The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-22
A pREPosrERous DEMAND.


Just what all observant persons
might have reasonably expected Is
about to come to pass: the unions are
getting ready to declare war on the
use of concrete as a building material
This extract from an editorial in The
New York Commercial will show
where the trouble originates:
The new industry of building in ce-
ment has grown too important to be
overlooked any longer by Mr.. Gompers
and his followers, and instead of being
one of the cheapest forms of construc-
dearest The union bricklayers have
served notice on builders and archi-
tects that hereafter when cement Is
as such. shall be allowed to push the
wheelbarrows and empty the cement
into the mold THIS is work that any
child can do. if he has the strength.
building is made of boards by carpen-
ters. and all that remains to be done
IS TO pour the cement into the space
between the outer and inner frame.
There 1t hardens into what Is virtual
ly solid peace of stone.
At present this work is done by
Italian laborers But in proportion as
with bricks tends to decrease. and
there have been fears on the part Of
some of the brickmakers and brick
layers s,, that "a one Of these days our cit
crete. The possibility of such a thing
ends when mechanics wages have to
be paid to laborers. for the unions
have carried their point that the man
who pushes a wheelbarrow up a gang
way and empties its contents into
hole Is to have seventy cents an hour.
greatly increased. and this sort of
architecture may be discouraged OFF
the earth
There has been much hostility to the
use of concrete by the unions because
of its cheapness and simplicity. and
because there seemed to be no good
worS b f9r Rq5n gsr skilled men
only modicum of intellect. But the
resolution to give that work to the
brinklayers regardless of what the
thought about 1t, revolutionizes the
industry. and concrete may lose favor.
If union intolerance does not inter-
fere to prevent. concrete is destined
to become the cheapest and most pop
ular building material to be found in
this country. 1t is not merely that the
material is cheap and practically in
exhaustible. but the further fact that
the manufacturing of 1t can be done
by unskilled laborers. and that ! most
of the work of laying 1t can be done
without the use of skilled workmen.
All this is offensive to the unions, for
they insist that all constructive work
must be done by unionists and that
the unions shall fix prices and also the
hours of labor. The arrogance of this
demand is intolerable and IL it is al
lowed the result will be lamentable.
1t will be a genuine blow to the build
ing interests of the country If the I'M
ions carry their point AS at present
used it does not make n handsome
wall for dwellings and other pur-
poses. where beauty of material and
though it may be that experience and
improved methods will eventually rid
1t of its present rather unsightly ap-
pearance. However. that may be. there
are so many uses for 1t where eeono-
my, solidity and rapid construction are
the main things to be considered that
1t would be a great blow IL it shall
be practically abandoned. For foun-
dations, for stores, warehouses, facto-
ry buildings. piers, retaining walls.
and numerous other uses IL is superior
in many respects to any building ma
terial to be had, and any obstacle put
in the way of its use will be a mis-
fortune.
The complaint that the Increasing
popularity of concrete will reduce the
business of making and laying brick
Is doubtless well founded but 1t is
not new one. When, centuries ago.
sawmills were first introduced into
England. the hand or whip-sawyers
united against the new and rapid
method of producing lumber and there
were genuine riots in some parts of
the Kingdom, but they awaited moth
ing. The sawmills turned out lumber
so fast and cheaply that it was i'm
possible to prevent their use. and those
who had been making their living by
the use of whip-saws found ether oc-
equations We suppose no one would
now advocate return to the old way.
1t has been the sane way with all
industrial inventions and improve
new. There may be some hardslhips
for those who belong TO the old sys-
tens. but the march of progress can
not be stopped because it may not be
acceptable to those who are left be-
hind. The masons' unions have not a
shadow of moral right to interfere
with the concrete industry, and theY
ought not to have a legal right t"
do so With as much justice and pro-
priety they might demand that the
laborers who dig and haul dirt and
carry and lay cross-ties in railroad
building should be paid the same
wages that are paid to the engineers
and skilled workmen who lay off the
roads and build bridges. The post
ton of the New York unions is pre-
posterous and should receive no con-
sideration whatever