PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 25, 1820. BALLOT TO FOLLOW and proper adjustments -will be made. ': They state that ISO such protests al , ready . have been filed and are receiv ing consideration of the commission. V Opponents of the sonlng ordinance Ott -the other hand, declare that readjust ment of zoned area is attended by great difficulty to property owners and con siderable expense to the city. They say : that if the 180 protests already reoetved may be accepted as a criterion, the passage of the ordinance will result la a flood of objections from property, owners which will require the constant employment of a staff of clerks and ap praisers. Objection is also raised that the ordi nance would require added expense In MOVEMENT IN RESIDENCE PROPERTY GAINS STEADILY IN STRENGTH TO REMAIN FIRM THROUGHOUT YEAR CHER DEBATE ON CITY ZONING Members of Portland Realty Board Asked to Take Part in Discussion of Proposed law. .1 j i i) i. i i i n i -") i vimm iin ii - n-'ftTuWiifiiimiienm tiiii .rr rt .mHirm ! in S.tfiif rn r"""'n";' i"!'".'''!r'1'''''"l, ' n nil mi iiiTWrir tin.-" ' " '' I I! i If r ' . , ' - - J GREATER. ,:; . -. ?jZ&SZr vsi . V ?x - :-I A'?i " !,yUcs'' - - Portland : '--Zz&f rTx vl--,r7rS 7'- Manager of Builders' Exchange Sees No Chance for Recession of Prices From Present Levels. "Build now It will cost more later on," is the substance of a mes sage delivered to the members of the Portland Realty board at their meeting: in the Benson hotel Friday noon by O. G. Hughson, manager oi the Builders Exchange. Neither prices of building materials nor cost of labor will find lower levels dur lngk1920, according to Hughson, and Advances . are predicted in several lines of material. Predicted advances in the price of food and clothing' are cited as evidence that wages cannot be lowered during the year. But in spite of these handi caps the, volume of building In Port land during 1920 will exceed that of re cent years, because of the absolute necessity for conftruction work due to Industrial expansion and Increase in population. ' Reports from the dry hall show a de cided Increase In the amount, number and value -Af permits granted this snonth, compared with January. 1919. According to Hughson ther is now tin der construction in thevcity more than 14,000,000 worth of new building, and Business Agent Cheyne of the Building Trades Council was quoted as Baying that within six weeks there will not be enough building trades mechanics in Portland to take care of the demand. Touching the possibility of lower build ing costs .the speaker said : WAGES WILL BKMAIlf HIGH "First, there is the matter of wages, which constitute at present scale on commercial construction about 50 per . cent of the total cost, and we have to say that there Is no reduction in wages in sight for 1920. The present scale is fixed to May 1, and a study of the factors that enter into any scientific wage adjustment would indicate that they will be no lower for the neat year. For instance, take foodstuff Allen ft Lewis Co. tell me to quote them, "The '.tendency all along the line is upward. and there are no Indications anywhere of any falling off.'" Other reports made by Hughson in brief are as follows: Lena ft Company "The peak has ' been, reached, but the chance for a slump for 1920 is a 10 to 1 shot against it." Mason Ehrman "The tendency is still upward and there is no indication of any- general change.. If I heeded to build I'd grab It now it will cost more later." Harry Meyers. ,-Wadhams & Co. "Some advances wilt show np, but In my Judgment there .will be corresponding declines, so that prices for; 1930 will run about the same as at this date." Henry Hahn. CLOTHING GOI5G CPWABD , ' Fleischner, Meyer Co. Mr. Brown, buyer for this concern, says: "Every thing in working clothing will be high er, very much higher, before the end f 1920." Meier ft Frank Julius Meier says: "IC is anybody's guess as to what will happen before the end of 1920. As for ourselves, we are making: short pur Chases and quick turnovers at legiti mate profits. It all depends upon pro duction. No drop in sight for six months. After that no one can pre dict. Ben Boiling 'Tou need go no further, for I can tell you there will be a de- elded " advance in working: men's cloth 1 Ine for the reason that labor in cloth ing factories la working shorter hours and turning out less goods than for' merry." FUEL COSTS ADVAITC Alblna Fuel Co. 