The Washington times., 1923-05-12
GAIN AND Loss
IN BUILDING
SHOWN
Activities Throughout coun-
try Are of Fixed Character,
Survey Indicates.

Reports received yesterday COW
ering building activities through
out the country were of mixed
6 character. While 151 cities re-
ported increases in building per-
mits in April as compared with
March, ninety-one cities had de-
creases.
The national monthly building
survey of S. w. Straus & Co., re-
ports April building permits in
242 cities totaling $S4O,381 ,255,
compared with $404, 351 1856 in
March this year, a decrease of Is
per cent.
Gain Over 1922.
That many parts of the country
are still swinging ahead with ire
mendous construction is shown,
however, in a comparison of re-
ports of last year. In April, 1922,
the same 242 cities reported per-
nnits OF $216,021, $50. The April gain
this year was So per cent. Gains as
compared with April last year were
made in 179 of the 242 cities,
while Isl showed increases over
March.
Total April building permits for
the entire country are estimated at
$475.000,000 by s. w. Straus & Co.
While the returns indicate that
the peak Of the unprecedented build.
ing in some parts of the country
has been passed., there is nothing
at the present time to indicate
widespread and pronounced perma-
nent let-up in building.l 1t is APP
parent that the country is settling
down to long period of normal
and substantial business activity.
Shortage Acute.
The general housing and building
shortage is still acute in many
important cities of the country, es-
pecially in those centers where
there have been large industrial
developments.
In the Eastern States there was
gain of 80 per cent over April
last year and q decline of 43 per
: cent over March, 1923. In the
Central States there was a gain OF
III per cent as compared with April
q year ago and gain of 3S per
cent over March this year. The
Southern States revealed a, gain of
SO per cent for April as compared
with the same month last year and
loss of 5 per cent as compared
with March. In the Pacific Coast
States there was % per cent gain
over April, 1929, and a 10 per cent
gain over March.
Washington Gains.
Among the important cities show
ing gains of $1,00O,0O0 or more
over April, 1922, were:
Eastern-PhiIa $8,366,205;
washington. d. c., $6,7S8,7 24; Pitts.
burgh, $2,O6S,977; Baltimore, $2,-
O09 800; Brook1ine, Mass, $1,783,31O;
Jersey City. $1,343,752; Camden, N.
j., $1,063,156; Rochester, $1,226,680
Central Chicago, $44.7ss, 405;
Detroit, $5.7O0.373; Cleveland. So.
134,200: Milwaukee, $2,714,237; st.
Louis, $1,775 .Ss4; Cincinnati. $751;
725; Kenosha, Wis. $1,413,S4S;
Fort Wayne, Ind, 1885, $50; To.
ledo, $1,1O1, 645; st. Paul $1,029,961;
Kansas City, Mo-, 81 ,421 $50.
Southern-Atlanta, $3,625,3l
Far Western cities--Los Angeles,
.25S; San Francisco, $1,1S0,.
Os1.
April Totals.
The twenty cities showing large
totals of April permits We're: Chi
cago, $61 ,S14,965; New York, $685.
772,1s1; Philadelphia, $19.729.815;
Boston, 1880, 1928; Pittsburgh, $4.-
191,4s7; Detroit, $11,927,76O; Los
Angeles, SIS ,352,944; Baltimore, $4,'
972, $50; San Francisco, $5,17S,SO1;
Cleveland, $5,593,5OO; Seattle, ST.
141, 1886; Minneapolis, 1882, 900;
Kansas City, Mo-, $2,910.o0O; st.
Louis, 1880, 805; Dallas, $1,926,00O;
New Orleans, $l,O37 100: Indian
apolis, $3,215,976; Milwaukee, ST.
lis, 900: Buffalo, $3.50, 900; Atlanta,
$4,922, 1872, a total Of 1901 ,O44, 7O9,
compared to $12S,1S3,000 in April,
1922.
Cities which showed total April
permits of more than 100000 in
addition to the twenty cites re-
ferred to were:
Eastern - Jersey City, $2,458,-
600; Brookline, Mass, $2,293, 900;
Providence, 1888. 300; Camden, ST.,
$4,000; Springfield, Mass, $780,
600; New Bedford, Mass, 81, 400, 900;
Worcester, Mass, $1,341 900; Law.
renee. Mass, $1,28S, 900; Fall River,