The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-16
BUILDERS FORM A new LEAGUE
RESULT or THE STA RRETT Talks
on TRADE CONDITIONS.
To lie Organized This Week and 10 Contain
only Full Contractors-,Irs to lie a
Defence, ". -. shechan Says. Against
Chinese wall" Tactics I'm the Trade.

Chinese WALL Tactics I'm the Trade,
A the result OF the remarks made by
Theodore Starrett about conditions in the
building industry in New York. there will
be organized this week n new building
associations one OF the objects OF which
will be mutual protection against what
! Mr. Starrett describes IA the Chinese Wall
methods" Of the Building Trades EN-
: ployers' Association. One Of the active
spirits in the new organization is William
S Sheehan Of 100 Fifth avenue. who has
put mp several large buildings here among
them the Gouyerneur and Willard Parker
hospitals Mr. Sheehan indorses all that
Mr. Starrett has said about the conditions
into which the building industry in this city
has fallen.
For some time said Mr. Sheehan yes
terday, there has been talk among build
ers Disguised with the existing state OF
affairs about forming an organization 10
meet the conditions which Mr.. Starrett so
trthfuly describes The Starrett inter
views in The Sun have given new impetus
TO this movement and this week we Will
lie organized and We intend 10 be incorpo-
rated
Il do not know Just how many firms
there will be IN the Organization, probably
ten or "A dozen, all of them large concerns.
We propose to make IL Il master builders
association. and not an alliance OF some
thirty subsidiary organizations with head
centre such az is the Building Trades En-
ployers' Association There will be In u
nobody who Is not a contractor for the
erection of a building in its entirety. he
officers of the Building Employers As
ISOLATION may be merely sub-coniraotors
for some detail of building work such as
plumbing. or steamitting The mouth
piece of the association, forinstance, IA
Mr.. Harding who is only a contractor Tor
carpenter work.
Mfr. Starrett has told nothing but the
truth about conditions here. Go to half
dozen well established architects in New
York. and If five ont Of the six haven't
their drawers full OF plans for buildings
which owners refuse to go ahead with
because OF the conditions in building here
I'll buy You a new hat. That u near to
a bet as | want to come on Sunday.
Architects all over the city are loaded
with plans which they will not go ahead
with until there Is a better state Of AFFAIRS
Owners won't venture TO start Il building
because they see only too clearly what
troubles they may be counting II they en-
bark on 40 treacherous sea. And It has
all come about from the practices Mr.
Starrett has expressed He might have
made stronger statements and still been
within the mark.
Take wood finishing. Let a builder
undertake to bring into New York wood
work done outside the city and he at once
hears from the ring Strikes threaten him
and the strikes don't come frofnfte labor
men either. They come from the employ
ing side Of the house-from the mill owners
through their allied forces.
Outside finish work NAV be better and Is
almost certain to be cheaper. But that
does not matter The contractor muse
tnke the New York work if he does not
want trouble Go and get your outside
work If YOU want TO- say the employers
organizations. and then see how you come
ont trying 10 get it put into your building
If YOU do not belong to the EMPLOYERS
association. You are threatened with
trouble Several times | have had labor
men tel me that strong pressure was Icing
brough. to bear on them to strike because
! was not a member Of the associate on.
Who brought that pressurei My COM
petitors. of course
Now do not propose 70 have my bust
ness put at other peoples mercy in that
way. | do not propose to be dictated 20
by individuals or organizations, and there
are many others who are in that framc ~
mind That i why We are going TO get into
an organization for self-defence against
Chinese methods. "a MIR. Starrett very
Justly calls them. and We are going TO have
that organization perfected before the
current week Is out.