Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-11-17

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MONDAY EVENING. NOVEMBER II. 1918.
BUILDING PROBLEMS
Grand Forks faces a building situation entirely new
IA the experience Of the city. During the past few years,
while population has continued to increase, building hos
laESed. Vacant buildings have been occupied until the
town is packed fuu, and people who would otherwise
move here with their families are being kept away for
lack Of residences in which to live. The opening Of the
backing plant, the installation Of the standard lol plant
and the construction of the states Industrial buildings
viii bring several hundred families to. the city, and these
families must have places to live How can the need be
met?
During the active period of the war public attention
was directed to matters other than building. but last
spring. with the armed conflict over and our soldiers ON
their way home. there was both a general recognition
Of the need for buildings and a general desire to meet it:
Two main factors operated to obstruct building. These
were shortage Of labor and material and uncertainty as
to prices.
The transfer Of nearly five million inch from civil
to military life necessarily affected the labor situation.
and the diversion Of Industrial work of all classes to war
purposes affected the supply Of materials. While our
industrial plants were running overtime on war orders,
the country was using up stocks already accumulated,
and, with no work Of replacement going OH, or with that
WORK greatly diminished, the country has practically
been stripped bare Of many of its essential materials.
With the need for material at its maximum, the supply
was at is minimum.
Prices Of all commodities were high. Would they
go higher or lower? Many people had opinions on the
subject, but there was no general feeling Of certainty.
The element Of uncertainty was SO great that to a very
large number Of people the building Of a house appealed
as a hazardous speculation which they did not feel war
ranted in undertaking. People will not build houses to
lose money on them, and many believed that to build
last summer was likely to be a losing operation. There
fore they did not build.
The question of prices has clarified itself fairly
well. The situation ,iH this country and abroad is such
that no material and general price reductions ara to be
expected for years. and the project that is held up be-
cause of high prices may now be considered. not pot
poned. but abandoned. We will. build on approximately
the present scale OF costs or We will not build at ak
The labor situation is the most perplextng one Of an.
There is not in Grand Forks today enough labor b handle
more than = small fraction Of the building whaeh ID u-
GENTLY needed. and which, with labor available, will be
begun inthe spring. That tho cost Of labor vim be ma
terialy higher than before the war goes without cay
ing. And. a. in the case Of material, adjustment to that
fact viii be relatively easy. The real difficulty lies in
the actual shortage of labor and in the uncertainty as
to whether a. not the existing supply will be available
when needed. ~
III the problem were merely a local one, its solu-
ton would be relatively simple. All that would be neces-
sary would he to invite to this city on the assurance Of
regular work at good wages worknnen not employed else
where. But the problem ts not local It IL nationwide.
In practically every city in the country the conditions
are similar. Something more is needed than to make
1t known that We need men.
With the actual supply Of labor limited by condi-
lions beyond the control OF anyone; the effectiveness of
that supply has been very materially diminished by
$500. S--.s.l ~ A----
important industry. Ordinarily strikes are treated as
the result Of differences between employer md employe.
But that would be an Inadequate definition Of many OF
the strikes Of the past few months. Many Of our strikes.
instead Of being labor disputes have been in fact revoIu-
tionary movements whose purpose has been the destruc-
ton Of the American government. Not all strikes have
been of this nature, and not all Of those which belong
In this class have been SO intended or understood by all
of those who participated in them. But the fact remains
that men who are the irreconcilable enemies Of this gov
ernnnert.5 and Of all government, who are neither honest
laborers nor decent citizens, have taken advantage OF
abnormal ~conditions, resulting from the war to democrat
ize AMI sdlsorganize industry in the hope that In so doing
they will be able to destroy orderly government in Amer
lea The inmsdiate effect of this has been to make liy-
ing more dihicnlt-s The ultimate erect Il the process is
persisted In. and is made to succeed. wifi he to give us a
country not fit to live IN.
Grand Forks has need today, AZ II. has never needed
before, OF every real workman who can be found. It
needs particulariy the man with a family, one Of whose
first steps vim be to begin the building OF a home for
himself. such men are our best citizens They have a
stake n tls community They are part Of IT, They are
sbuiidesnz lasevesy sense, and not destroyers.i And Grand
Forks has 10 need q. and no room for the asitator whose
business q not TO work, but to interfere with the labors
sof those who % work.
l
THE TOLSTOYS, + ATHER AMI, SON
me yisst sf Count nys rolstoy 70 araad Tsrks hAs
been tho n4esss % recalling % many Who heard him
sf.cts Ia ~ NE IS hhg distinguished father which were
Faptdly bseeaaing mere missy nemoftes csunt Lao
shS ce4aasDAnesnph ana hisss faliG3sas yisun. aud,auits