New-York tribune., 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 S5 ior an eight-hcnr day.
Now the ia5orers n the building
trades axe striking for 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
Aud viii not listen % reason in the
matter.
There are mu-terings. further. OF
general demand through the building
radss. ol ss . 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 or-y thing the merchant builder
bad 20 -aaa -uto accoun. il would be
en-al -s INTO new undertakings and
,alce.a.- very fully the addition to
norula. c1s- tha1 is required to meet
taese demands.
B It is only one Of many. indeed.
the items oI cost. save ona, per-
aats rnat eater ln.o the cost Of CON
strue- 3n al tbs time. Land alone. of
gae n--als o new construction.
can be had ia satisfactory locations at
riees vn.ea compare tavoraDly, from
me builders viewpoint, with pre-war
In those days which measured by
tire cenlar seem only g. short time
ago, bgt measured 0y the price -isrs
SEEM TO have long passed into tae his
tor-c period known IS the good old
times. u-lar calculated that he
e9u.l afford -o lay As nigh IS $4,000
lot 10. plot o. which to build q
i've story wa.k-up, knowing, further
WoEe. thar his Income N rents woull
ret exceed S. per room per month.
A-- this vas under exceptional con-
e,tlons. and ne had to be handed ex-
IT,. oIo nary Inducements IN the way Of
zu29r1ination TO set him to rat his
money into al operation whore the
land stood 20 cost him over 5000 rc
5000 lot. In those times his FIR
ished product cost him. with the land
able 10 borrow from $4,000 to $4,000
DO per cent interest on first mort
fage. II he could sell so as to make
ret profit Of from SO $500 TO $4,000 or
f-Ch such building he counted it sat
sl1ctory year. lie and everybody else
Nol.d be glad 70 see those good old
-.-nes back again.
1ut the building that cost him
200 TO $40 e0G to produce in those
~ p
sl-foot, four family, sixteen to nine
.eeD rooms to a floor house is the unit
ell these calculations) viii. he finds
rast him rom $4,000 to 500, 900 to
roduce in these new times
i he builds but one q year he must
sze 4 profit of at least 10 per cent in
Re operation to be able to live as ne
o, $500 So 600. So, if his lots cost
MN $4,000 he must sell ct from $71.
no 10 $50 500 in order 70 make it worth
Taile 20 HIM 20 do any building at all.
Labor Has Scared Builders
Bef0re this last outbreak in labor he
I'D about made up his mind that tine
e1ldtons we're framing so that be
could afford % take chance. He
found labor and materials UP about s.
per cent and land no CHER, while the
mortgage lenders were resdy to leCd
hin I'D 70 S500o0 and even $55.000 on
each such unit; brit that was on the a.
sumption shat his cost FOR labor would
be nc higher than $50 for laborers,
s. 20 $3.50 fo~ bricklayers and plaster
ers and not over St f0r inside carpet
ers, painters, plumbers, gas filters
and al The others.
Under rhc olG 1ispensation the labor
cost o. one Of these II - amounted ~
loout % per cent TO 40 por cent Of the
whole, ard that would s'lIl be the per
csntage Of cost under the schedule L
da-e; blt If now the builder must pay
from ID % 20 per cent more than even
tae schedule Of yesterday for his
skilled and cam non labor he cannot ne
blamed f re should wpi- and consider
and calcail-e where 9e was likely %
or OF before entering into new opera
tions
Lower Rents Out If Question
Builders gre now paying fr m 80 to
- Gems an hour for iaDor2rs. wnlch IS
from taira TO q half more than tney
were pav.n. before the var, ard winch
about erlailzas in purchasing power
wl-r tle cid pay. # laborers were to
receive s. a dag for full days work
raey would have 10 reason 70 com
pain o. +he nigh cost Of living, and
probably no employing builders and
Ntt~f-c-of3 N4El- elill -ee4 tHat LiicrS
was opportunity for them TO do busl-
aea witnou. running the chance Of
bankruptcy.
Ever - these figures there is no
pas A.i-r of producing houses 20 rent
. s 70 slJ per room per month. That
IS e-t o.. of toe question. Mess
iata. of SIS ~ ieass is AZ 'ured no
nu..e-r Will take the -aancc impii ed.
hsg wao axe y1cte7dirg 70 build to
rer% AZ $40 ~ si2 nave no rloney at
S-a1e .1 tae cgerasion or haze salts
led raensaFc fna, they will receive
n'gne- rrr,s .waen the time comes to
eons.der renting.
Ths. .te public denlri will justify
ee -her rentals Is clearly shown
- tae lres reported % day by the
seconetr-c ion Commission IF the
see c. Sew YORK. AbcAu I. FlAus,
"a rfa4n. which ands that after making
a. poss biz allowance fo~ building now
5rtsr war >here will be a shortage o.
. least -S.7r5 suites of apartments Of
focase erer. ~ - ,325 rooms al me
- NJ ree year. and this without any
s.l1aHee for increasc ~ demand pc
so'a ,ha normal.
Labor Demands Cannot Re Met
ftem ry Doiot os viev it ia mad
3ata tn-t tea extreme demands % Ia
A't go fre material mon cannot he
H"f E.a at .ee extreme $l5 rate pes
f1p'1 Vfe.ert cost of labor and mate