Evening star., 1925-08-15
Growth of WASHINGTON.

District is shown in figures by the
building inspector in his annual re.
port to the Commissioners. Summariz-
ing the report, one finds that during
the last fiscal year $62,S62. $50 worth
OF buildings were constructed or au.
thorized. This is the largest building
bill for one year in the history Of the
District, and is an increase of $23,.
469, ,773, or sixty per cent, over the
previous fiscal year. 1t is also large
increase over the fiscal year ended
June 80. 1923, which to that time was
the banner building year in Washing
ton, when construction was being
pushed to meet a housing shortage
and when thousands of people were
turning to home building because of
high rents. The figure of nearly
sixty.three million dollars does not in.
clude construction by the National or
District government, and such con-
struction would not add much to the
sum. While citizens build at an un.
precedented pace, here and nearly
y,
the National Government is talking
about the buildings it needs for carry.
ing on public business. The sixty
three million dollars spent or pledged
in Washington between June so,
1924. and June 80, 1925, was for the
building. of homes, office buildings,
apartment houses, hotels and other
commercial structures.
The growth of Washington, es-
pecially outside Of the former city
goes beyond the brick and asphalt in
the old parts Of the city. Building
growth does not proceed as in other
years. A few years ago a man, after
conferences and walking, would pick
out a lot, buy it, hunt up a builder
and set up a new house. Some Of the
early real estate men would buy a few
acres, subdivide and sell lots. General
ly they would lend a man enough
money to build house. There are real
over tracts at cost which would
make old Washington gasp, cut off
high hills, dump them into valleys,
lay streets and build houses by the
score, two hundred and perhaps five
hundred at a swoop. Then, inspection
is invited" and a man gets a ready.
built and usually a we'll built house,
ready for occupancy. A family can
buy the house in the morning and
cook lunch in the kitchen. The plot
is planted with grass and shrubbery.
There are several Of these real es.
tate developments" in progress and
prospect that do not appear in the
building inspectors figures. but will
be there next year.
There have been other improve
ments in the way of getting a home.
Formerly man when he got his lot
secured a loan of say SO 900 to build a
house. He was lucky to get it that
way. Often in other years he had to
build the house before he could put
trust on 1t. His trust was payable, let
us say. in three years, and there was
expense and often trouble in renewing
1t. His interest was payable every six
months, and a good deal of planning
and thrift were often required to get
the interest money together. Under
modern conditions a purchaser signs
a bundle Of notes in which the pay.
ment Of the principal and the interest
is computed and makes a monthly
payment, of which part is on the prin-
cipal and part on the interest. He
has taxes and insurance to pay in
seniannual or annual lump sums, but
no man has found out how to make
the payment Of taxes one Of the pleas
ures of life.
Whether owning or renting is
cheaper is a question, and depends on
several things, but most people vote
in favor Of owning. There Is a sense
Of proprietorship, responsibility and
independence in owning which men,
and especially women, like. Where
the people come from to buy, or sign
up, for the new houses is a question
to which are different answers. A
good many new people come to Wash.
ington, but most of these new houses
are taken by people who move out of
flats and rented houses and sell the
old home dow0town 70 nooye ufo rtbar