Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-02-05
A CRISIS IN
BUILDING is
NEAR At HAND
Contractors Will Not Sign for
Work to be Completed With
in Given Time.
WORK MAY Be TIED UP.
Everything Now Depends on the
Demands Made by Labor
Unions.

Because it is understood that
number of the local labor unions will
make demand for more wages,
commencing with May l, when most
of the agreements with the employees
and employers run out, it is said that
the contractors are now planning to
show the mechanics that the demands
they will make are, in some cases, out
of the question.
AS told in the NEWS, a number of
the unions have fully discussed the
matter of asking for more money.
They claim that the price of food
stuff has gone up SO high in the past
year that it is almost impossible for
a workingman to get along on the
wages that he formerly received.
The bosses say that if the men,
who are all after raise, would only
ask for something within reason, they
would see what they could do about
( 1t, but they think that 81 so per day,
which, it is understood the masons
will demand; the SO so which re-
ports say the carpenters and joiners
will ask, and the 80 cents an hour
which the hod carriers are said to be
thinking of asking, are entirely too
high The bosses, it is declared, do
not object SO much to the painters
request. The painters, it is UNDER
stood, will ask for only % cents
more day. They now receive only
S2.75 per day and would like to get
49,
In conversation with a NEWS man
number of the bosses said that they {
did not see how they would be able
to pay the increase that it was ex-
pected that the workmen would de-
mand, as everything in the building
line was now sky high and with the
coming of spring would cost more.
Bricks and terra Gotta cost more than
ever before while q notice received
from Norfolk, Va, says that at a
meeting of the North Carolina Pine
association held Friday afternoon, at
Norfolk, the price of all grades of
lumber was advanced 50 thousand
feet for some of the better grades.
and $5 on some other grades, princi-
pally the lower.
This, it is said, means a net ad-
vance in prices from about 5 to al
most 10 per cent, according to grade.
Lumbe' : now far higher than it has
over b" = before.
j is understood that the labor un-
ions have all agreed to stand togeth-
er when they make the demands for
money if it is not given to them 1t is
expected that general strike will be
the result, and, from all reports, both
sides are preparing for it.
A number of union men, in speak
ing about the matter to a NEWS re-
porter, said that they hoped for the
best and did not want to see anv
trouble as it was known that this
would be a busy season for all me
cnanics and that they would like to
see the matter settled quietly.
Bosses, it is said, will not sign com
tracts for work to be done this spring
and summer until they find out just
how they stand in regards to the la
Dor question.
A local architect said Saturday
that the outlook is very discouraging
for spring and summer work. Ii is
not because people do not want to
build, he said, for he has been busy
turning out plans all winter and has
many more to be drawn, but as soon
as these plans get into the hands of
the contractors to figure on and the
bids are sent in, the plans are quietly
put away until such time as building
can be done at a reasonable figure.
Those who are contemplating build
ing will not pay the price now de-
manded. A few years ago man
could build almost two houses for
what it now costs for one and it looks
as if the limit had been reached. Peo-
pie cannot afford TO pay and they will
wait until building comes more with
in their reach.