The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The survey said that available data iudicated that -the present decline in. building bas about reacbed bothom. and during the next few rnonths residenial. building wuld, probably take the lead in briugiu g about -an upward trenid. 1hI was estirnated that the construction total for 1930 will be. froin 18 to 20% below tbat of 1929 -1not,.,exceeding .five anud one quarter billion, dollars for the entire: Unied States. Important factors tending toward inîproved conditions. and a ýconfident auhlook .for the building industr»y were summarized. in the survey, as follows: 1. Coýnstruction .cost, Ireduced, now at the lowest leVel Miince February, 1923. ý-2. Ample funds becoming avaliable for soundly concelved projects. 3. Wages of building craftsmen weli 4. Builing labor pientitul and ts, efftlency high. 5. Deflnite trend toward better and more permanent building. 1 6. Orowlhtg develoPmê6fl of intelligent co-operation and application of scientflfc. investigation among buildern--resultlng in elluinatien of Ill-cousidered. specula- tive lftojectB. 7. A definitely established trend of population toward urban centers-em- phasized by 1930 census figures-tending to offset tempora.ry coniditions of over- building through natural growth. "The building industry today,"ý said the survey, "presents a much better picture than has existed for many rnonths. Builders who desi.-e to develop well 'located properties with needed structures will find many elements warking to their advantage. Ample funds are becoinig available for projects 'which represent a max- imum of saféty f rom the investment. standpoint, and 'building prices seeni to have about reached the low. point with no further substantiat reduction in material prices in sight and. ap- parently, littie. likelihood of 'labor costs being. again reduced either through, further increased efficiency or lowered Wages." "Another 'favorable element is the fact that thousands of contractors with labor-saving devices and other fine eauiornent, are ready to narrow The program wili consist 'of the Beethoven D mnajor quartet, opus 18, numnber 3; John B. McEwen's A mi- nor (Bsa" quartet;- and theý BrahmsC miner. quartet, opus, 51, number 1.> A great orchestra leader once said, "There- is no finer* or higher type 0o1f miusic. than that of the. string quar- tet".' The Chicago Chamnber :Music society w as formed:for the purpose of mnaking it possible for ail lovers of music to enjov fine string quartet_ certs.. It consists of a group of Chi- cagoanis who have agreed to guar- antee the expenses, of .a, series of chamber. music concerts which are of- fered to the public at a price much, below: their cost. YuIe Memories, I Dear sister Nell, as Christmsas eve s alinost here, And I cas& sessd you litile mo.re thae words of cheer. My thought.s turn bac/e b days when we were young, When simple gifts supplicd a thriil as did the sangs we sung. Thse joy of Christ mas in tsh ose day4 no doubt you wvell recali, When you unpacked your sioc/eing .wh' * h contained a -doll. And 1 can t tin/e of nothing iii mjy'sock,. as I look bac/e, That gave me greater' >oy, t/ean. aise . briglit painted jumpinq jac/e. But tintes have chonged, no loniger arc we, thrilled with toys, For we have grown to men <sud zwonsieit 1from girls and boys. As years -roll by and gis are ineas~- ured by our plgne of livin*y,,1ý1. Intrinsic worth tpo o f teitPlgiev'cs .Us iii Our giving. But as. we _ucar. the end .f, this eéver- chang Ig 14e, Our thoughts turn back ta youth agWin, devoid of pain and strif e. When happiness was found ins. /indly Girl Scout from bhei correspondent- friend, Aino, who . lives ini Uolo, Suomi-Finland. The celebrgtion of the, festival br_-- gins,. Aino writes., with a,àfeast con-' sisti ng, of rice porridge *and .sweetî, servedl by srnall "Robin Good fellows" in grey overaàlls and red .tasselled caps,, froni which hang tinkling. belîs. ln the. corner of the diuing rôor is a candie-lit, Christmnastree. Ro*vs'of candles ligbt the long dining tables, and. the walls are- hung with "snow- bails" of cottongwool., .ýWhile the feast is in progress, the "Christmas Man" who, according to the Pinns,i cornes frorn Laplaud, visits the girls, offerinig greetitigs'and dis- tributinig small gifts.. He. is followed by the " Star. Boys",who supply the entertainment. Once these boys, who, take their names from their costumes, were stu- dents who paid for their. schooliig. by singing carols t1&the rich and gen- erous during the Cb ristmas season. 'Ihey also perform a Christmas play which does not,.vary froni year to year. It begîns with the appearance of a "knight" in the doorway. "Ma~y we corne in?" "Please do." Then enter King Herod, the "King of the Moors," the Knight and the star-boy, carrying a huge paper star. They 'are ail dressed in glittering armor made of pasteboard and silver paper. They open the play 'with a chant of greeting. The drarna itsèlf' tells the story of the birth of Christ and the massacre of the "Holy Inno- cents."' Wben it is over, the perforin- ers chant again: "we are poor sing- ers who asic you for sorne coins and a srnail candie." Tbey depýart, prai3- ing their benefactors. and promising to reveal bis generosity h o G)d. .On Decembér 22 the Girl Scouts of Uôlo distribute their own largesse. t consistS of coffee, cough-lozenges, and Christmas papers -for the in- mates of the "Old Women's Home," hôspit al for disabled war veterans., In the afternoon a party was given i the Unit 31 East for the. thirty- four men there. They had decorated the ward themselves with the Christ- nmas tree and ornarnents supplied by the comrnittee. .Miss Jean Brashears and Miss, Marion Anderson led- the singingý of carols around the tre!e, after Wbich* Miss' Brashears gave, several readings to the great enjoy- ment of, ail. Refreshmnents of cookiés, fruit., cig- arets, and delicious candy furnished by 'the Domecon club.of New Trier High school,. were. passed at the close of the prograrn and each man was .given a box witb hos5e,,garters, baud,- kercbiefs, stationery, postage stamps, and other gifts. In addition to the entertainrneàt at .the unit,, .tbirty-two new, pairs of stockings and thirty new, suits of. un- derwear, besides toys, were sentho, the children of mune of the men. Useil clohhing and Christmas baskets, wçre sent to four famhlies. Rent was paid' for hwo farnilies, each facing eviction, and three' families were given coal. ihis aid is not given only at this trne of the year. The cornmittee keeps in touch at ail tirnes with these fam- ilies and Iends a helping baud if any ernergency arises. A victrola, recentlyr has been giveni to the unit. Clohhing supplies,. are sent at ail tirnes. Shoes are in great demand,,especially sizes 7-9, the coin- mittee, . whose chairman is Mrs. W. H. IHutson of 1112 lFlmwood avenue, announces. Erecting Fire-Safe Home For MacKay in Ravinia A "Miracle Pire- Safe Home" is being erected in Ravinia on Lake-' side place just north of the County Line road. for'Alexander G. MaçK4-Y of Chicago. The construction of this residence is rather unusual in as rnuch that it incorporates ail of the newest scien- tific methn<k ofaf nncoitile Miss Alice, King is entertaining Miss Beatrice Stapleton of Milwau- kee as her housegueit over the holi- days 4t her home, 914. Greenwood avenue. L.akce avenue. . E, Howard West, who is in his Soph- ___.o_...is oorue year ah the University of Ilii- Mr. and Mrs, W G. Wagner of M08 u nois, is spending the holidays with Greenleaf avenue are spcending the an, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. H. holidays with their son, R. B. Wag- no West of 916 Greenleaf avenue, ner, at Pine Bltuff, Ark. ey nave'