Evening star., 1894-01-27
NO AGREEMENT REACHED
The Conference Last Evening Of Those
Engaged in the Building Trades.
A Reduction fn Prices All Along tho
sstions Opposed the Plan.

A conference OF those in the building
trades I'm this city. whether as material
men. contractors or mechanics. which was
held last evening In the hall Of the Build
ers' Exchange. did not result in any def
mite action. The suggestion. and in fact,
the call for the conference, came from the
Builders Exchange and the motive. as de-
clared. was to endeavor to stimulate the
building industry by offering such induce
ments in the way OF reductions from the
usual scale OF prices that capital would be at
tracted from boarding places and be invest
ed In improvements that would give work
to all those engaged in the building trades.
Tie meeting was well attended, nearly all
the branches OF this industry being repre-
sented either by delegations or by mes
sages. the latter signifying. as a rule their
desire TO cooperate in the purpose for
which the conference was called The
president of the exchange. Mr. Henry A
Jones, was to have presided. but he did not
reach the hall until after the meeting had
been In progress for some time.
Mr.. Thomas ]. King. the chairman of the
special committee of the exchange on reso-
lutions, presided These resolutions Were
read by the secretary of the committee Mr.
JaSnes II. McGill. and. after recounting the
general situation of the market and the ex-
pectation now held by many that changes
in the tariff would result In lower prices,
and that capital was waiting for these low
prices to come. the resolutions added that
the step necessary to satisfy the public
that the present is an opportune time TO
commence building operations is fer all
individuals firms and organization liking
ard controlling prices OF materiaI and la
Dor that have not already reduced their
prices to at once voluntarily do SO in the
amount to meet the exigencies OF the time"
speech on this general subject was then
made by Mr.. King.
A letter was read on behalf of the dele
gates appointed by the board of trade Of
this city TO attend the conference, which
stated that the board Of trade would cheer
fully cooperate with the convention in the
adoption Of any measures that would bring
about the resumption OF building opera
tions. Further than that they had no
dehnite suggestions to make. but that IL
any successful arrangements We're finally
entered into for a reduction in the cost Of
building. IL would undoubtedly influence
materially the resumption Of building op-
erations.
The secretary Of the board. Mr.. Wight.
remarked that Mr. Edison. one OF the dele
gates. had stated to him that since the
question of reducing the cost OF building
had been discussed, that several had callei
on him stating that IL a reduction in the
cost OF building was adopted that they
would consider II Sufficient intucemest
ana prontable to them to improve 40
property with buildings.
Discounts Proposed.
Offers were made by a number OF material
men ana contractors proposing discount In
prevailing prices of varying amounts
From District Assembly, No. ss. and the
Brfcklayers' and other organizations Of
labor it was stated that a reduction wound
De impossible In wages Mr. Paul j. Bowen,
the representative of the Federation of
Labor. took the ground that reductions
ought not to be asked in the prevailing.
wages OF the laboring people as that was
tne wrong source from which reduction
should come.
He thought that the present depress,on q,
tne building trade was due TO the high Drsc.
% pudding sites. and this could be reme-
qled oy change in the method of taxation.
IN other words. he advocated The single
tax, which is a tax on land and not o, s,,,e
proVements. and urged that the conference
JOIN with the Federation of Labor I'm urs-In.y
Congress to adopt the single tax system.
Severai speeches were made which reflected
rather severely on capital and real estate
operators. and an attempt was made by the
cnair TO check these speeches because for
eieh 10 the purpose of the meeting.
A somewhat confused and excited scene
Followed the speech of Mr.. Bowen and his
proposed amendment to the resolutions of
the committee which proposed TO substi-
tute the words money and land" for ma
ter,als ana labor" The presiding officer
refused to entertain the amendrnent and
suggested to MIR. Bowen that he offer IL as
a separate resolution. In the opinion Of
President King, no hot house theorist or
experiments were wanted at this time The
resolution offered by the committee was
put to vote and was lost. This result added
to the confusion and before the amend
ment of Mr. Bowen could be put TO vote
a motion to adjourn was presented and de-
clared by the presiding officer TO have been
carried.
Among the organizations represented at
the conference were the Washington Boari
OF Trade, the Federation OF Labor the
National brotherhood OF Carpenters and
Joiners. No. 1. the Bricklayer's Union. No.
1. District Assembly No. 66. representing
building trades. the Journevmen Tin and
Sheet Iron Workers, the Journeymen Stone
Cutters Association. the Master Builders.
Association, the Master Brfcklayers' AS
sociation and the Machine Wood Workers
International Union OF Americas.
For Simmer Jauds.