New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-07-27
BY John l.. Parish

And now i - labor that is featured
As -he chset obstacle TO the construc-
,ion OF housings. Only SIX weeks ago
there Nas an unemployment problem,
wish meu to be had IN plenty at S2.75
70 g ior an eight-hcnr day.
Now the ia5orers n the building
trades axe striking cor 65 cents an
hour for eish- hours and time and q
haf f0v overtime, and selecting the
jobs where they are permitted TO work
uirs hours. so they can get pay for
Mine and q half hours at the rate Of
S51S per day.
L is said the union leaders have not
encouraged. whore they have not even
discouraged, this exaggerated demand,
bat the men have got beyond control
and viii not listen % reason in the
matter.
There are mu-terings. further. OF
general demand through the building
radss. o. S. . DAY Tor all classes Of
skilled mech.n cs This demand has
heen sXpccted. more or less. BY the
merchant 5u dsrs in general. even
where they have dreaded is corning.
.ais threatened increase ia The
'ahor cos. % producing teuements was
she only thing the merchant builder
bad 20 -aaa -uto accoun. il would be
en-al -s INTO new undertakings and
,alco very carefully the addition tn
norrl. COS. thar is required to r,eat
these demands
E Il is only one Of many. irdeed
NJ Tie items OF cost. save one, ner-
aats thai eater inso the cost of con
strue- 3n at tbs time. Land alone. of
che mails 81 new construction.
can be had ia satisfactory locations at
ne builders Vle1no1nt. with pre-war
prices.
IL those d1vs which measured NV
the en- enGar seem only q short nina
ago. bat measured by the ~rica fisrs
s.am to hcva ions- u.sses INTO Inc his-
tsr.e 0.riri l-..olo rs the oo~d ofi
.-aas. = a.-'.i.r cal c,,lsrss 49, b0
Iot 10. p 0fo- IN v,h;r6 tn h,.,ll n
i've story val kun lznoWiner fr~tSer-
more. thar his Income in ren.s ro,,ll
ret exceed S. uer room ner month
b. this was under exceptional con-
e-t'ons' ana he mad to be handed eX..
~ ulu. ll'-- lhGHceNen1s IN the way OF
1-,'l -'i.s'.-0N 70 &c. nm 70 plt MS
.'Oi7s MO an operation "nefe the
.-he s-o9V 20 cost MIN over a2.voV &c
,'9vv loI. IN NOSE times ms mr.
enc" gl-0 ,ao VpS, I'm, win lne lahH'
80 10 fpV'o wv ana ne was
u ~ 1919 OiH @o''Oo0 70 sf''JVV
In .-e'5So o" "Fsu NOR
e"s9. !. ne Seu-o sea' 50 as 70 MAKE max
-. S.., -. Po'oo1 80 "G.0o0 "
.'' - D.'.'e''I.s NJ gouIl,-V IL 81
- - 80 anu + 49, 10y e ~
49,. -. - -. '''000 e0'O
BE- - s-;is; .ho+ + L.;
ee oSo - coo - od.,oo -, .L.n
@ao,'ot ~ pro"uSe III e"ose
~ 4i' - NJ ~ 3.e@l Nte so y
- - 60, GO ~ -
- " ,'.;,t
- - s-5ooo -. &C. 600 80
roduce in sbese new tines
- T., LIS - on, ,-eor bo ,,,s+
nrosit 81 ~ LAST n nar can+ r.,
lie oneration to be able to live as ne
llrea in the former tines on his profit
81, s.. 5GO-se GOO. So. if his lots cost
him $4,000 he must sell ct from ST..
e@ 70 3-9oV IN order 10 make 1t worm
fA"e 20 TIA" 20 40 any "u4'"l"s a. Ill
Labor Has Scared Builders
Res5rs this last outbreak in labor he
I'd shout made IN his mind that the
co1ditions we're framing so that he
Gould erorJ % +ake chance. He
found labor and materials I'D about So
rer cent and land no higher. while the
mortgage lenders were readv to lerd
ulT1 I'D 70 ST. It) and even 500 GOO on
each such unit: brit that was on the az
sumption shat his cost FOR labor would
be nc higher than $50 for laborers.
s. 20 $50 7o~ bricklayers and plaster
ers and no. over 81 FIR inside carpet
ers. painters. plumbers, gas filters
and I'll he others
Under -te ola Aisnen0ation the labor
cost Of one Of these " jss amounted 70
about s. Der cent to 40 nor cent of the
whole ara that would e,in be the per
csntaga Of cost under the schedule t.
da-s. hrf r now the builder must paw
from ID 20 20 uer cen. more than even
the e.tsd,,la Of Yesterday for his
Sailed and common labor he cannot ne
blamed r ne sbouid rq;- and consider
and calculate w1ara "a was likely %
ee+ o4r baf,ra a~4erino in+o new onera.
tio-s
r.. ,,.-4;
Lower menus VD' ~ ''i'
Builders ere now pay'ag tr m % TO
- Gems an hour for iaoor2rs, wnl,n IS
rom taira 20 hall more than tney
we're PAYNE before the var, ard w'Acn
aooET eg14i'zes IN purchasing power
WIZ nc CID pay. Il 'aoorers were to
, - ~ a sag lol -ni' n"y ~ W.,
pain Of ths high cost Of living, and
probably tha osn0loving builders and
contractors r0iqhr still EEL that there
was ooo.~-sn.tv for them 10 do bust
nes ,r.+-or. running the chance Of