1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



491 



interested reporter on the Cleveland Press, 

 one of the great metropolitan dailies, show- 

 ing the conditions as they actually exist in 

 the city of Cleveland so far as the cost of 

 construction is concerned, of which lumber 

 and labor are the chief items. The head- 

 lines, together with the diagram below, 

 were prepared by the Cleveland Press art- 

 ist, and speak for themselves. 



Commencing with the cost of labor the 

 reader will note that the big man at the left 

 is supposed to represent the relative cost of 

 labor in 1906. The little man at the right 

 shows the relative cost of the same class of 

 labor during 1901. The variation in the 

 heierht shows the actual advance in five 

 years. This comparison is continued, show- 

 mg the ratio of values of lumber in 1906 

 and 1901, and of paint, etc., during the 

 same period. But the most striking com- 

 parison of all is the size of the house that 

 could be built for $3000 in 1901 and 1906. 



tion. Clevelanders who af e building homes have discov- 

 ered that prices of building materials and labor have 

 gone skyrocketing. A. conservative estimate is that it 

 costs fully 35 per cent more to build a frame house this 

 year than it would have cost five years ago, and about 

 20 per cent more than one year ago. 



A house over one third larger could be built five years 

 ago than now for the same. Contractors estimate that 

 a house that cost S-3000 to build in 1901 would now cost 

 at least $4000, and some of them figure as high as $4,500, • 

 The same house would have cost S.3500 a year ago. 



EVERYTHING HIGHER. 



Big advances in the prices of labor, lumber, paints/- 

 and glass have been the principal factors in putting up- 

 the cost of building a house. Labor is the biggest item. 

 Wages of the various building trades have advanced 

 from 45 t(^100 per cent since 1901. A conservative aver- 

 age is 60 per cent. 



Lumber averages 23 per cent higher, although Norway 

 pine and hemlock bill stuff has jumped fully 37 per cent. 

 Finished lumber, shingles, etc., have not advanced as 

 much. 



Paints, oils, varnish, turpentine, shellac, etc., average 

 70 per cent higher than in 1901. Glass is 10 per cent 

 higher than five years ago. 



The advance in brick and stone has been small, but 

 other building materials not mentioned above have ad- 

 vanced from 10 to 25 per cent. 



$3000 HOUSE NOW COSTS 

 ALMOST $4500 TO BUILD 







The statement accompanying the diagram 



from the Cleveland Press of April 11 are 

 here given, and speak for themselves. 



LABOR. 



1906. 1905. 1901. 



Carpenters 42V2-i5 c. 40 c. 27y2 c. 



Bricklayers 50 -60 c. 55 c. 40 c. 



Laborers 25 -30 c. 20 c. 15 c. 



Painters ZlMi-AO c. 31^ e. 271/2 c. 



Plasterers 50 -55 c. 50 c. 35 c. 



Lathers 45 -50 c. 43y2 c. 30 c. 



Tinners 37y2-40 c. 32y2 c. 25 c. 



Roofers ^'i^■t-50 c. 40 c. 30 c. 



Tilers 43y4-50 c. 40 c. 30 c. 



LUMBER. 



1906 1905 1901 



Bill stviff, 1000 ft., $26.00 $23.00 $19.00 



Yellow pine, inch, .45 .35 .35 



Shingles, per 1000, 3.75 3 75 3.50 



Flooring, 1000 feet, 30,00 27.00 25.00 

 GLASS. 



1906. 1905. 1901. 



Standard size 35 c. 35 c 32 c. 



PAINTS, ETC. 



1906. 1905. 1901. 



White lead, per lb., 7y4 c. 6y2 c. 6V2 c. 



Turpentine, gall., 73 c. 63 c. 39 c. 



Shellac, 70 per cent higher than in 1901. 



Varnish, 25 per cent higher than in 1901. 



A house that cost $3000 to build in 1901 costs $4000 to 

 $4500 now. Other buildings have advanced in propor- 



Now, lest the reader may think that these 

 statements are made to favor the house- 

 builder, I would respectfully ask him to go 

 to his nearest contractor, submit this com- 

 parison of the $3000 house, and see whether 

 or not it is correct. I did this very thing, 

 and foimd that a friend of mine, who was 

 about to build a house, submitted some 

 plans to an architect early last year. The 

 total cost then was $1500. Imagine his con- 

 sternation when the contractor told him 

 that noiv he would have to charge him 

 $2500 for the same house. On another plan 

 to the same party the price in 1904 was 

 $2200. and in 1906 the figures had increased 

 to $3500. 



Lumber and labor are the two chief items 

 that enter into the building of a hive as 

 well as into a house. While we do not ex- 

 pect to advance our present prices, we as- 

 sume that our readers are able to draw their 

 own conclusions whether those prices are 

 unreasonable in the light of the facts given 

 above. 



