Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-15
FEDERAL BUREAU.
! HELPS BUILDERS
Hoover Plan Has Resulted in
Economy TO Persons Con.
structing New Homes.

why does the Government have Q
housing bureau?
= What connection is there between the
large white building In washington
where a great many men make long re.
ports, and the average person about Il
build home?
The clacking of these mems type
writers back in 1923 helped to call g
halt TO rising material prices, and ia
make it possible for many people to
own home today, the National ASso-
citation of Real Estate Boards declares
> IN its weekly article on subjects OF In
terest to property owners.
The division of building and housing
nf the Department of Commerce, or
ranized by President Hoover when Sec
rotary of Commerce. has done much to
make American business prosperous by
helping the construction industry to
stabilize itself, says the real estate
association.
workers of the division had much to
DO with punching holes In obsolete
Building codes, advancing the fight for
equitable coming laws, protecting invest
s11ents by discouragfng overbuilding
pointing out the economies of Winter
construction and showing group OF
: manufacturers who were making too
many sizes Of bathtubs how to cut
/ down on the number" the association
States.
II; Hoover Organized Bureau.
att all started at, q time when the
construction industry was suffering,
when millions of unemployed men were
walking the streets because for three
wears America had not been building,
fhe association says.
k"This was in 1921 and Mr.. Hoover
Hhen Secretary of Commerce. asked
Congress for an appropriation to estab-
1ish a permanent Government bureau
to help keep business prosperous by
making the construction industry more
stable. The appropriation for the di-
vision OF building and housing was
granted.
1;"Mr. Hoover soon after. as chairman
mf the Presidents Conference on Un-
employment, appointed a notable COM
allittee, which called upon the country
30 relieve the unemployment situation
BY resuming building that had been
ellrtailed by the great war. The coCn-
try responded, but 1t responded so well
that the bureau was faced within a
year and a half by a new condition.
Early in 1923, with every one trying TO
construct something building material
prices started to rise and leaders in the
Industry feared that they would soar to
Unreasonable heights and so lead to
elnmp In building. Mr.. Hoover sounded
D note of warning in the form OF
carefully worded recommendation that
The Federal Government itself defer, for
The time being, all of its own construc-
son projects not eminently required by
public necessity. Although building
continued active and reached new high
aevels that year and in 1924, enough
awners deferred or slowed down their
Mew building projects. so that the dan
ger of inflated material prices passed
within a. few weeks, and they have
S.ever since reached the same high level
Winter Construction Begun.
zone of the first things the bureau
did was to show contractors and build
ers the possibilities of Winter construc-
ton. Up until this time too much OF
the country's building was done from
Ray or June until October or Novem-
her. Labor was consequently greatly IN
demand and employers often had to
rive large bonuses in order TO get men,
#4th this extra cost added to the cost Of
the structure. The new Government di-
Vision found that the main reason why
Building was crowded so largely into a
few months was because 1t had always
been that way. It was found that most
kinds of buildings could go right on
during the Winter. This practice. which
has now become much more general
throughout the country, makes 1t pos
Efble for the home builder in most sec
lions to secure labor without bonus pay
nnentS and also to secure the individual
attention Of the contractor. who, with
his work spread out over the year. can
afford to give more personal time to
each Job.
"Year-'round construction programs
have resulted in greater volume Of
building in many cities, chiefly because
81 the possibilities of economy. and
such steady employment has increased
the annual earnings of building trade
workers.
Early in 1918 the American Insti-
ante Of Architects had suggested that
the Bureau Of Standards frame a
standard building code that might be
used in cities throughout the country,
and an advisory committee of the new
division undertook this work. 1t found
400 different building codes In effect
In as many cities, with the require
Iaents varying from l7-inch brick
wall in one city to an 8-inch brick wall
In another city, both prescribed for
tflree-story homes. One of these must
be wrong, said the division.
Plumbing pipe, as every one knows,
forms an item Of considerable proper
the Government Housing Bureau In
iss standard building code work found
that the codes in some cities called
for a 4-inch plumbing soil pipe,
whereas tests at the Bureau OF Stand
ards. with which the division Is con-
siectAd, showed that q 3-inch pipe Is
adequate for any house and f1ts better
IN partitions IN the small home.
Economics Are Stressed.
THE findings OF the special COM
saittee appointed 10 draw up stand
ard building code showed many ways
IN which home building could be un-
dertaken at less expense and still meet
the requirements of safety. and the re-
PORTS Of this committee have been used
n 200 American cities that had been
using obsolete and out-of-date codes.
The tests, experiments and surveys
conducted by the Government in con-
uection with the framing OF this stand
ard code could not have been under
taken by any municipality from the
POINT Of view Of expense. to say nothing
OF its ability to call on the experts who
contributed their work In this connec-
ton.
Beside the housing division also
worked the division of simplified prac.
tee that quietly conducted investiga.
tons for several years and then startled
home builders by announcing that manu-
factalrers were making window frames in
$50 different sizes. that both common