Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-26

l commerce was meQdllnB with something
which did not In any wise concern me. The
Chamber Of Commerce was organized. as
understand. for very much wider purposes
than the expression of opinion or the TAX
| ing of action with regard to ephemeral trade
disputes"
From Employers Viewpoint.
Upon receipt Of the letter from Mr.. Raj
ston. the Employers Association prepared
and submitted q reply.
I'VE would not think Of claiming that
| increased cost Of building was due entirely
| to conditions brought about by building
| trades unions the association states. III
| is quite true that cost Of materials has
greatly Increased and explains to certain
extent the greater cost Of building 1t still
remains true. however. that the wage cos!
| is a very large percentage Of the final cost
Of building, and that the wage cost, In
building operations. has reached an abnor-
NAL point, not because Of high wages alone.
| but chiefly because Of the decreased ef1-
cheney of labor and the many restrictions
and limitations that have grown up around
building operations under the control OF
organized labor. 1t Is also true. as we
| and Of the ones you mention in your letter
Is largely q labor cost at the time they
are ready to be installed in a building
"Your contention that q high price for
land discourages building will be refuted
by the experience of every dealer In real
estate. A man owning valuable piece OF
ground representing large amount OF Idle
capital and an increasing outlay for taxes
will either build himself or sell to some one
what you say about capital opposing
new inventions scarcely touches the point
Two wrongs do not make right. And, be-
sides, any aggregation of capital that con-
tinues to use obsolete machinery would not
long find itself in business when met by
| the competition Of new methods.
"Your assumption that our ASSOCIATION
could by any means gain a monopoly IN
the control OF labor would hardly seem
worthy of notice. The man who buys can
scarcely have monopoly Of the thing IN
the possession Of the man who sells. That
q proper stand by the employers In ths
building trades for their rights as defined
by the law and by three different aroitra-
ton of trade unions Is also scarcely worth
mentioning. 1t is one Of the familiar scare
Sorrows held before the rank and file Of or
ganized labor.
Where Highest Wages Paid.
1.-THE highest wages in this country today
are paid in the steel mills. which have al
ways been absolutely open shops The most
powerful union in the country. the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers. has never
adopted the policy Of refusing to work with
non-members Of their association. The the
ory that trade unions in order to grow and
flourish must be given an absolute monop-
OF any kind. and be allowed. with impunity,
to override the rights OF others, is rather
severe commentary on trades unions, II 1t
be true.
You say the Chamber of Commerce
should not NEEDLE in 'ephemeral trade
disputes This not an ephemeral trade
dispute. but involves vital and funda-
mental issues. We consider 1t a most
Chamber of Commerce as to what indus
trial conditions are in this city, for that
| Is the first inquiry that will be made by
any outside industry that is sought to be
| should be unbiased and bipartisan.
1--WE are glad of the interest you take in
this matter and wish you. together with
all men interested in the welfare Of the
newspaper discussion is concerned, how
ever. We will take you at your word and
consider this as our final statement"
Declared to Be Untrue.
Several speakers at the weekly meeting
of the Building Trades Mechanics Council
last evening pronounced as untrue the pub
lished statements of the Employers Associa-
ton that the building industry of the Dis
trict of Columbia is declining because of the
operations Of organized labor. It was
stated that Mr.. John H. Brinkman. presi-
dent Of the Central Labor Union. and Mr.
Sam De Nedrey, secretary OF that body,
are preparing a formal reply to the state
ment of the employers.
At the close of the council meeting last
night the following was given out for pub
licatiOn:
THE measures which have been taken
by the employers to defeat us in the pres
ent struggle are hardly fair. On one of
the buildings on which a partial lockout
has taken place. committee from this
organization called upon its board of man.
ayers for the purpose of adjusting the diff
vi n
by the locked-out men could be reinstated
"A member of the board Informed our
committee that the employers had informed
this building was due to the fact that the
supply men had refused to sell building
material until the troubles have been adj
Justed. This statement is absolutely I'M
Themselves"