Evening star., 1941-01-25
Private Enterprise
Takes Building Lead
In District Area
40 Guin in Such
Construction Noted
At End of Year

Construction contracts In the
Washington Metropolitan Area last
year revealed a highly significant
leadership in private enterprise.
There was year-end increase of
per cent in privately owned work.
At the same time, public ownership
in the construction contracts fell
slightly
H. A. Johns, the Washington man
ager of Dodge Reports, the daily
construction news service. completed
his final summary of the 1910 con-
tract awards in the Washington
Metropolitan Area and observed that
despite widespread expectations,
construction work has continued to
advance during the war period. Pes
simists whose thinking operates
without benefit of the necessary
facts felt sure that decreases in
privately owned construction would
be general during 1910. Instead
the private total for the larger part
of the country advanced more than
$3.50 100000 and accounted for SIS
per cent of the total construction
volume"
Total construction in the Wash
ington Metropolitan Area, which in
cludes the District of Columbia,
Arlington, Fairfax Counties, Va;
Montgomery, Prince Georges Coun-
ties, Nd, moved to S1l6,046,Oo0 dur
ing 1910. In 1889, the comparable
total was s11s512.0o0. The con-
tracts, which are definite commit
ments for work and materials. de-
veloped larger totals In seven OF
the twelve months than were re-
corded in those same months Of
1899. The 1888 total was s76,659,-
900.
9 Per Cent Advance.
Washington residential building
had a total of s66,164,OOO at the
wear end. In this classification the
advance was rated at 9 per cent
over 1889 by Dodge Reports. There
we're seven months of gains in
comparison with the 1899 record and
most recently. December contracts
totaled s5,411,00O, an advance over
December, 1899, when the total was
s3,939 O0O
In the 81 States east of the Rocky
Mountains the 1910 residential gain
was 20 per cent.
Non-residential building, in which
classification all industrial and pro-
ductive-type Of building are sum-
married., went to $39, 1873 900 in 1910.
The previous year totaled S42 1885,
| 600. December contracts for non
residential work were valued at SIS
$4,000. The same month OF 1889
had $685. 1000.
In the 81 States the average for
| the non-residential building classl-
| flcation was an increase Of "a per
| cent.
Engineering Volume Less.
The engineering construction by
the Government and by the utili-
ties accounted for contract volume
of s10.0O9,000. In 1889 the total
was s15,939,oOO. The type Of work
found in this classification includes
projects such as highways, bridges,
power transmission lines. pipe lines,
water ways Improvements and air.
ports.
The Dodge Reports summary Of
1910 construction in the Washing
ton Metropolitan Area concludes
with the significant comparison be-
tween private ownership and public
ownership represented in the con-
| tracts.
The total of all the construction
contracts awarded last year by pri-
vate owners was $79,121,000. This
includes an increase of per cent
over the previous years total, S76,-
09a,0oo. In 1888 the total was s54,-
434, 900.
Public ownership accounted for
construction contracts amounting to
s36,925 900. This is decrease from
s43,414,OOO, the 1899 total. The
| 1879 total was S24 225 000