'Don't think there will be much change, either up or down, for wood and coal pretty solid at present prices." SHOES WILL ITOT DROF Ersrert ft Toung "Fine goods will advance considerably, but heavy stuff and' working shoes will remain about the : same or possibly a little higher. There is at present' no indication that they will be lower. i Bergeman says: "Heavy working goods will undergo little if any change for the year." STRUCTURAL STEEL ' Northwest Bridge ft Iron Mr. Arndt " says : "Mills aTe contracted to capacity for elx months, excepting certain pre mium mills which are asking from : cent to IVi cents advance for spring and summer deliveries. Steel is going , up all along the line for the year.' LUMBER PRICES SOAR -Inman-Poulsen Frank Steblnger. city sales manager, says: "When the demand In January exceeds the supply. as at present, it is reasonable to expect the April demand will be at least three times greater, with no material in crease' In production in sight, for pro duction is practically to maximum now, LIME AND PLASTER McCracken ft Co.. say: "Nothing on the horizon to indicate a decline in the lines we handle. If there should be a falling off in labor there would be a drop, for this stuff Is largely labor, but this is not probable." METAL LATH AND SUNDRIES The Ttmms-Cress Co. reports : "There is no indication of a decline. The old law of supply and demand will keep our prices up." Rasmussen & Company, paints and varnishes "No decline in eight for the year and hard to get some supplies at any price." W. P. Fuller ft Co. "White lead," Mr. Armstrong says, "has advanced already 1M cents this month and Is going high er the difficulty being in getting it at all. While Van Houghten, on the glass situation., states that present prices will stand till early spring, when in all probability, there will be considerable advance. " Mil work. In the eplnion of Mr. Biles of the Central Door and Lumber com- pany, "will run about the same for the year, several of the mills having gone into other lines will tend toward less " prompt oeuveries. BRICK lOOKING UP . Columbia Brick Co. Mr. Curry says M "The 110 raise on tile will hold till. ear. ! April,', when the prospects are. favorable ; : for a further advance, i. owing , to in- F-y COOS BAY DRAINAGE BUILDING CAMPAIGN MPW PROJECT OPENS 3000 IN ROSE CITY PARK rarPpaegen ACRES BOTTOM LAND BY METROPOLITAN CO The demand for houses has resulted in thousands of transfers at a con stantly increasing price and is also reflected in the number of permits granted for new construction. Above, left to Hflht House at corner of East Nineteenth and Siskiyou, recently purchased by N. A. Leach; two Dutch Colonial houses at Sixt-second and Brazee streets, Just finished by the Metropolitan Investment & Improvement company; house at 590 East Fifteenth north, purchased Mast week i,y Mark R. Colby. Below House just completed for Maurice Seitz at 726 Sherwood Drive. creased business with nothing in sight to cheapen production." SAND AJTD GRAVEL ' Columbia Digger Co. Mr. Taylor says : "Everything used in the produc tion of sand and grp.vel is costing more money, and If they keep on climbing up there is no alternative but to charge more. At any rate there will be no drop this year." HOLDERS HARDWARE Honeyman Hardware Co. "We thought the crest was reached the first of the year, but by the fourteenth there had been a 10 per cent advance and another may be expected. At any rate there will fee no drop. If a man wants to save money he had better build now." Marshal T Wells "There will be more advances before there Is a decline. All quotations ara'wffhdrawn and ah prices are subject to delivery." Plumbing supplies and electrical aoods' run stlffer in outlook than those quoted. So, then, we may conclude that there will be no scaling down of wages until there is an appreciable drop in living supplies, at least In the Building Trades Council. Small residence work will doubtless be benefited by the wage of necessity to some extent by those who take advantage of it, but It will not be a large factor for it is the disposition of the non-union man to claim all the unions have accomplished in feage and hours reforms. NO MORE CHEAP BUILDING The present scale is somewhat higher than It might have been under certain circumstances, but it will not be low ered for this year, for there is no very valid argument for it in the face of only a 100 per cent advance in wages while materials have advanced from 400 to 600 per cent. Probably the bulk of the year's construction will be what Is necessary and on advance or ders. Probably the public win never again get the values they formerly received for their money. Every little movement, every little change and every little bit of extra material will show up in the bill somewhere, .i Probably they will come nearer paying for everything they get In both labor and material than ever before, for the old cheap days are doubtless gone beyond recall. There will ba no box of blacking thrown in with a pah of shoes no suspenders with each suit of clothes. The fact that there is work amount ing to 4. 000.000 under way in the city would seem to Indicate that the high tide of wages and material costs is not strong enough to overcome the imme diate demand for construction. It would appear that no premiums are re quired to induce the people to build so long as there Is a real need and abil ity to finance the same, and probably no campaign of enthusiasm will in any extended decree stampede the public from safe and sane procedure in the matter of building. An English hat manufacturer has de veloped an imitation velour that closely resembles the genuine from stiffened cotton flannelette. i, i.eJ isNjnrrS A ! rn a ide ' i mr Members of the Portland Realty board object to the zoning of property al 1 residence district. The black areas are factory sites; shaded portion ,. mentvnouses; white blocks are