Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-08-25
CONTRACTOR EVOLVES
FROM OLD CARPENTER
Time Brings Division OF
Work That Early Days
Knew Not
BROKER Is THE
MODERN PRODUCT

Of good contractor. the monthly
letter Of the Master Builders Asso-
citation OF Boston 10 the American
Contractor. thus depicts the evolution
Of the contractor in the United
States:
1T is instructive 10 follow the
transition of the contractor from
earlier days down to this time of pure
price competition. In earlier DAYS ne
was often both architect ana Dullu-
or even back 20 the times OF the
much honored grand old buildings OF
F,rope He was more commonly
builder engineer and artistic work
man-often the skilled craftsman OF
oiden times. Even i'm our own cOun-
try. which moves us forward to with
IN few generations, he was often
wholly responsible for the total re-
salt-nf the completed work.
walter A. Dyer. in his book on
Early American Craftsman, writes; .
THE master carpenter Of a hundred
odd years ago combined the present
professions OF architect, contractor
builder. decorator and artisan. They
wore workmen who lived with their
tools and not In sumptuous city OF
Aces Yet they honored their craft
and exalted II. IN Boston the guild
: which met in Carpenters Hall was
composed Of men Of intellect VINO
~ were masters Of their calling Aiasi
their tribe has we'll nigh persisted.
"Note the delicious lament OF tne
last sentences Dyer says these things
An an article on Samuel Mcintyre, OF
Salem, who Is responsible for the
architecture and construction Of
most OF the beautiful old buildings
which are notable in Salem today lie
was a housewright.' according to the
obituary notices az the time OF his
death in 1911.
Builder Becomes Contractor.
ON those times of simple construc-
ton the custom prevailed OF having
the whole work done by one contrac-
tor or builder who usually carried
out the work with workmen who were
directly employed and controlled by
him-for in those days there was h''
Ito sub-contracting, As the sub-con'
tractor began to play a larger part
This builder became a general con,
tractor. meaning man In genera
charge OF building operations
"rimc also brought about furth''
division OF the work Of the builder
division growing more pronounce
until the duties Of the architect an
the duties OF the general coniraeto
became rather sharply separated Thei
th,, architect began 10 assume some
The work performed by the generi
contractor. and today we find man
nersons holding the opinion that IN
architect should take over all OF IN
work OF handling, correlating an
manipulating the many kinds OF wor
upon building. and that the genera
contractor should be eliminated
Equally strong opinions are held thu
tho function Of a general contracto
cannot be performed so effectively b
an architect. for an architect canno
become as intimate with many me
and their ways as does contracp)l
merely because the contractor Is on
of them and not removed from them
"rn the early days Of building I
this country general contractors wef
ALI carpenters. because this part z
the work was the largest-was, ]
fact. a majority Of all labor and to-
cost upon a building Then came N
rreasing complications in building ~
erations-more heating more plumi
ing. together with steel ana ITO
work. electric work. tlins' marpl
elevators. special fittings; and MOI
than IN any Of these came added co
Of mason work due 70 largely II
creasinr use Of masonry materia
following thick settling OF commun
ties. or for other reasons. As r
suit Of these changes. the carpent'
work IS not so large a part OF u
Whole az formerly. while on mar
kinds Of work the mason work is q
largest snb-division. although rare
annroacbing one-haif OF the tot
cost excepting for ire-resistive buil'
inas OF the factory type. This tran
~ ition has led. naturally, 70 mason col
tractors frequently becoming gener'
contractors
Time Evolves @BrOker- Contractor.
and now another turn Of Il
wheel and we have the extreme ant
thosis OF the old-time general Gel
tractor in the broker contracto
This contractor may W. iN'
amount Of work in preparation
working drawings and in other ONO
detail necessarily accompanying wor
OF any size or complication, but /
does no part OF the trade work wit
his own employees. either upon n
building operation itself or in the Il
brication Of materials 20 be use
This contractor. also is a natural on
come Of changed conditions. wherei
on many kinds OF work. no one col
tractors part Is more than one-qua
ter of the whole cost With thre
quarters OF the work. sublet in an
event. il became easy TO set up a
arrangement whereby everything
subject
"Of course contractors often
more than one part Of the work up,
a building operation. as when plum
ing and heating are done by one co
tractor. The commonest combin
lions. however. lie among The depai
men,s of carpenter work. mas
work. plastering and painting a
frequently al least two OF these 70
items are done by one contractor
Thus has come the evolution
the general contractor to the positi
he occupies. but does not fill
NAV have the handling OF more n
a score OF sub-contractors. and WI
he controls then, I'll they are rar