Evening star., 1941-04-19
Mid-AtIantic States
Area Shows BUILDING
Gain OF 81 Pei
S74,045, 900 Is Spent
For Residences During
'Three-Month Period

The power behind the construc-
ton program continues to raise ex-
penditures throughout the Middle
Atlantic States. Each of the three
major classiflcations is far ahead
of the contract records for the first
three months of 1910 and their
combined valuation is credited with
a 81 per cent upswing.
j. T. Little, the district manager
of Dodge Reports, the daily con-
struction news service, prepared a
summary of the activities through
out Eastern Pennsylvania. Southern
New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware,
Virginia and the District of Colum-
bia, and commented particularly on
the strength of private enterprise,
in face of what is popularity believed
to be a defense dominated market.
Many of the country's largest
defense projects are included in this
area The construction cost of these
is unquestionably large. Despite
that emphasis it is heartening to
find strong continuation of pri-
vate American enterprise" Mr.. Little
said. specifically, in this area 60
per cent of the contract total for
the first three months was credited
to private ownership While some
of that volume was related directly
to the defense program, the normal
sources of business were responsible
for increased valuation and number
OF construction contracts"
Residential Items Largest.
Residential building accounted for
the largest classification total dur
ing the first three months of this
year, S74,045 900, a long advance
over the comparable $40 ,956 900 in
the same period of 1910. Within
this classification one-family houses.
for sale or rent, two-family houses
and multi-family projects accounted
for the Improvement Most re-
Gently, March contracts were valued
at $34,518,0O0. A year ago, the
total was S20,141 900.
Non-reSidential building is in Sec
ond place from the valuation stand
point with S57 $4,000 for the three
months. That included a very sub
stantial increase over the total for
last years period, $35 100000. Nom
residential building in March was
about Sl5,000,000 better than in
March, 1910. The two months had
totals of s24,527,000 and $9,518 900.
respectively.
Engineering construction by the
various governmental agencies and
by the utilities moved shortly to
$21 ,628 900 from the three months
total of last year, $21, ,592 900. The
March record was substantially bet
ter than in the same month of 1910.
The total was S10,894, 900 last month
and was s9,480,000 a year ago.
s153,250,O00 Total.
At the close of the three-months'
period a combined total for all types
of construction throughout the Mid
die Atlantic States was Sl53.25O, ,OOO
That was 81 per cent better than
the corresponding $99 1928 900 of last
year. Individually, March jumped
to s69 ,93s 900 over last years March
record of S39, ,139O 900.
The Dodge Reports summary con-
cluded with comparison of private
and public ownership included in
the construction program. Fifty
three per cent of the non-residentiaI
contract valuation in the three
months was under private owner
ship and 70 per cent of the resi-
dental was privately owned. En-
glneering construction by the gov
ernmental agencies and the utilities
pulled the average down. Here, IS
per cent was under public owner
ship. The three-months' averages
Tor all classiications was go per
cent privately owned and 40 per cent
publicly owned.