly all OF
them have signified willingness TO start
building when material prices are right
Perhaps this effort to help on the part
OF the lumbermen will be taken up by
other construction material bodies and
our builders will see the opportunity af.
forded."
Mr.. Baringer showed the lumber
dealers where, II his 20, 900 home prof
sct was carried ont. 40. 900. 900 feet
board measure of lumber would be re @.
CURED. At least 800. 900 windows will
be required, that number probably being
swelled by the construction of garages
and other outbuildings, and 22J, ,OOO
interior and exterior doors is conserva
tive estimate, he said. Those figures do
not take into consideration the vast
amount OF lumber that will be required
Tor repairs and the rough timber used
Tor concrete forms and staging.