Evening star., 1923-06-09
BUILDING ACTIVITY
DROPS DURING MAY
Decrease From Previous
Month Shown With Gain
Over Year Ago.

The attitude of builders throughout
the country on the building situation
today is reflected by official building
permit figures for the month Of May
IN 216 leading cities reported in the
national monthly building survey of
S w. Straus e. Co.
The total of building permits issued
in these cities shows an increase of
1873 per cent as compared with May,
1922. and a decrease OF Il per cent
rs compared with April this year,
thus indicating that while the agita-
iion against unnecessary building had
some effect upon proposed construc-
lion during the month of May the In
crease of 15.o per cent for the coun-
try over, shows the building boom
continues and is apparently still con-
troIled by the inevitable law of sup
ply and demand
Gaines by Cities.
- An estimate based on the returns
from these ZIG cities places the build
ing operations during the first five
Months of the year for the whole
country at about $500. 100000 ahead of
he first five months Of 1922. The
1ntal of permits issued in May in the
2l6 cities was S266.672.31l. a gain over
last May OF s35. .S65,06 In the same
cities the decrease from April was
S36.6s5.519.
Among IS eastern cities reporting
Tor May there was gain of 9.S per
cent over May. 1922; 81 of the IS hav-
ing an aggregate gain of S1i.S95.527
and 26 showing decreases: compared
with April Of this year. 81 eastern
cities showed gains and IL losses.
Among IS central cities there was
q gain over May. 1922. Of 11.5 per
cent. 40 of them showing gains and
29 losses; compared to April Of this
near SO showed gains and 45 losses.
Among - southern cities. there was
- gain over MAY. 1922. of 50 per cent,
cities showing gains and 10 losses:
compared t" April. II also showed
gains and 10 losses. Among &c west
"rn cities. there was gain over May.
1922. of 39.4 per cent, % cities show -
ing gains and II losses: compared to
April this year 10 showed gains and
II losses Among the 216 cities Of
all sections l40 showed gains and 76
losses over May, 1922. and IO3 showed
gains and l13 losses over April of
this year
Gains In New York.
Among the important cities New Yorl,
showed the greatest volume of May
NJ 80 u,
chicago was second with a total of
S32 l9S.000 and Los Angeles was third
with total of SlS.926.S81.
New York lost S3.3522ls over Nav
1922, and gained s3,3S6,S52 over April
Nj of the boroughs except Manhattan
showed a gain over April, aggregatinC
more than 10000 900. The decreas Sc
IN Manhattan equaled only S7.55S,26S
All Of the boroughs, however. except
Brooklyn showed decrease from May
1922
While the city of Chicago showed a
gam OF S3.l6a.350 over May, 1922, II
also showed decrease from April
Is1Z' OF s29.6l6,S65, indicating that
the proposal to curtail unnecessary
building at present and spread con.
structing over u wider period prob.
ably had more effect in Chicago thar
in any other American city. Thi.
proposal. in fact, appears to be af
tecting large projects in the mair
cities more than any other class o
construction.
Permits for May.
Permits issued during May in othel
important cities were as follows: De.
troit. s12,976.76I: Philadelphia. s12,
Io9,66O; San Francisco, s4.S2S,9S6
Milwaukee. $4.7I5.441: Cleveland. 50
6l9.075; Boston. s4.59s,7S3: St. Louis
34.166.3s6: Minneapolis, s4.03e,44O
baltimore, s3,s79,695; Providence, So.
495.400; Columbus. s3,311,400: Denver
5000 500; Pittsburgh. S3,017,904; In
dianapolis. 100000: Buffalo. s2.s47.
600; st. Paul. s2,733.69o; Portland
Greg, s2.594,620: Atlanta s2,406, 00n
Cincinnati, s2,3sO-075; Oakland, So
$4,000; Omaha. s2,066.454: Cambridge
Mass, s1,999.231: Louisville, sl.923.
145; Seattle. s1,S67,2s0: Long Beach
Calif, S1.7i0s11: Memphis, sl,721,120