Evening star., 1932-04-30

300 Under Contract.
There are now more than 300 Gov
eminent buildings and extensions or
additions under contract. Within a
few months, it is probable that there
will be more than 500 Federal build
ing jobs in progress"
As an example cf one of the larger
projects now under way. the report de-
scribes the new post Office that is be-
ing erected in Chicago. 1t will be the
largest post Office building in the world
The cost of the site and building it is
estimated, will be about $22 100000.
1t is the Federal and State building
operations which have enabled the
building trades to make the little prog
resS which has been recorded during
the last Is months since industrial,
commercial and residential work
reached the lowest levels in more than
q decade.
According to a compilation by Dun
of the value of building permits issued
in 1o1 cities during March totaled only
SIC, ,448,511, representing a decline of
rs per cent from the $82,010,129 for
the same cities for March, 1881.
In February the total for these
cities was S24 .349, $50, and in January,
$26,312,756. This brought the total for
the first quarter of the current year to
71,110,887, as compared with a per-
NIT total valuation of S20l, ,744, ,593 for
the first quarter of last year.
Home Building Obstacles.
1.-THE chief obstacles to building,
especially home building, are the in
ability to obtain money and the mis-
taken notion that the country is great
ly overbuilt," the report continues.
There is reason to hope that money
soon will be released to construction
and there also is considerable evidence
that a resumption in business will bring
with it an actual shortage of homes.
While there are some vacancies at the
present time, these vacancies cannot be
construed as oversupply entirely, but
they are rather the reflection Of the
inability of the people, with their re-
duced incomes, to buy housing In the
amount to which they are accustomed
In normal times.
while recent population changes
tend to reduce the country's construc-
tion progress, there are in existence
constructive ideas and sound technique
out of which a qualitative building mar
ket may grow to replace the gradually
decreasing cumulative market, and thus
eliminate the excessive waste that Is
likely TO result IN nlgnIy speculative
period. It Is estimated that the popu-
lation increase of the current decade
will be not more than 5000, 900, COM
pared with 16,648,220 for the 10 years
from January 1, 1920, to January l,
1880.
Most statisticianS. however, do not
take cognizance of the fact that while
there may be limit to population there
is no limit to human wants. 1t Is safe
to predict that wants never cease to
expand. Families in four-room apart
ments would like to move into six-room
apartments, and those in six-room
apartments would like to have eight,
with all the additional furnishings, and
an automobile in the garage. City
dwellers want country homes, however
modest they may be, for Summer use.
None of these wants is anywhere near
the saturation point of satisfaction.
Unsatisied Wants Gain.
'In every period of economic STRESS
the number of unsatisfied wants accu-
mulate The number of passenger au-
tomobiles in use in 1881 declined 4 per
cent. but all of those who have given
I'D their cars want them back. A re-
cent survey revealed that the doubling
UP in living quarters in the past two
years had resulted in two and one-hah
times as many extra families living In