New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-27
DRASTIC STEPS NEEDED
EMPLOYERS ARE READY.
Estimated $50 900 900 Is Idle Be
cause of Labor Conditions.

Since the victory OF Sam Parks over President
Buchanan the International Convention Of
Structural Iron Workers, which gives Parks a
longer lease Of power, employers here have begun
10 admit that il will be impossible TO unravel the
building tangle by continuance of present meth
DDS Notwithstanding the fact that the majority
or the unions in the skilled trades have signed
the arbitration agreement Of the Employers Asso-
citation, the building situation is in worse middle
than ever, ana the employers yesterday began to
realize this. Less than half of the unions which
have signed the arbitration agreement have united
the Board Of Representatives. which is recog-
nized by the Employers Association. The others
waiting to see what is going to happen, as the
general resumption Of work which was predicted
so many times shows no sign Of materiaizins.
In the mean time II is admitted that capitalists
who preparing to invest in building opera
tons backing out in alarming way. Con-
tractors, architects and others who were seen yes
terday estimated that from S400o00OO s5000O.Of0
OF capital intended be put into business enter
prises in New-York during this fail and next
spring and summer. will be held back. Architects
complaining that plans for new buildings over
which they spent weeks and sometimes months by
direction Of intending builders have been given
up for the present. and some Of them now
only much waste paper.
The members of the Building Trades Employers
Association say that, conditions gOinS.
very decisive measures must be taken if any of the
present building season be saved IN reference
to take special measures behalf of the
employers to meet the situation. Leonard X Prince,
chairman of the press committee of the Employers
Association. said yesterday:
The present situation must be dealt with in a
oeSlslVe way VIC a.e tItGusn WIN pa pa. ati b
up. We shall take more drastic measures tnan We
We have spent all summer in an honest straight
forward attempt to resume work in busiIessiike
way and have been met by Wanton OPPOSITION anu
treachery. When work is resUmed-dnd l 90 NOT
care low 70 predict when tha5 VIII os~y Si
then get all the men We want, We will not be in the
position OF asking odds from any OF the unions.
A representative of the American Bridge Com
pany predicted that when Parks returned to this
city ne would start more strikes than ever. While
Parks out of prison he would control the
union.
The result of this present state of affairs is an
unexpected opportunity strikes and other dill
cities and frequent fights between unions which
have signed the arbitration agreement. The mud
ole thus created has been largely contributing
cause in keeping capital back from building enter
prises.
An architect who has drawn many plans which
have been abandoned said yesterday that he esti-
mated that S50eO,OJ0 of capital and perhaps more.
would be held back by the labor troubles. Charles
G. Jones. architect, of No. $50 Broadway said:
As the labor unions are at present constituted
here but throughout the country. TIE original
object OF the unions was to protect the workers
ing organizations. coercing employers into granting
demands which may be unreasonable.
A well known contractor predicted that there
would be hard times all the country &C
count of the present labor troubles. This would be
absolutely the fault Of the unions, He thought
SJ9oDoS0. at least, IF capital would be held back
James Forrest. of Forrest Brothers. real estate
dealers. said that the labor troubles were felt in
the renting of property. 1t getting harder 10
office buildings. Other dealers talked to the
effect.
A dealer in building supplies said that the boom
in building was already gone. IT was now on the
decline. Charles L. EadHtz president Of the Build
ing Trades Employers. repeated his statement yes
terdaY that % per cent of the me hanicS VINO eX-
pected work would be idle this winter. This would
eventually tend to break up the unions, there
would be two ne for every place. Other con-
tractors said there would be considerable distress
this winter account of the long spell of idlencss