Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-16
EFFORT TO REDUCE
COST EFFECTIVE
Government and Trade Asso-
+, citation Activities Bring
Results.

F,ncouraging signs of genuine
nation-wide effort to reduce the Dill
in building are found in present-day
Government and trade association eff
forts to throttle war-born evils and,
incidentally, discover other reasons
WHY construction costs stay hlsh'
writes Allen L. Beals in the Dow
Building Reports.
"It is now generally recognized that
construction costs must soon recede.
such recession can come from one OF
all of eight sources-loWer raw mate
rial prices cheaper manufacturing Ia
Dor, reduced freight rates, larger ma
chine production, material supply far
in excess of demand, Shrunken con-
struction labor wages, cheaper money,
or more accurate cost accounting and
estimating.
"Tackling the first phase of this
problem. the United States Senate
committee son reforestation developed
the astounding testimony that the
original forest stand of the United
States has already been reduced from
100000, 000,0 900 board feet to 1900
100000 board feet of virgin forest
and 00,000,Oo0,000 feet of second
growth timber.
Freight Rate Heavy.
THE direct effect of this condition
that the average carload of lumber
for dwelling house construction is
hauled the equivalent of half the dis
lance between New York and Chicago
from mill 81 consumer, for which the
home builder pays a freight rate that
sometimes totals more on his ship
ment than the average delivered price
of the lumber thirty years ago.
1T is cold comfort for the pros
pective eastern home-buildcr who is
a hnlCp n
struction in the hope that building
costs will soon come down to learn
from the Senate records that two
thirds of the lumber used annually
in the central and eastern states. II
totals $50, 100000 worth Il year.
"One year ago it was predicted that
the cement mills of the United States
would produce 135,000,00 barrels
Cement mill capacity then in opera
ton never had turned out such to-
tai, but when the year closed the
United States geological survey Off
$4,000 barrels, and at price to con-
sumers practically what IL was
twenty-five years ago, in 1899.
Turn to Machinery.
Brick, steel. lime, plaster, roofing
material, asbestos. lumber, Cemen,
and other industries have also turned
TO improved machinery production
sIiiCt ldCh VI ldDOT anu con
Struction labor makes it impossible
TO look for lowering cost influences
from those sources.
Cement, for example, produced
twice as much as was contracted for
in January, 1923. and shipments were
approximately 100000 barrels last
month, or twice what they were in
January, 1922, and from 10 to Is pei
cent over what it was in 1929, al
though some companies shipped over
80 per cent more than they did in
January, 1923, due to open winter
weather.
Lumber shows a four weeks cut
of 773,206,2S6 board feet, against a
cut in the same four weeks in 1923 OF
154.694,7SS. Brickmakers also are
turning to more modern machinery
for greater production at a lower
cost, showing 313,696.000 brick or
hand in national manufacturers hands
January l, 1924, against 204 ,535, 80 ir
October. 1920. when brick was bring
ing it's best prices.
"Dearth of labor supply, as report &c
to the international Association OF
Master Painters and Decorators al
Atlantic City in that trade alone
prompts the official statement thai
the painting bosses could use $4,000
more painters if they had them