National Building Figures Surpass 1924

By TACK DTONNE

We have heard a lot of talk about the busihess depression of the past sir months (and there HAS been one, of course).

But the building figures for the entire country fail to show it. Under date of August lzth, Bradstreet's announces from their Chicago o6ce tteir compiled building figures for the first seven months of this year, and they will probably surprise a whole lot of people who have been tdking about '"building depression."

One hundred and sixty-five cities of the country reported for the first seven months of 1924 building permits totdling $1W0,752,7+5.

The same cities for the "a-e months ol 1923 reported a total of $1,979,532,530.

The gain shown in 6.4 per cent.

And everyone admits that things are in better shape today than they were at any time during the first seven months of the'year, so there is reason to believe that the next five months will show improvement over the conditions in the building industry that prevailed during the first seven months.

Depressions such as Presidentid Year usually bring, are 99 per cent mental, and therefore they disappear like fog.before the sun, when tlre reaction takes place.

The whole country is going to have a brisk building business this fall. Wait until the farmers begin bringing in their high-priced wheat, corn, cotton, etc.

THERE IS ROOM FOR OPTIMISM.