Evening star., 1923-01-27
PRICE OF BUILDING
MATER|ALSLOWER
Contrasts With Other CON-
modities Reflects Favorable
Conditions in Nation.

A comparison OF recent prices on
building materials shows that the
things that go into the construction
of house are not as high in contrast
to pre-war costs as many other COM
modities. The prices of building ma
terials generally are somewhat more
than so per cent higher than in 1913.
During the war, when the govern
ment was calling for building ma
terials in vast quantities, prices more
than doubled; and on some materials
the prices continued to soar long after
the war was over. This postwar up
ward trend was due to the great de-
mand for materials on the part of
those who had delayed construction
during the war.
A study of present-day prices shows
that of all the principal construction
materials hollow tile is more nearly
back to the old pre-war prices. This
commodity Is today in many building
centers not more than 20 to % per
cent higher than IL was before the
war.
Price of Southern Pine.
Southern pine, great deal of which
is used here, particularly in the sub
urbs, is still about twice as high as
in the pre-war period. This material.
its highest price after the war
touched level of four and one-half
times the pre-War price.
Common brick is selling today al
price not quite twice as high as the
pre-war price. This material never
went as high as lumber and at its
highest did not sell at more than two
and one-half times the pre-war price.
All structural steels are back close
to the before-the-war prices. Nails.
too. are selling at less than SO per
cent advance.
Portland cement, while it's advance
was not as great on account of the
war as some other building materials.
has not fallen as much as some other
materials. 1t is selling around one
and three e-quarter times as high as
before the war. Common gravel, used
with cement in concrete construction,
sells at various prices in different To-
calities. The general average price is
about one and three-fourths that
which prevailed before the war.
so per cent advance over the 1913
price.
Lime still is high 1t has been SELL
ing recently at fully twice the 1913
price. and at its highest peak sold at
nearly three times the 1913 price.
douglas FIT GOeB Up.
Douglas fir. which. along with other
lumbers, went to a very high price.
is selling at about twice the pre-war
price. At its highest it was four
times as high as In 1913. Hemlock is
selling. in comparison with Douglas
fir. at a somewhat lesser price.
Oak is selling at a figure somewhat
below a 100 per cent advance over
pre-war prices. Cedar shingles are
less than twice as high.
Prices on glass have dropped ex-
ceedingly since the peak. and ordi-
nary window glass is selling at about
a SO per cent advance over 1918.
Turpentine, used extensively in
painting, perhaps OF all the materials
used in building went highest in
price. 1t at its peak was five times
as high as the 1913 quotations. An
other constituent Of paint. white lead.
is about three-fourths as high again
as it was in 1918.
The building materials trades are
Of the opinion that building prices
generally will not fall much within
the near future. due to the unusual
demand for the construction of homes
which exists at present and the Ger
tainty that thousands of new houses
will be begun throughout the United
States as soon as weather permits op-
erations.