Over $200,000 Will Be Spent

Over $200,000 Will Be Spent

In Big Buildings in Ann Arbor This Summer

Prices Have Gone Up

Court House Cost $78,000 and Couldn't be Duplicated Less Than $150,000

Ann Arbor, or rather the University and school portion of it, will enjoy a big building boom this summer.

Over $200,000 will be spent along this line in big buildings. The following are practically launched:

Engineering department - Estimated cost, $100,00.

Psychopathic hospital - Estimated cost, $50,000.

Palmer ward to hospital - Estimated cost, $25,000.

First ward school - Estimated cost, $40,000.

But there is little hope for many houses being erected.

"I had three different men come to me with plans for fine houses," said one of the most extensive contractors of Ann Arbor. "They were each willing to put in about $6,000 for a house. I figured on the plans and they each ran up to about $9,000. It costs from 25 per cent to 30 per cent more to put up a building this year than last."

"What is the reason?" he was asked. "Increase of prices of labor and material. A year ago common labor could be had for $1.50 for 10 hours. Now they get $2.05 for 9 hours. A year ago a brick mason got $2.25 for 10 hours. Now he gets $3 for 9 hours. Stone mason's work has gone up from $3 to $5 a day. I am paying $4 more a thousand for Georgia or yellow pine than last year. In 1901 I paid $2.25 for a common door. Now they charge me $3 for the same thing. A building that could be erected six years ago for $20,000 I would not touch now less than $26,000."

The present court house was started just 25 years ago. It stands the county in for a total expense of $78,000.

"How much could the building be duplicated for now?" was asked of the contractor.

"Not less that $150,000," was his answer.