The Washington times., 1935-12-31
Rx WILLIAM E. RING

BY WILLIAM E. RING
While steam-shovel and rivet,
hammer and saw played a nerve
wracking symphony, approx
mately 500, 100000 was spent in
building operations in the Nations
Capital during 1885, an increase
of approximately $40,000,000 over
1884, which saw the Federal
Government carrying on virtually
all important construction activi-
ties here.
District Government and private
building operations in the city
for 1885 increased 200 per cent,
revealing the Capital had ex-
perienced it's busiest year in this
industry since the plentiful days
in the late 1920's.
Much Federal Building Here
Statistics at the Treasury De
partment revealed that the
Federal building program which
expended $54,00O,000 during the
year 1884 had increased the
grand total of the Washington
program to $124,000,000. In
other words, Uncle Sam has
poured $70,000.000 into building
operations in the Capital during
the year just closing.
Uncle Sans construction pro-
gram will continue during 1886
to perfect the much-discussed
triangle building group in the
Mall, which when completed will
present the most impressive archi'
tectural group to be found in any
capital city in the world.
In the SCARED and work-worn
offices of Col. John w. Oehmann,
the Distict's building inspector,
statistics were dug from dusty
files to show that the municipal
and private building enterprises
in the District had increased 200
per cent over 1894.
During 1894, a total of $500
building permits we're issued for
operations totaling $9,660,000.
While puny compared to the
boom year figures of the late
1920's, this total was an increase
over the preceding year.
Total to Pass 27 Millions
Statistics were not completed
at Colonel Oehmann's office for
1885, but for II non tn -
January -November-cold figures
showed that $500 permits for
building operations were granted
and the value of the enterprises
were $25,000,000.
1t was estimated by the build
ing inspectors staff that Decem
ber operations would approx
mate $2,500,000, which would
bring the total for the year 1885
to $27,50O,O00.
While in 1884 the municipal
government expended more than
$2,000,000 in building operations
or close to one-third of the entire
municipal and private building
operations in the city for the
year, during 1885 the District
government expended only 81,
100000 of the estimated $27,
1000.
The Districts expenditures on
building during 1884 and 1885
mainly concerned repairs and
additions to municipal buildings
although a check through the re-
cords revealed that one new
school costing $4,000 was built
during 1885.
In the private construction
field, monthly checks on the
building inspectors records showed
that three-fourths of the con
struction during the year 1895
was confined to erecting new
homes and apartments. principally
in the Northwest section.
Some Bigger Operations
Here and there through the
records, it was revealed that a
section of a huge office building
was begun at a cost of 81 .000, COO
that a church had been con
structed at a cost of 100000
that theater had been built at
a cost of 100000.
Although the building total OF
the closing year, despite the 200
per cent increase, does not
approach the record figure OF
more than $60,000,O 900 established
in the balmy days of 1928
amateur seers at the building
inspectors office pointed out this:
The wear rrhich has inst clnSer