Tl'tniTrJaBTriiigliiamV iTri 1 ii T nnifs I Hew Home Completed For Maurice Seitz In Sherwood Drive Tha new house just completed at 726 Sherwood drive for Maurice Seitz Is one of the most attractive homes of recent construction in the Portland Heights district. . The peculiar topography of the site required deviation from the provi sions of V the housing code and careful study onsthe part of the architect. The house is of Swiss chalet" type, the exterior walls being of 2x12 battens on the upper fory and stucco on the lower half. It Is built upon a steep hillside and commands an extensive view from the windowsSand porch of the living and dining rooms. There are six rooms and a sleeping porch, and a garage Is built underneath the house. ThTe are hardwood floors throughout the first story rooms, and the Interior of the living room and hall is finished in stained fir. A fireplace of Batcheler tile is a feature of the living room. Plans for the Stz house were pre pared by Milo S. Parwell of the L. B. Ba'lley company. A gas heating plant has been installed and all the plumbing is of the best quality. Construction cost was approximately I10VKM). Two houses of the Dutch colonial type were recently completed and sold by the Metropolitan Investment ft Lm provement company at East Sixty-second and Brazee streets. This company announces a building program which will add a larjre number of homes to the Rose City Park dlstrlct The past year has been marked by a strong movement in Irvlngton residence property. Mary L. McDonell. who main tains an office at S26 East Sixteenth street north, reports the sale of 32 houses during the past 12 months, the majority of them being in the Irvlng ton district. Among the recent sales reported by Mrs. McDonell are: The house at the corner of East Nineteenth and Siskiyou, sold by M. A. Moloney to N. A. Leach, vice-president of Kerr, Gifford & Co., for 115,000, and the home at 690 East Fifteenth, transferred from R. G. Cal vert to Mark R- Colby, for $8500. Chester A. Moore Joins F. E. Taylor In New Location Chester A. Moore, connected for sev eral months with the Lumbermens Trust company, will become a member of the staff of the F. E. Taylor company after February 1. The Taylor company has leased new quarters in "the Yeon build ing and will move from its present of fices in the Henry building. The Union Abstract company will oc cupy, the rooms on the ground floor of the Henry building vacated by the F. E. Taylor company. INDUSTRIAL ZONING SCHEME Ipr single family residences our, . Surveys Made for the Drainage of Two Districts in Coos County. Oregon Agricultural College, Corvallis. Jan. 24. "Prices of farm products have advanced so far beyond the cost of drainage that land owners are coming to realize that it costs money to hold wet land undeveloped," said Profesor W. L. Powers of the soil department, upon his return from a week's exten sion trip into Coos county. Professor Powers has been in the coast county conducting extension schools, and while there was called upon to conduct preliminary surveys for two proposed drainage districts, both in Coos county. The larger of the two drainage proj ects Includes 3000 acres of flood and marsh lands adjacent to the mouth of Coos river and along Catching Inlet. To reclaim this land will require a levee with lock and tide gates. The levee can be so constructed as to be fitting for use as a highway. The land In the project is some of the most fer tile in the Coos bay section, according to Professor Powers. A preliminary survey was also made t zor a possioie canai connecting low bay with the Coquille river by cutting from Isthmus slough into Beaver slough. It is estimated that 200,000 yards of excavation would be required to provide a sea level canal. This would serve the double purpose of aid ing shipping between the two sections and of reclaiming much fertile bottom land along these sloughs. Steps are also being taken looking toward the organization of a small drainage district at Lakeside, in north ern Coos county. Other requests have been received by the soils department of the college for assistance in shap ing up drainage districts. Several of these are on the lower Columbia and in the. Klamath basin. Kelso Property Sold On Delinquent Tax Kelso, Wash., Jan. 24. County Treas urer L. P. Brown last week offered for sale 75 tracts of real estate in Cowlitz county, including town lots and acreage. Bidding was keen on nearly all the pieces of land, and without exception they brought more than what the county had against them in taxes. These prop erties came Into the ownership of Cow litz county by tax delinquencies. The residence property at the corner of Sec ond and Maple streets, against which Kelso had claims for paving assessments. was purchosed by the city of Kelso for $1000, and the city has ample protec tion for its claims. Salem Elks Plan to Build New Temple Salem, Or, Jan. 24. Plans for the erection of a new Elks temple for Salem are now under consideration by members of the local order, the largest in the state outside of Portland. At a meeting last Thursday night a committee was named to investigate the feasibility of the project, and upon their report