Evening star., 1924-07-31
.576 BOND ISSUES:
/ TO BOOST BUILDING
Immense Public Improvement
7 Programs to Be Carried. "
!: Out During Rest of Year. i,
BY J. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispa tch to The Star.

NEW YORK. July 31.-Public i'm
provementS are expected to act as" a
! balance wheel in regulating the oc-
for the remainder of the year. This ia
| indicated by the tremendous volume
OF municipal, county and State bend
issues which have been absol& ed
by investors in the last two months.
Money has been cheap and some mu-
nfcipal issues have recently been
disposed of at premium, enabling &
| taxpayers to get public improvements
under way under favorable financial
circumstances. :.
The output of state and municipal
bonds placed In June broke all pre-
vious records for single NORTH
with an aggregate of $268.1I3.0s4
and the rate OF absorption has been
fully maintained in July. The pre-
yious high record was made in De:
cember, 1921, when a total Of 1920,
466.661 was reached. The highest pre-
vious June was last year. when. the
amount issued was S16l,070,397.
$11,OOO.OOO bond Issue.
An Indication of the trend is fur
New Jersey highway bonds. bearin &
IA per cent interest. which sold at
a premium of about $163,Oo0. permit
ting several additional miles of con-
crete highway to be built without
cost to the State.
A partial list of the improvements
to provide funds for which SIS
| issues were made by 431 municipai-
tiles and States, includes roads, street
paving, schools. fire stations parks,
sewers. garbage and sewage disposal
systems, water works, subways and
bridges. These activities are expect
ed to absorb a very large part Of the
labor which is now idle or which
may be released by any further cur
tailment of industrial activities and
from the harvest fields.
Building Costs Lower.
The expenditure of the large sums
effect on producers of lumber, ce-
ment, brick, steel and other con-
struction materials. Prices of ma :
terials are being well maintained in
construction are showing a tendency
to drop.
This is not due particularly to
lower wages. although some crafts
have accepted wage reductions In
certain sections The general trend
upward. but the payment of BONUSES
| is not so widespread There is but
little shortage of skilled artisans at
present, but II Is estimated that
$4,000 such workers die or Withdraw
| to other lines of industry each year
and IL is doubtful il the number OF
apprentices now undergoing trainin
will be more than sufficient to meet
the normal needs in the next year. i.
Railroad Use of Motor Trucks.
Road construction is being watched
| with increased attention owing to the
| tendency of steam and electric rail.
| roads to supplant their short-hau
| freight and passenger runs by motto,
| truck and bus lines. The success ol
| this move depends to a. large extent
| on the development and maintenance
of good roads. The carriers, excep
as they are taxpayers in the State ir
question. do not pay for the unkeeT
or con struction of these roads. and a.
least some money saved through veal
| and tear on equipment, on the shor'
runs is available to help finance thu
Great Care to stop Waste.
The care with which waste ant
wear and tear is being watched BY
the big carriers is shown by the. fac,
/ that during the year ending July
the Southern Pacific road saved &
total Of s2.5a1.s7s through reclama'
ton OF material which ordinaril!
would go on the junk heap. Ole
boilers were made into oil storage
| tanks, barrels utilized as water con
tainers for FIRE protection and ship
ping cases and old air hose for bump
ers and shock mats, while ScraT
N etal and car roofing were converted
into buckets, ventilators, sand scoops
hot box coolers and material racks
Trains Include More CaFA.
| Operating expenses of the railroad.
in the first part Of this year averaged
| nearly $4,000. 900 a month less thar
last year, due largely to increases ir
| the gross tonnage per train and the
gross locomotive load. More car.
were put in each train and more
freight in each car.
Building is particularly active a
present In Florida, where cities ane
towns are spending $35.00e, ,008 on i'm.
mediate construction consisting large
ly of hotels and apartment buildings
These are being rushed to completion
| In anticipation of a heavy influx o.
| tourists the coming Winter.
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