Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-27

What Speakers Thought.
Charges, counter-charges, denials
and admissions of inflated prices and
passing the buck" the speeches
tinged with humor and heat, and
few suggested solutions to the prob
lens brought out the following con-
sensus of opinion:
e Building materials are too high
Building operations are sus-
pended awaiting lower prices.
Houses. building and factories
are needed.
Money is available to begin
building program.
A reduction in the cost of
building materials would start era
of building activity.
To Name Committee.
To wind up the lengthy discus
sion, ]. w. Gamble, president of the
Chamber of Commerce, moved and
the motion prevailed, that the chair
man of the meeting. III. 0. Will
helm, appoint committee repre-
senting all interests at stake, as well
as civic good to outline a course of
action pursuant to facts brought out
in the evenings meeting.
Expected sparks did not fly with
the exception of slight tilt be-
tween Moshier Colpetzer, president
of the Chicago Lumber company,
and Harry Lawrie. architect. The
architect made a charge of inflated
price for stumpage, naming the
price; Colpetzer quoted a lower
price, which Lawrie branded as un-
true.
Try to Call Meeting Off.
Fl, o. Wilhelm chairman, in his
Introductory speech, Stated that in
fluence had been brought to bear
seeking to call off the meeting for
fear of apostolic cat and dog row.
Colpetzcr opened the discussion
with a defense of the lumber trade.
The lumber trade comes before
the public with clean hands. We
welcome investigation of all our
business operations" he said "Any
reduction i'll price by manufacturers
will be Immediately passed on to
customers. An arbitrary reduction
in prices >such as in steel, is inpos-
sible because price did not go up
during war. War stiAed the normal
consumption of lumber by curtailing
building" he said
Were Charging Too Much"
w. +. Stoecker, apartment house
builder. and Henry Gering. builder
and manufacturer, furnished the
high points of interest by open ad-
mission of boosting prices and by
expressing the opinion all business
men concerned could cut their prices
and still do business at a profit.
Whats the use of passing the
buck?' You all know i'll your hearts
we're charging too much and we can
all come down in price if we want
to-" said Gering. Il bought brick
for 1915 last July and am now
paying $15.25. There's been no in
crease in the cost of labor or ma
terial in one year to make such a
difference" he said. 49,
Business and trade conditions
hold up prices, Stoecker maintained.
Be Cortent With Enough.
Content yourself with a smaller
profit and the bigger business will
result in more profit in the end. If
you can't get your price in lumber.
come down little and ask the
price the customer will pay and
You'll do better. There's no use
i'll the pot calling the kettle black
said Stoecler, i,,terpolating his talk
with yema,ks which caused gales of
laughter.
/ X. {. Hove. manager of Armour
& Co., and ]. J.. Fercoit of the
Western Union, emphasized the ser
ious aspect of Omaha's failure to
provide suitable, housing facilities
for newcomer and working people.
Drive People Away.
"Six hundred new people brought
here last year by the Western
Union could find no homes in Oma-
ha. Forty per cent went to Council
Bluffs to live, not because they
wanted to, You drove them there.
CONTINUED on Page Two. Column One.)