will largely depend the-further consideration of the building plans. ng the O-W. IL Jk N. tracks as CL$s ar may be used for business and apart Company Proposes to Build Large Number of Moderate Priced Bungalows for Sale. At the recent annual meeting of the stockholders of the Metropolitan Invest ment, ft Improvement company H. G. Beckwlth was reelected president and E. A. Mattern secretary; John Hall and A- Nlbley were reelected directors and new directors were elected as follows: William F. Woodward of the Woodard, Clarke company; Robert E. Smith, president of the Title ft Trust company, and Blaine Smith, capitalist. The president's report showed that the company had made very satisfac tory progress during the past year, with splendid outlook for 1920. There are over 600 stockholders In the Metropoli tan company, the majority of the stock being held by local business men. The purposes of the concern are to buy and improve real estate, build and operate apartment houses, and to build and finance dwellings on property owned by the company. The . most important transaction of the year, according to President Beck wlth, was the acquisition of six lots on Trinity . and Nineteenth streets. The land, purchased is- the site of the Belle Court apartment house, built and op-. era ted by the Metropolitan company. The ground was held on a lease prior to its purchase. In addition to building Belle Court, the company has erected and sold on easy terms over 100 dwelling houses. Stockholders present at the annual meet ing unanimously agreed that arrange ments should be made for the imme diate construction of a number of mod erate priced houses and bungalows to sell on easy terms at from $3500 to $5000. Rose City Park and surround ing districts will be the scene of this season's operations, the major part of the company's holdings being located in that vicinity. Beckwlth and other officers and di rectors of the Metropolitan company are convinced that there will be no reces sion in the price of labor and building materials during the year. "The high wages prevailing throughout the coun try are primarily the cause of advanced costs of material." said Beckwlth. "and while certain adjustments are bound to come, we cannot look for any substan tial reductions. The rise in prices dur ing the past five years has been greater than during the previous 50 years, and conditions will never go back to the pre-war basis. Some commodities are bound to advance In price to new levels." Annual Convention Of Master Builders At Multomali Hotel The third annual convention of the Northwest Master Builders' association will be held at the Multnomah hotel February 26, 27 and 28. Representa tive contractors and builders will be in attendance from Oregon. Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. C. C. Colt. Ellis F. Lawrence. O. G. Hughson. E. D. Timms. J. M. Dougan, M. W. Lorenz and Frederick S. Cook are among the local men named on the program. The Northwest Master Builders' as sociation was organized in 1918 and its membership comprises practically all of the builders' associations of the North west. The convention here will be held under the auspices of the local associa tion. 0 ..r Three Dredges Dig On Diking Project Near Kelso, Wash. Kelso, Wash., Jan. 24. The new dredge recently launched at Portland for diking district No. 5 will be ready for work in the near future and the dredge which operated at Woodland, on district No. L last autumn will return from drydock at Astoria In two or three weeks. Cheatham ft Son's land digger, which' has been working at Woodland all winter, will continue on the Job. With these three diggers n operation, O. J. Posshy, engineer for district No. 5. expects to have dirt flying on his proj ect between now and June. He expects to have the district protected against any but the highest water this year. Price of Sugar Beets Fixed Yakima, .Wash,, Jan. 24. On the eve of an acreage campaign which the Utah Idaho Sugar company is preparing to launch to get tonnage for the 1920 crop, the beet farmers of the valley have ef fected an organization and have gone on record demanding $45 a ton as the min imum price at ' which . they will grow 1 beats during the coming yea . Astoria Realty Board Cooperates With Port Officials Astoria, Jan. 24. A meeting ef the Astoria Realty board was held Wednes day night in the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce, A good sized number of new applicants were admitted to mem bership. R. M. Cobban of the Irving Realty company Invited the members of the club to attend a luncheon for the realty men of the city to be held Sat' urday noon In the Welnhard hotel. It was voted to cooperate with the port commission in plans for a big open house to be held in the new port of fices in the near future. It was thought that much good could be accomplished by getting the people of the town and county acquainted with the port docks and the large projects which are handled there. The temporary officers were elected for the year and prospects are very bright for the success of the As toria Realty board. Several new mem bers were enrolled at this meeting. Car Shortage Serious Baker, Jan. 