Evening star., 1923-05-17
IND0RSE PROPOSAL
t T0HALT BUILDING
Construction Men Anxious to
Get Costs DoWn-DeIay
b. Plan Condemned.
BY j. G. ROYLE.

#' BY ]. G. RoYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. May 1.-THE proposal
of. the American Construction Council
that all projected building construction
not yet begun be postponed until au-
tumn, met with vigorous Endorsement
and equally vigorous opposition through
out the country today.
Advocates Of curtailment Of building
asserted that this plan was the only
one practicable by which the "snow-
balling'' Of costs OF labor and materials
could be checked and an imitation which
business avoided.
Opponents Of the plan asserted that
new housing was no less acutely needed
now than year ago. Even If there
were enough houses and apartments to
house each individual family unit. they
said. there still would be necessary a
surplus of dwellings ranging from to
10 per cent to allow for the necessary
and continuous movement Of residents
from one section Of a city or one sec
tlon OF the country to another.
Workers now getting extremely
nigh wages, supplemented by over
posed to any slackening Of construc-
tion work. but some farsighted labor
leaders realize that undue expansion
must be followed by a corresponding
depression.
Cites Wild Jump In Costs.
Building costs have increased out of
All proportion to advances in other
lines in the last year. said Joseph r.
Kraus, vice president OF the Union
Trust Company Of Cleveland. in dis
cussing the situation today.
AS we emerged from the postwar
hoped that the business world would
remember for years TO come the les
son gained by the sad experiences Of
those days. But today in the building
trades we are facing an imitation OF
cost so far out OF line with increased
costs in other businesses as to
threaten seriously the stability Of the
entire business structure.
The new Union Trust building in
Cleveland. for example, was contract
ed for short time ago on the basis
OF ~ cents cubic foot. The new
Straus building in Chicago is costing
9pout eighty cents a cubic foot, an
increase OF about 70 per cent In only
try"
Exact Costs Unknown.
Investors planning new construc-
ZION In Philadelphia indicated today
mat delay until costs had stabilized
, would meet with their hearty ap-
longer would make frm bids on con-
structfon work. but would only sub
INIT tentative estimates subject to in
crease at any time material or labor
costs advanced. This has made it
impossible to determine just what a
building will cost and what return
may be expected from II. and it is
decidedly unsatisfa ctory to men be-
hind the new projects.
Quick Turn-Overs Necessary.
The majority Of the manufacturers
tion of their national association here
went home today convinced that In
divldual efforts to keep costs down
and production up would be far more
effca cious in assuring. business sta
hility than the adoption OF resolu-
tons. Quick turnover is the policy
most of them have accepted, and
there was every indication in their
attitude that inventories and stocks
would not be allowed to pile up this
Summer.
Ford Not After Chevrolet.
Some slight furry was caused by
the report-one of the many Ford
rumors continually circulated-that
henry Ford was preparing to alb:
sorb the Chevrolet Company, Ford
Is not even thinking about 1t, ac-
cording to reliable Information from
Detroit. Chevrolet is one OF the
Ford Company's dearest rivals. and
friends OF. the big manufacturer say
that half his fun would be gone II
he did not have active opposition in
the low-priced car field.
Building Boom Continues.
PITTSBURGH. May II (SpeciaD-
According to William B. Stayers, Sec
retary of the Retail Lumbers Dealers
Association, there Is more building
under way and contracted for here
today than in any previous spring
season in the history of Pittsburgh
Figures received from ESQ members
OF the association in western Penn
syivania, Mr.. Stayers says. indicate
that 1923 will eclipse all years in
volume of house building in the thir-
ty-f1ve counties of western Pennsyl-
vania.
New Buildings Planned.
NEW ORLEANS. May II Especially.
The preparation of plans for new
building construction shows no signs
OF slackening in the south. The
latest large structures arranged for
here include a hospital and an office
An additional s3,00o.000 is to be
spent on new wharves, and permits
for residences are far more numerous
than at this time last year.
Big Real Estate Demand.
FORT WORTH, May II Especially.
Real estate activity in west Texas
is continuing unabated today. This is
due to the cutting up of the great
school land tracts and the old
ranches.
- Copyright 1921