Evening star., 1925-01-19
BUILDING PROGRAM
FOR D. C. SURVEYED
Much Activity Forecast in
Erecting Homes, But Slump
Likely in Apartments.

While a large amount of building
is forecast in Washington for 1925,
the Department of Labor today
doubted that the volume of construc-
tion work here will exceed that OF
1924, which was held to be an cG-
Ceptional year in this line.
Revis wing building prospects in
Washington fer 1870, the department
predicted much activity in the build
ing of homes. but thought that the
number Of apartment houses to be
erected in 1925 Will show a decline
from 1924 figures. Resident building
tradesmen of all classe; have been
very well employed, and enough work
is seen to keep craftsmen steadily
engaged.
Employment in the District for De
cembor showed the usual seasonal
incFea e as compared with November,
according to figures compiled by the
local employment office. There has
been good demand for sales and
clerical people, increasing as the
month drew to close and Christ
mas business picked up.
New Building in Sight.
The skilled and unskflled labor
situation in Washington was regard
cd as Well balanced, with little sur
=
building program is going on, EN-
ploying most OF the resident building
tradesmen. and two new projects in
sight, one four-story apartment
house to cost approximately $50, 900
and another apartment house to cost
S25O.OOO.
Industrial activity in Maryland was
said to be on a fairly satisfactory
basis, with no more than the usual
M lNy NJ h &c
time OF year. The same situation was
declared to be true in Virginia, with
little unemployment reported in any
section of the State.
Building Demand Less.
The survey of the country dis
closed line of demarcation as to un-
employment, running between indus
tries carried on under shelter and
those carried on out of doors. In
nearly all parts of the country, fac
tory and mine employment was on
the increase, while construction was
said to have lessened demand for
workers.
The general manufacturing indus
try of States as widely separated as
New York. New Jersey. Pennsylvania.
Ohio. Illinois and California was
found to have increased the number
of employed workers. In Michigan
automobile plants We're found to be
reducing forces slightly. and in New
England shoe making showed recess
Sions, although increased employment
was reported in textiles.
At Reduced Levels.
Out-of-door work from the Mime
sofa and Wisconsin lumber districts,
through Mississippi, Louisiana and
Florida, aud along the Pacific coast
was generally reported at reduced
levels. In other respects, conditions
We're said to be unchanged from
those outlined in the December sur
vey when conditions and prospects
were said to be good
As a special study in line with it's
endeavor to prevent unemployment,
the service reported this month on
the outlook for building construc-
tion during 1925. in which it found
reason to hope for continuance at
a rate a steady as that of 1924, when
new records were established in many
places. 7iEsfs
In New England, all States were
said to be anticipating full employ
ment, without danger of surplus or
shortage of skilled artisans. In
middle Atlantic territory, Pennsyl-
vania, New York and New Jersey
were said to have building programs
that might entail special demand for
craftsmen in particular trades, while
the Missouri-Mississipp Valley States
of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri Ne
braska, Kansas and the Dakotas,
were likewise held to be in more
danger of skilled labor shortage than
surplus after Spring.
Prospects for building.
Mountain States, such as Colorado,
Nevada and Arizona, all were report
ed to have prospects for increased
building, and the same condition was
noted in California. In Washington
and Oregon the outlook was said to
be fair for employment of workers
within the territory.
In the Southeast, Virginia and West
Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia
were said TO have sufficient work in
prospect to employ resident building
tradesmen, and the same was con-
sidered likely through Tennessee and
Louisiana, with Florida and Ken
lucky probably needing workers.