24. Many mill workers here have been out of work for several days because of a shortage of freight cars, which has made regular shipments of logs to the mills impossible. For several weeks past many employes have been permitted to work but one or two days each week. The situation is be coming serious, not only because of the labor inconvenience, but because nearly all of the mills have contracted orders which must be filled within a short time. Th Cantrfbotod to the Csuw ef Mors Norms J. A. WICKMAK GO. Hobs Kerehaats tl4 By. ExekaageBldg. Kala fU, UU Members of the Portland Realty board resent the attitude of Mayor Baker toward criticism of the pro posed zoning ordinance submitted to the council by the city planning commission. At a recent meeting of the board the secretary was in structed to ask the use of The Audi torium for a mass meeting of prop erty owners to discuss the proposed ordinance. The letter was addressed to Comml sloner A. L. Barbur and read in as rouows: "i am instructed by theex- ecutlve committee to request that The Auditorium be furnished at some date in the near future for the holding of a meeting to be attended by all property owners, under the auspices of the Port land Realty board, for the purpose of securing fullest details concerning the proposed sonlng ordinance. At this meeting the city planning commission could enlighten a great number of prop erty owners on the proposed measure who do not now understand fully re garding same." The use of The Auditorium was re fused by Mayor Baker on the ground that the purpose of the proposed meet lng was to adversely criticise the son ing ordinance. At the Friday; noon luncheon of the Realty board invitation from the Cham ber of Commerce was presented asking the realty men to furnish speakers at a debate on the merits of the sonlng ordinance at the members' forum Feb ruary 2. Members of the city plan ning commission will be present to speak for the ordinance and the realty men will point out the alleged defects of the measure. The principal objection to the ordi nance on the part of the realty dealers is that its provisions are not based on a scientific study of the needs of the city. . They point out as examples the zoning of blocks adjacent to the O-W. R. ft N. tracks In the vicinity of Sulli van's gulch. as residence districts. Lota adjoining sites of factories now in op eration are in many Instances soned for single family residences, even where the location is not well adapted to residence purposes. Members of the city planning com mission point out that property owners who object to the zoning of their prop erty may file protests at the city hall . "-gM "THE HOME IS THE GREATEST OF ALL INSTITUTIONS" Every man should own his home. It is bis primary duty to his family and to his community. He owes it to his city, his state and his country. But greatest of all he oves It to bis family. There is no 'greater contentment or more evertastinf Joy than that which comes to the family who possess their own home. Regardless of whether your borne is tpidous or small. If you own ft, your family are Independent There Is No Better Tune to Boy Hen Hubs Today the preparation of abstracts of title, ae the uses to which real property would be limited by the ordinance must be stated In the abstract. Following the debate on the merits) . of the sonlng ordinance before the Chamber of Commerce on February t. a canvass of the membership of that' organisation will be made with a suit able questionnaire to determine the at- . tltude of the 3000 members of the or ganisation toward the measure. Return of the ballots will require about, a week's time, according to officials of the chamber. NJ. O. El rod, J. Fred Staver and other members of the recently appointed city plafsfHng committee of the Realty board wiUjJect speakers to appear before thenbers forum of the Chamber of Comr Lane County Land Offered for Sale On Delinquent Tax Among the paresis of land advertised for sale by, the sheriff of Lane county to meet delinquent taxes, are a large number of building lots at Florence on the lower Stuslaw river. Many of these lots may be sold at prices as low as 60 cents each, according to advices from Lane county officials. Several years ago. when the Southern Pacific line was being built from Eu gene to Marsntleld, thousands of lota were platted at Florence, in the hop that the railroad would pass throigh that town. Because of engineering dif ficulties the railroad crossed the river at Cushman Instead of running into Florence and the hopes of Investors In real estate went glimmering. Florence is a pretty little town and lp frequented by tourists during' the summer season. Lots at 60 cents per:' offer opportunities to secure summer homes at a moderate cost, and , tbe Lane county sheriff predicts an influx of new property owners to Florence following the tax sale. Dallas Methodists Plan Fine ChurcK Dallas, Jan. 24. Plans have been, com pleted by the congregation of the First Methodist church for the erection of a new home. The proposed edifice will" cost about I2E.000 and will be finished and ready for occupancy by autumn. The trwttk ef repusttoan asUoe, tn -tKn. Slsournsst I r a