Evening star., 1937-03-27
PERMITS DISCLOSE
GAIN IN. BUILDING
DURING FEBRUARY
Valuations Exceed Both jan
uary and Same Period
of 1886.
DISTRICT IS THIRD
AMONG BIG CITIES
$7,915,714 Total Is Topped Only
by Those of New York
and Los Angeles.
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

ny JAMES L. NE" 1oN.
Building activity in the principal
cities of the Nation in February.
measured by the value of permits is
sued, was considerably greater than
in January of this year and in Feb
ruary year ago, the monthly survey
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
made public today by Secretary Fran
ces Perkins, showed.
1t marked the second time in eight
years that February permit valuations
have exceeded January figures, Miss
Perkins said. THE increase Of 33 per
cent between January and February
she stated, was due to gain of ~
per cent in the value of new residen-
tial construction. gain of IA per cent
in the value of new non-residentlal
construction and rise of 81 per cent
in the value of permits issued for
additions, alterations and repairs to
existing buildings. The increase in
activity was shared by eight of the
nine geographic divisions. New Eng
land was the only section to show a
decrease"
Residential Building Gain.
The report stated that a decided
gain in residential construction Is
shown in comparing permit values for
February with the corresponding
month Of 1886. The value Of this
type of building indicated gain of
"a per cent. There was an increase
of IS per cent in the value of new
non-residential building and gain of
q per cent in the value of additions.
alterations and repairs. The aggre-
gate value of all buildings for which
permits were issued in February shows
an increase of SO per cent over Feb
Suary, 1886.
With public buildings included,
Washington ranked third among the
major cities in value of February con-
struction. The total in the Capital
for the month, according to the sur
vey, was $7,915,714, an increase OF
nearly $6,0OO,O0o over the correspond
ing month Of last year. This figure
was exceeded only in New York City
and Los Angeles, where building valua-
tions reached $50, 1928, ,697 and s1o,005,-
OTIS, respectively. Public construction,
Federal and District, was responsible
for more than half of the local build
ing figure.
Increases Are Listed.
COMPARED with February, 1885, an
increase Of l15 per cent Is shown IN
the number of family-dwelling units
provided in these 1924 cities during
February, 1887.
The data collected by the Bureau OF
Labor Statistics include, in addition
to private construction, the number
and value of buildings for which con-
tracts were awarded by Federal and
State governments in the cities in
cluded in the report. For February,
1887. the value of these public build
ings amounted to s14, 10000; for jan
uary, 1897, to 1881 900, and for Feb
uary, 1896, to Sl3 100000.
Permits were issued during February,
1887, for the following important
building projects: In New York City
In the Borough of the Bronx for apart
ment houses to cost nearly 81 400, 600;
In the Borough of Manhattan for
apartment houses to cost nearly So
600, 900; in the Borough Of Brooklyn
for apartment houses to cost nearly
81, 500 900; in the Borough of Queens
for apartment houses to cost nearly
sl4,00 900 and for one-family dwellings
10 cost nearly s1,300,000; in Phila-
delphia, Pa, for one-family dwellings
to cost nearly 100000; in Chicago,
nl., for school buildings to cost over
81 300, 900; in Indianapolis, Ind, for
store and mercantile buildings to cost
nearly $500,0O0; in Bay City, Mich,
for factory buildings to cost over $780,
900: in Detroit, Mich, for one-family
dwellings to cost over $2,200,000 and
for factory buildings to cost over s400,-
600; in Washington for multifamily
dwellings to cost nearly 81 300, 900 and
for school buildings to cost 81 200 900:
in Fernandina, Fla, for a pulp and
paperboard mill to cost $4,000 900;
in Miami for one-family dwellings to
cost over $500,000; in Miami Beach
for one-fanily dwellings to cost over
$3.50 900; in Baltimore, Md, for one
family dwellings to cost over $500, 900;
In Houston for one-family dwellings
to cost over 100000; in Los Angeles
for a Federal court house and post
Office to cost over $4,000, 900 and for
one-family dwellings to cost over ST.
100000; in San Francisco, Calf, for
one-family dwellings to cost over
$3.50 900, and in Stockton, Calf, for
hospital building to cost nearly
100000.