The Beaumont enterprise. [volume] (Beaumont, Tex.) 1904-current, 1904-09-16

did belong 10 uhluht OF GET on lh'
i0h ar Mr.. Walking Delegate would
cali a strike and stop the job unless
b, could be- appcascd for considera'
tIun. Under these regulations the
only privilege the contractor had was
"a nav the bill some one else sci, In
This town the Builders Exchange
took nm This demand and met II WI
iud'cious nrmncss The conservative
members of the unions were shown
the mfnlrncss OF their demands ana
tho card system died quiet and
ugtural death. In discussion the qncs'
lion ono mechanic said 10 another
We won't give mp. n one man does
roi work ms wn will work for the
other. aud II he has all the labor he
will gct al the work The other rc'
plled. To my certain knowledge
cgrry firm In our line belongs 10 the
builders Exchange and IT'S "i'h'r
case If Withdrawing from the trades
leaving this town or doing
without a Job" And so IN this town
there were neither strikes nor lock
outs. or any Of their accompanying
evils. II was simply the force or n
strong Builders Exchange, discreelly
aud firmly used.
Then too. the Builders Exchange
can WELD an influence and force col
lrctlycly that is impossible for the
Individual, or even individuals, IN
dealing with common carriers, as
Establishing freight rates, etc.
Then there Is another phase OF the
benefits that pertain to the Builders
Exchange. Suppose here In Waco
IaU The worthy contractors and ma
ltcrial men connected with the build
| ing trade were members of the local
Icychango. and advertised the fact on
their letter and bill heads and other
Ipropcr ways, In IA very short time you
would foster public sentiment that
would say to n man attempting 10 40
| business here. Are you a member OF
the Builders Exchange? If not, why
Inot?" In this way you are only pro
Itccting yourselves. but also the 1m-
Inunity. from the irresponsible ana
unworthy pcripatctic shyStcrs who 90
about getting jobs by any hook or
crook they can, skinning their work,
J no HIlll8 inc Illt'l'l lhl lll''' VI ''''
and when he has run his course mere
lin Waco drops down to Beaumont or
some other frst-C!aSs town ana tries
IL over again. Your exchange IN ms
way would become badge of ialr
dealing and honest work at fair prices
BY your being united you can discip'
line and hold up the unworthy con
Tractor or material man, and thus
1rotcct the community from worthless
skin work and yourselves from dc'
ImoraliZation of cut prices.
You will observe in all these polnts
Ithc benefits that come from Il good
Builders Exchange are, so to SPEAK
Indirect. We do not join the Bulld
crs' Exchange today, and tomorrow
through the Builders Exchange get
= 81 OOO lob on which we next week
make 800 profit. If this happy
state could be brought about by the
exchange I've no doubt we would Sool
have n large waiting list" of appll
cants for membership. This mucl
5 for the general purposes of the OK
change.
, Now | want to come to something
dCfinitC. | am going to take the lid
trty to make n suggestion to this cX
, change TO start on definite line oI
: faction. and if II meets the approya
of this exchange see if we cant gel
behind il and push 1t to successful
conclusion. We all know the unSat
iefactory condition of the present law
: aa to liens. How little protection the
contractor or material man has un
| der the present law. In fact II
seems to me they were partly franco
e. to invite dishonesty in the owners
am going to suggest to this exchange
To petition the next Legislature tc
.strikr out the face value" clause IL
b the lien law and let the liens run
.against the whole value and not lht
face value of the contract price. Also
in This connection to amend the law
q SO the owner will have to pay al inc
costs for compelling him 10 live III
To agreements. and in this way M
a stop to the practice of unfair com
promising of just Obligations Sc
adroitly used by some people in thol
dealings with contractors and ma
torial men Give the poor contractor
who has added value 10 this home
stead run for his coin. As To the
best way to accomplish any or either
|Cr these. provided this exchange sees
proper to adopt the suggestions,
leave io vour supcriOr Judgement.