Evening star., 1924-03-08
WINTER building
ACTIVITY UNUSUAL
Open Weather and Lower
Costs Are Stimulating
Factors.

The month of greatest building ac-
tivity during 1923, as measured by the
value of contracts awarded. was May.
In the months Immediately following
there was sharp decline to low
point in August, but october was
characterized by a revival OF building
which has held up unusually We'll
The lowest point reached during the
current winter was January, but the
value of contracts awarded during
that month was greater than during
the preceding August or September.
The decline from the month of great
est activity reached last spring to the
lowest point of the current winter
was 80 per cent This compares with
Al per cent in 1928 and 80 per cent
in 1922. Value of contracts award
ed in January, 1924, was s261, 900. 900;
last winter the low point was $Zd5.-
100000, reached in December, ls22,
and two Years ago it was $l66,0oO,O00,
reached in January, 1922.
ButldinE Costs Higher.
While building costs at present are
higher than they were two years ago
and probably little higher than tney
were a year ago, the fact that the
volume or DullOlnS tHiS WiHtCh 10 uh
usually heavy is borne out by COM
parison of the area of new floor space
covered by contracts awarded. Area or
floor space does not include publc
utilities and "miscellaneous" build
ings, which are included in the value
of the contracts awarded Area of new
floor space in January, 1874, was
4922S,OO0 square feet; in December,
1922, 3S,603,000 square feet, and IN
January, 1922. 30,261 900 square feet; In
and in January, 1922. 3O,261,0 900 square
feet. Area of new floor space in jan
uary, 1924. was 2S per cent greater
than in December, 1922. and 63 per
cent greater than in January, 1922,
while value of contracts awarded was
2l per cent and 81 per cent greater,
respectively.
For some time contractors and
architects have been carrying on an
active campaign to overcome the pc
lief on the part of many builders
and investors that building during the
winter is much more costly than
building during other seasons or the
year While the need of protection
for concrete, masonry, etc, and ex-
penditures for the comfort of the men
on the job add something to the cost,
this increase is more than offset by
savings resulting from less difficulty
in securing labor, and consequently
smaller expenditures for overtime and
capital already invested in the project
by speeding it's completion, and fire.
Quently from lower prices for mate
rials and better material deliveries
Moreover, in those cities where May
] is an important renting date winter
building may make possible the com
pletion of the work so that leases can
be made from that date.
Winter Building Stimulated.
circumstances tended to. stimulate
fall and winter building Flrst. the
sharp falling off in building last sum
mer. beginning in June. resulted in an
almost immediate drop in building
material prices. Material prices dur
ing the last half of the year were
considerably lower than they had
Naturally, persons who had building
to be done were encouraged to under
take it at that time. While wage
rates were not reduced. the smaller
that earlier in the year undoubtedly
did tend to ease the labor situation
to some extent.
Secondly, building has been en-
couraged this winter by the prolonged
psriod of open weather in most parts
of the country. A minimum or eN-
tremely cold weather and snow has
enabled work to go forward at an
unusually high rate for the season.
In so far as the large volume OF
building during this winter repre-
sents a trend toward spreading out
the years building over all twelve
months of the year in place of the
decidedly seasonal tendency of former
years, it is a healthy, sign. One OF
the biggest arguments of building
workers in every demand for higher
wages is the extremely seasonal char
acter of the industry, resulting in
long periods of unemploy II
this can be done away with even in
part long step will have been taken
toward wage stability. The same
thing will be true of the prices of
building materials.
On the other hand. the unusual ac-
tivity has prevented building material