The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-10-02
N. Y. REALTY GAIN
$137,369,758 IN YEAR;
PERSONALTYALSOUP
RUSH SWAMPS
MOVING MEN
Only Third Of Patrons Served
-BOlsheviki Tactics by
Van WOrkmen.

out the greater city. but many thou
sands Of New Workers. who had thought
that by nishtfali they would be COM
fortably installed in their new hats
were moved only to anger. Swamped
by a greater volume OF business than
they had ever before been called upon
to handle. the moving and trucking COM
panies literally threw UP their hands
and long before moving day had dawned
they had quit even promising 10 move
anybody at any time. As result II
was estimated last night that not one-
third of the people who thought they
were going to move yesterday really
had their household goods transferred.
Numerous reasons. including that Of
increased rentals. were advanced BY Of.
hcials Of trucking companies last night
All of course were based upon the fact
that the United States 10 at war. and
for a pleasant change 1t really seems a
II the war had great deal to do with It.
shortage Of Laborers.
The principal factor contributing to
the failure Of the moving concerns to
handle the business offered them was
the shortage Of labor, thousands OF Ia
! borers Of the type who make good NOV
ers and van leaders having refused the
| 50 to IS q day which their union scale
calls for to enjoy the higher wages OF
| the steel mills and the munitions fac
! tories
This shortage was so acute that some
of the larger trucking companies had
to pamper their workmen and resort To
| all sorts Of schemes to keep them salts
| fed. One company in Brooklyn sent an
| automobile truck each morning Tor the
pact week around to the homes OF the
movers and hauled them to work
Others were compelled to stipulate In
| moving contracts that the delicate be-
ings who carried the pianos around on
| their backs must not be forced to noun,
higher than the second floor. Several
companies were compelled to refuse
business that called for moving families
into third and fourth floors because their
movers wouldn't climb the stairs. Ir
other cases the movers left household
goods lying on the sidewalk and in the
! irst floor halls. and the owner Of them
had to hire some one elee to carry then,
, up stairs.
n
on the situation in some sections OF the
city yesterday they mace more money
than they would make in week In
ordinary times This was true. how.
ever, only in the cases OF companies
whose men did not belong to the union
, These firms were compelled to take what
loborers they could ret. and the laborers
knowing Of the shortage, dena nded piece
work and got 1t. in some instances
making as high as SIS and $40 for the
days work. Union men employed by
other companies, however. stuck to the
union scale of wages which while con.
s.derably higher than those OF last yea,
We're not eXorbitant.
- to $40 an Ilour Charged.
Very naturally. with the cost OF labo,
and materials rising TO unprecedented
heights. the consumer in this case repre-.
sented by the harass,d owner Of house.
hold goods which he wanted to move
had the buck PASSED to him. None OF
the moving companies would move a
mans household furniture for less thar
from IS to SO an hour. whereas las
year the prices ranged from s. TO 81
Since II usually requires at least two
hours to move a load of furniture tn.
consumer this year paid from Sc to s.
mere for every load of furniture hi
| possessed.
| None OF the moving companies a.
whose offices inquiries were made yes
terday had been able to handle more
than 30 or IS per cent. Of the worl
offered Il. An official OF the Schillingel
/ Van and Storage Company. 206 Eas
Sixty-third street. said last night tha
yesterday he had been forced to refus,
between sixty and one hundred moving
jobs.
We've had mare work this year thar
ever before" he said, "and I under
stand the situation is about tho sam,
all over the city. Our greatest trouble
as It always has been. is the fact tina
everybody wants to move on the sam,
day. II the moving period were spread
over a month instead o. being compres se,
into a few days We could always handl,
/ the situation very we'll, even in abnorma
times like these.
There is no doubt that more peopl
are moving this year than last II
thousands Of cases families from whicl
some OF the men have gone to the va