Evening star., 1936-04-25
BUILDING PERMITS
H|TFWE-yEAR HIGH
FOR LAST MONTH
Nationwide Survey Shows
Greatest Activity Since
August, 1881.
SECRETARY PERKINS @
RELEASES FIGURES
Construction Increase Shared by
Virtually All Parts of
Country.

Building construction activity as
gauged by building permits issued in
March was greater than for any month
since August, 1881, according to the
Labor Departments Nationwide sur
vey, results Of which we're announced
today by Secretary Perkins.
The construction increase was
shared by virtually all parts of the
country, the survey showed. Com
pared with February, the value of new
residential buildings increased 10 per
cent, new .non-reSidential buildings
advanced 90 per cent and gain of
80 per cent was shown in the value
of permits issued for alterations, ad-
ditions and repairs. The total value
of all classes of building permits is
sued in March was Al per cent greater
than the previous month.
Each Month Showed Gain.
Each of the first three months of
1886" Secretary Perkins said, has
shown substantial increases over the
corresponding month of the previous
year. The March increase in the
total value of permits issued was %
per cent as compared with II months
ago. New residential building shows
an increase of nearly 80 per cent over
the year before and new nonresident
tial building shows gain OF more
than 70 per cent. Over the quarter
the gain in non-residential building
amounted to nearly $50 per cent. To-
tai construction shows a gain of more
than IS per cent. comparing the first
quarter of 1886 with last year"
Washington occupies sixth place
among the cities of the country in
valuation of March building activity
with a total of $2,284,4 ,426, the depart
ment report shows. New York City Is
first in new building valuation. fol-
lowed by Los Angeles, Detroit, Hous-
ton, Tex, and Chicago. The Houston
total was swelled by inclusion OF
permit for a huge institutional project.
Important March Projects.
The information collected by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics ncluoes,
In addition to private constructlon'
the number and value of buildings Tor
which contracts were awarded by
Federal and State Governments IN
the cities included in the report. For
March 1886 the value of public build
inps amounted to S4,464 600; Tor
February 1886, to s20,420,OoO ana
for March 1885, to S5,313,00O.
Permits were issued during Marcn
for the following important bulloing
projects: In New York City-ln the
borough of the Bronx for apartment
houses to cost S8SO,O0O, in Brooklyn
for apartment houses to cost over
sl.O0O.OO0, in the Borough OF Man
haitian for a hospital to cost Sl,2Oo,-
600; in West Homestead, Pa, for
steel mill to cost $4,000 900; in Chi
cago. ILL.,, for school buildings to cost
$3.50. 900; in Hammond, Ind, Tor
school building to cost $524,0OO; In
Detroit. Mich, for factory buildings
to cost $3.50 900; in Wilmington, Del,
for Office buildings to cost Sl,25o,ooo,
IN WASHINGTON, D. c., for apartment
houses to cost nearly s6ooooo; in At
lanta. Ga. for store and mercantile
buildings to cost over s5O0,OOo; in
Houston. Tex. for institutional build
inps to cost over 81 300 900; in Pendle-
ton. Greg. for school building to cost
s237 900; in Olympia, Wash, Tor an
office building to cost $500, 900; and
in Seattle, Wash, for a school build
ing to cost s9SO.000. Contracts were
awarded by the Veterans Administra-
ton for an infirmary building In
Coatesville, Pa, to cost nearly $780,
600. The Public Works Administra-
ton awarded an additional contract
for the housing project in Hightstown,
N L. to cost over ST 100000.