OCR Text |
Show THE COST OF BUILDING. H One gentleman that we know who was pre- H paring to build a handsome residence, after decid- jH ing upon a plan and after obtaining the architect's H estimates of costs, undertook to secure contracts H from contractors, material, men, etc., and found H that the house would certainly cost 50 per cent H more than the original estimates. The result H was that he abandoned the idea of building alto- H gether. Another gentleman bought a costly lot and had plans prepared for a house to cost $8000, holding in thought that $2000 more would cover H unforeseen contingencies. When it came down H to contracting in detail for material, labor, etc., H he found that the least sum required would be M $15,000, and probably $16,000. Result: The idea H of building was given up and the lot sold at a M sacrifice. H These two Incidents have come directly under the writer's notice. How many other like lnci- H dents could be cited we do not know, but doubt- H less there are many and the impression is grow- M ing that Salt Lake building is more expensive M than in any other city in America. M Business is prosperous, but all places are sub- M ject to periods of depression. In the building of M a city when the material men, the skilled laborers M and contractors decide that the best thing to do is M to overwork the goose that lays the golden egg, M the result in a little while is a shortage of eggs. H When men by extortions prevent the expenditure H of large sums in one place, the result is that H other places get the benefits of such expenditures. H Building in Salt Lake City costs between 40 and IH 50 per cent more than it did six or seven years H ago. That is a good method to kill the progress H of the city. jH |