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Dividins the Buildins Dollar Farm Building Requirements in

Washington, Feb. zO.-U the labor of the woodsmen who cut dirwn the trees; of. the sarvmill rvorkers. who cut the'logs into lumber; of the planing mill men who make the doors, sash and flooring; of the various transportation and distributing agencies which carry the logs to the mills and finished lumber to the job are included, the portion of the lumber dollar going to labor in the construction of the average home, says the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, will be found to be near 67 cents.

A survey in l5.large cities in as many states, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that the all-material cost in residential construction is 62.7 cents of the building dollar and labor costs are 37.3 cents and that the lumber dollar (carpentry work, lumber, millwork, etc.) is divided into 67.1 cents for materials and 32.9 cents for labor. "Material" means delivered material on the job and does not reveal the proportion of labor which goes into its preparation.

Lumber and carpentry rvork account lor 27.3 cents of the building dollar, or a larger percentage than any other items in residential construction, according to the Bureau of Labor report. Not only is this true r,vhen considered as an average for the 15 cities under survey but in each of them, except Chicago, lumber and carpentry work was the largest single item of expense.

The next largest item in residential construction is brick rvork, rvhich, including materials, accounts for 14.8 cents of the building dollar. Plumbing and its materials take 10.1 cents;concrete work, 11.7; plastering and lathing,8.2 cents; heating and ventilating, 6.6 cents; electric rviring and fixtures, 4.5 cents; painting, 4.2 cents; tile work, 3.5 cents; roofing, 1.8 cents; excavating and grading, 1.3 cents: papering, 0.5 cents; miscellaneous, 5.5 cents.

In non-residential construction, concrete r.vork and materials accounts for the largest portion of the building dollar or 2O.7 cents. Brick rvork at 17.2 cents is the only other item amounting to more than 10 cents of the dollar. Lumber and carpentry work is 6.4 cents; structural steel, 8.7 cents; elevators, 7.6 cents; electric wiring and fixtures, 6.6 cents ; heating and ventilating, 6.6 cents; plumbing, 5.2 cents: other. 21 cents.

Exhibit Well Attended

Because of its unusual interest to educational institutions, the exhibition of rare rvoods from all parts of the world at the Architects Building Material Exhibit, Los Angeles, was held over until March 1. The exhibit rvas well attended and several classes in woodwork and arts from the Frank Wiggins trade school visited the display.

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Washington, F-eb. l5.-That the farm field is providing one of the best lumber markets is emphasized in a comprehensive report of the American Forest Products Industries, Inc., made recently by its Agricultural Engineer, C. F. Miller. This report points out that

(a) On some 6,000,000 farm units there are $12,000,000,000 worth of buildings annually needing ordinary repair and replacement work.

(b) The "Back to the Soil Movement" is creating additional demand for new farm construction and repair and replacement work.

(") All farmers are not "broke." 58% ot the owner operated farms in the United States are free from mortgage indebtedness.

It shows how much lumber the farmer needs per year, the type of work being done by Federal, State and other agencies which influence farm construction and'discusses in detail the use of lumber, concrete, brick and other materials in farm construction. It gives evidence of new construction on farms, particularly in the Middle West.It discusses costs of farm building at the -present time.It speaks in some detail of plans for farm structures and gives briefly the high spots of recent farm lumber promotion activities. It closes with a small but valuable list of outstanding farm buildings bulletins and plans available from other than commercial companies.

"To house 32,000,000 rural people;" says the report, "to shelter 200,000,000 farm animals; to protect 700,000,000 fowls from changing temperatures; to have storage space for hay, grain and other feeds to be used in caring for this livestock and poultry; to provide storage space for fruits, vegetables, and other foods grown and consumed on the farm; to protect an enormous investment in machinery and equipment; and to provide temporary and permanent storage or handling facilities for practically all foods to be ultimately consumed in the United States, with from 8 to 10 per cent surplus for exportation, is a housing and storing problem of the first magnitude."

This "Farm Lumber Market" report should be of special value to the executives and sales forces of the American Forest Products Industries subscribers for whom it has been exclusively prepared. It follows the same practical, comprehensive lines as the report on "Promotion of Lumber for Railway lJses" and will be followed in the near future by a survey entitled "Lumber for State Highrvay IJses."

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