The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-03
SEES BUILDING
/ GREATEST
|NU. {.
Five Billion Dollar Program
During 1923 to Smash
All Records.

American building. activity dur.
ing 1923 will surpass all previous
records with an estimated expendi-
ture of $4,000, Zoo, 900, ACCORDING to
reports from architects, contractors
and manufacturers of building ma
terialS.
1t means that the. 1922 volume
will be exceeded by more than ST.
000, 1000, 900.
Tables prepared by the Archi-
tectural Forum from compilation OF
replies from 1,767 architects show
that builders have carried their
operations through the winter, main
tanning an almost steady line from
the heavy demand of the fall and
winter months of 1922.
general groups it is seen that
plans for schools, colleges and
similar public structures lead the
list with $S70,034, 900. Apartments
are next with $662,885, 200, and in
dustrial buildings are third with
1854, 037 900.
An interesting comparison is
shown in the total for dwellings,
which is $414,132,000, almost as
great as the total for offices and
also for hotels.
Similar activity of vast proper
items is planned by railroads. Actual
budget figures for thirty-one roads,
controlling 40 per cent of all track
age in America can for the ex-
penditure of 1887, 10000 Estimates
by the Railway Age place the total
cost of all rail Improvement and
construction at approximately $780,
O00, 900 during 1923.
Economic experts, studying the
construction field. declare the basis
for this unprecedented activity lies
In the actual frightening of the So
called building season."
Building operations in 1922
reached unexpected heights during
the summer and carried on through
the fall and winter with little
tractors completed work which in
other years would have been car
ried over and, in mid-winter, &C
cepted new contracts for prompt
delivery.
The result has been far heavier
orders for steel, cement, trim and
other building materials from the
very start of the year 1928 than
at any time in the history of the
country.
Contractors, realizing the adj
vantages of maintaining their forces
of workmen intact from season to
season, have carried work right
along except in the extremely cold
sections and have ordered additional
material for immediate delivery
which they will store until ready
for use on new contracts.
The early peak load Of demand
frr1ak Rr.a& t. Cd 70
feel relief from this steady move
been able to pass along the bene-
fits of the longer season.
Many plants which in the past
were forced to suspend operations
in the winter because of over
loaded warehouses, have been able
to run at fair rate and are ship
ping steadily.
Advertisements for contractors in
current periodicals specify that con-
tracts will be taken for sixty and
ninety-day delivery of homes, a
hitherto unheard of thing thus
early in the year. This means that
materials and labor are promptly
available and that wherever possible
the work will be pushed to compile
~AOH, lOTSStdAlHS the pOSSIDlllIy OF
N builder being buried beneath a
mass of untitled contracts when
the demands of the so-called build
ing season are in full swing.
The greatest difficulty. faced by
sf1ae building industry in America
mas been the problem of the short
season. Twelve months of pro.
posed activity were forced into
seven months or less.