Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-07-22
Folly Of Contract Work.
Editor Journal;

Editor Journal;
Why do contractors oppose day la
Dor in regard to all public work and
large buildings? Did you ever stop to
consider the per cent profit that is al
ways figured by the contractor above
his actual days wages, for there is no
one that employs help but that ex-
poets to make little extra on each
laborer. This per cent is small when
cne looks to one man, but when one
considers several worbmen on a job
1t amounts to considerable, as the
profit is from twenty-five cents a
day to two dollars and fifty cents, ac-
cording to the class of mechanic,
Who are the contractors? Are they
the men who have served from three
to four years apprenticeship along
each line of work and mastered It.?
Workmen who have labored day after
day at small wages trying to earn
enough for the maintenance of a
home? No, 1t Is not the qualified me-
chanic, 1t is the man with the money;
men who have never attempted to do a
days work of physical labor; men
who do not need to work They have
the money to handle the job, pay the
amount Of the deposit which is re-
quired to show good faith in complet-
ing the contract and pay the daily la
Dor which ranges from one hundred
to five hundred dollars and often
more
OF course, 1t is true there are some
advantages with a contract After 1t
Is turned over to the contractor there
Is no running around looking after
various incidentals that must be look
ed after at a moments notice. But
just stop to think the price paid for
this. You could we'll afford to do 1t
yourself. There is the employing and
discharging help and keeping the pay
roll that the contractor attends to,
besides the buying to advantage of all
material.
While on the other hand a building
could be completed much better for
the same price of a contract. One
should employ a skilled mechanic
along each line of work, to take
charge and look after It, and save the
profit Of the day labor for better work
manship or material for It is true, II
you cannot trust a man TO do on hon
est days work, you cannot trust him
on a contract. For the saying is true
There are tricks in all trades but
mine There Is no one competent To
judge another class of work than what
he knows about It would be folly for
one to enter store and tell the mer-
chant one quality Of goods is better
than another unless he had experience
along that line. SO II is with ui'ding
Are you competent TO Judge first, sec
ond and third grade lumber after a
building is completed, or can you tell
If the brick Is laid with a buttered
joint or spread Joint, or can you tell
the thickness Of plaster II It is one
eighth Of an inch or half an inch. /
dare say II you can, you are an excep-
tion. SO you see there is no danger Of
a contractor losing money. Ho has
all the advantages. II you employ an
Inspector TO look after the various
trades, why not have him take charge
and give the laborers a square deal
Besides, an inspector cannot bo every
place at once.
We have here in our city a large
emount Of building, but II Is contract
work and what advantage to local la
bor The supreme court building is q
state institution and by rights should
be built by the taxpayers Of the state
The city library although donated
the local labor has the advantages OF
the free books 10 read and should
make use Of them more than they do
but this is about the amount Of the
money left here for the construction
We have two new school buildings
being completed, but the greater am
cunt Of help is imported TO do II while
the local help pays for IT, As was al
the Highlanl school the other day
there were six plasterers working and
only one local man and there arc
enough idle plasterers living in that
district alone to do the work, although
they won't even get the chance to
work out their share Of the taxes In
payment Of the school
It is the same with the clty'B pride
the Masonic temple HOW much local
help Is there. There were six plaster.
ers working on the fourth floor with
no local man the other dey. While
many Of the good brothers harp about
the parcels post and sending 10 John
Smith or Sears, Roebuck & Co.for mer
chandlse, they import the labor to dc
their work and leave the home hell
idle II seems to me they could az