Evening star., 1937-11-06
DWELLINGS LEAD
BUILDING VOLUME
9.Month Construction Total
in 81 Cities Touches Nearly
S55O.618.0O0.

Building volume the first nine
months Of 1887 showed q. gain oyer
rne 1853 comparable period, reports
E. III. Craig, executive secretary OF
the National Association of Building
Trades Employers. This upward trend
is recorded in the autumn survey Of
Robert d. Steele, association statis-
tician, from reports of a. States and
81 scattered cities. Dwelling con-
struction still leads all private build
ing types.
Construction totals of 81 cities the
fsrst nine months of 1887 show ISL 1872
building permits issued that amount
ed to a dollar value of $550,617,20l.
For the comparable 1886 period it was
144,265 permits for total OF $451,-
397,606. Construction totals of a.
States the first nine months OF 1887
had a value OF S2,512,919,945, COM
pared TO 2,212.634,999 for the like
1896 period. For the nine months
OF 1895 it was ST ,285, ,755, BOB.
New homes numbering 47,159, with
value of $229.493,O0O. were COM
pleted or are under way in 81 of the
81 cities during the first nine months
OF 1887. For the comparable 1886
period there were 32,378 new homes,
involving an expenditure of s161 $780,
900. Suburban residential activities
are not included in these totals that
have their own municipal form of
government.
Cities Report Rents Up.
Several cities report a rental boost
OF 10 10 per cent this fall. Consid-
ering that occupancies in most cities
ere at or nearing the 100 per cent
mark. certain cities are complaining
Of overcrowded conditions. attributed
chiefly to marriages, family additions,
relief. etc. Another factor is lack of
desirable housing facilities caused by
the, deterioration of numerous dwell
ings beyond reconditioning. On OBJ
solescence alone our Nation needs
100000 housing units annually
Indications are that 1887 building
volume will show 20 per cent in
crease over 1895. Comparing 1887
activity with former normal levels.
the construction industry, now on its
seventh year of subnormal activity.
has only attained a high of 40 per
cent capacity.
Rising Costs Bring Recession.
The construction industry has not
been a stimulus in strengthening the
{pd,lsrrio1 ,,ncur;po UyI,,fhor 1870
and future years will equal or exceed
1897 business volume, the answer
rests with the building public. Grow
ing consumer resistance against high
building costs is apparent, and it is
the viewpoint of observance that build
ing costs will have to recede to a
figure consistent with mass earning
power if 1888 volume is to measure
up to or forge ahead of 1887.
Wage increases awarded to all
classifications of building mechanics
n n1ost raior cities This snr:nc. aione
".tn nien costs o; nAiiaing cs "ntlsis.
= Hnoolnl.diV resnrnstrin ,or ne
dcgnnJ. .rsnd II building ac.1yines
~ ne IasL t-nee months.
MI. CtaAS po4IAtS Out LIiaL al AsaSG
% per cent OF the building mechanics
are As or more years of age Due to
advancing age, these middle-aged
mechanics, while able TO perform a
fair days work, eventually will he
replaced because of impaired vision
and other physical ailments. An
acute shortage of building mechanics
and the immediate need of more me-
chanics is the contractors principal
concern if return to building nor
malcy should occur. A recent check
up of the paid-up membership of all
International building unions as of
1929 and 1887 indicates a drastic
dwindling of personnel within their
ranks. II is stated that a certain
interna tional union in 1929 had a
membership of $4,000. Their number
In 1897 was ID 000