The Washington times., 1903-10-11
Contractors Also Complain
of Uncertainties of Labor
F.. Situation-Constant Fear
of Sympathy Strikes.
HEAVY LOSSES INVOLVED
THROUGH F0RFEITURES
Unusual Demand for Large
and Elegant Houses-Sup-
ply Hardly Adequate.
Scarcity of Gravel.

The decision Of the board of directors
of the American Security and Trust Com
pany to defer the erection of the new
bank building at Fifteenth Street and
New York Avenue for at least six
months is in line with the postponement
of several other important building en-
terprises that had been scheduled to be
begun about this time. The same reason
is assigned in every instance-the high
price of building material and of labor,
and the generally disturbed condition of
the building trades.
Conversation. with a number of leading
architects and builders forces the con-
viction that no important enterprises in
their line of business viii be undertaken
within the near future. Structures that
have been started will be pushed to COM
pletion. of course. as rapidly as posi-
BILE. in order that the capital invested
may yield early earnings.
A complaint most frequently heard
from builders who have taken big con-
tracts. and who are in position TO enter
into other engagements bears upon the
labor situation. They say they stand in
constant danger of sympathetic strikes.
Their workmen may be perfectly salts
fed with the wages paid them and with
the hours of labor, but there is no tell
ing at what moment strike may break
out in some other city and by the reflex
action of unionism cause their own
forces TO quit work. They contend that
this constitutes an element of danger
which bears directly upon their profit
and loss account
Heavy Forfeitures.
Nearly every large contract contains
a clause whereby forfeiture of a given
sum-sometimes reaching up into hun
creds Of dollars-is imposed upon them
for every day beyond the date on which
the finished building is to be delivered
to its owner. Their contract price is
based, in part, upon the time required
TO complete the work. It will be read
lily appreciated, they say. that If by
reason of strike work is interrupted
for any considerable length Of time and
the completion of the work delayed be-
yond the contract period, the enforce
meut Of the forfeiture clause materially
cuts down the percentage OF profit. and
sometimes causes it to disappear alto
gether.
case in point, cited by J. H. Din
widdie. the Washington manager for the
George A. Fuller Company, is the sym
pathetic strike Of the marble settlers
employed on the addition to the New
Willard. There was some trouble in
Cincinnati; the men there quit work
and in order to help them. the men
here-and presumably in other cities
quit also. In consequence, the work or
the hotel halts; the hostelry cannot be
completed within the time stipulated in
the contract; the managers Of the hotel
lose the revenue they expected from the
additional accommodations, and the con-
tractors lose several hundred dollars
day by way Of forfeiture.
Helpless Against Sympathy Strikes.
I'VE have never had any difficulty with
the men that work for US" said Mr.. Din
widdie. We have always met every
demand for increase Of wages. It wouIC
not pay us to hold of on that account
and lose incalculable amounts by rea,
son Of delay in our work. But we can
not guard against these sympathetic
strikes. as they are called. They cons
upon US like a thief in the night. W,
never know there is any trouble until
the superintendent of the work comes
to US and tells us the men have gon,
out, and the trouble is that the uniol
official who engineers the strike and IT.
ramiications is generally somewhere a
q distance and entirely inaccessible to us
There are number of large con
tracts we could enter upon If we wer
not confronted with this class of labo
troubles, but under present condition
we are not at all eager TO do So"
Busy Time for Renting.