Evening star., 1938-12-17
Building Hits
7-Year High
For November
Expenditures Reach
$202,765,0 900 or
II Pct. Over 1887

Expenditures for actual building
construction increased during Mo-
vember to the highest monthly valu-
alton since the fall of 1881, accord
ing to the December Is issue OF
Building, national news review. The
November figure was $202, ,765 900, an
increase of 2.5 per cent over Octo-
Der and an increase of ia per cent
compared with November, 1887.
The October to November in
crease, the magazine states, was in
direct contrast to the trend for the
same period in the two previous
years, 1886 and 1887, when a decline
was registered.
Forecast to be spent in the two
month period, December and Janu-
ary, is $400, 0,480, 900, indicating that
building activity in those two months
will decline but slightly, if at all.
The forecast, like the figures on eX-
penditures, is based on past months
volume of building permits issued.
The November increase in build
Ing activity was the result of in
creases in expenditures for both res
idential and non-residential build
ing; alteration and repair volume
declined slightly. The residential
building increase derived principally
from the expenditure of more pri-
. vate money, while non-residential
activity benefited largely from an
increase in the expenditure of public
money on P. w. A. building projects.
Comparisons.
The amounts of money spent dur
ing November for each type of build
ing, together with the percentage
comparisons of those amounts with
the previous month, and with the
same month last year, are as fol-
lows:
l. Expenditures for residential
building totaled $106, $4,000 during
November, an increase of 80 per
cent over October, and an increase
OF 52.3 per cent over November, 1887.
- 2. Non-residential building expen-
ditureS amounted to $62 1863 900, an
increase of 35 per cent over Octo-
Der, but a decline of 81 per cent
from November, 1887.
3. Expenditures for alteration and
repair work totaled $34 ,219 900, de-
cline of 06 per cent from the pre-
vious month, and decline from the
same month last year of ia per
cent.
Cause for Optimism.
In the fact that building activity
reached during November a point
higher than that attained even dur
ing the recovery of 1887 and was at
the highest level reached since 1881,
there is naturally much cause for
optimism, state the editors of Build
ing. But they point out that recov-
cry still has long way to go, as
indicated by the fact that in 1926
average monthly expenditures for
building construction was over $700,-
600, 1000; in 1880 still over $500, 900 900.
The November, 1888, expenditure of
almost $203 100000 falls far short of
these figures.
The magazine also states that all
but one of the Nations nine sections
shared in the November increase in
Ill pullQillS dCGlSlGy. 1lldb ScCVlOlI
was West North Central, where ac-
tivity declined 08 per cent from
October. The greatest increase oc-
Cured in the Mountain States,
where November building was 14.4
per cent more active than during
October, and East South Central,
which enjoyed SIS per cent in
crease. Increases in the other Sec
tions, November over October, were
as follows: New England, 4.8 per
cent; Pacific, 4.3 per cent; East
North Central, 4 per cent; West
South Central, 1.8 per cent; Mid-At-
lantic, 0.5 per cent, and South At
lantic, 0.4 per cent.
Compared with the same month
of last year, only East North Gen.
tral had less building activity dur
ing November. Pronounced gains
over last year were reported for
West South Central and Pacific,
where building increased 46.3 and
S7.4 per cent, respectively.