The Connecticut labor press., 1920-12-11
Home Building Association $2,- 100000 Project, Now Needing $7OO,0O to Get It Out of Finan- cial Difficulties Was to Have Been Triumphant Demonstra- ton of "Open Shop" Supre- macy-Bartenders and Truck Drivers as Carpenters and Plumbers.

Right at the heighth of the "open shop" drive in Connecticut comes the association project in Hartford, an "open shop proposition through and through and men who are in a position to know what they are talking about have no hesitation in proclaiming that the primary cause for this smash IS sopen shopism."
 When the plan was first adopted, 1t Is stated, the business interests backing 1t declared enphatica11y. that it should be an "open shop job from start to finish. It was to be in the nature of a triumphant demonstration of the fact that a big building project could be carried through without the employment of union labor.
 It stands today as one of the most dis nal failures known to the building his tory of the state. Petition for receiver ship was followed by the statement that at least $700000 would be needed to get the project out of it's financial diff culties.
 "Uncertain cost of building materials and high labor outlay" were advanced as reasons for the failure.
 As matter of fact well known labor men in the building trades say that mental in bringing about financial dis aster but this high cost was due to the determination of the promoters to build without union men, In order to do this, 1t is said, unsL<il1ed labor was hired and paid the wages of skilled men. Rep resentatives of the builders, 1t Is added, secured the state and even went out side the state unedr high salary SCOUT ing up men to work on the jobs. Ap- parently, according to the reports re- ceived, ex-bartenders, 1ongshorer1len and truck drivers were hired as carpenters and plumbers and paid the union scale of wages or more.
 They'd show these labor fellows how to build without union men, the pro- motors are claimed to have declared. And they did. What this class of workers did to the jobs and the mater ials entrusted to their care may be imagined.
 "0nly $700,o00 in the hole" remarked . one labor leader in discussing the fail Nge, @why it's wonder they're not everf>million behind the way those fel- lows went at 1t"
 But never ra.nd. It's perfectly good
 
 $70O.OOO of stockholders money so long as organized labor gets wallop. The worst of it is, from the viewpoint of the 'sopen shoppers" that organized labor fails to recognize itself as therecipient of the wal1op. It is inclined to believe that the Hartford Home Building association fasco stands today as the finest exemplihcation of the folly of the "open shop" movement to be found anywhere in America.
 Experienced contractors have long ago discovered that the trained crafts men are within the ranks of organized labor. That is why they hesitate to tackle any big building project without union men. Few really big enterprises are put through as straight "open shop jobs and the Hartford affair affords a fine illustration of what usually hap pens when the attempt Is made.
 Significant in its "open shop aspect is the relation of Ralph O. Wells, well known to organized labor as the attor- ney for the Manufacturers association, to the project He is the attorney for the Hartford Home Building associa- ton and was one of the most active in securing stock subscriptions. The attl- tide of the project toward organized labor from the start may be determined from this fact.
 The association was formed to meet the scarcity of housing accommodations in Hartford and 1t was proposed to build homes which could be bought at a reasonable price by persons ln a posi- ton to make part payment down, though 1t has never been indicated that the percentage required for first pay ment would be within reach of the aver age wage earner. The projct involved an estimated outlay of about $2,OO0,00O.
 No dehnite price contract was made with the T. C. Desmond company which has been building houses on the Zion street, Atwood street and West Hart ford tracts, because of the disturbed conditions in building" and the dis turbed conditions" which were encoun- tered in finding non-union men to work on the job, to quote the labor men who have been watching the experiment put the kibosh on the proposition i'll its early infancy"
 The paid in capital of the associa-
 ed b boSd d sooo6o ss ota5 of autGz which $7OO,oOO has been sold. There is at present total of $250,000 worth of raw materials not as yet used by the build CTS.
 The outcome of the present situa- ton will be watched with interest by organized labor i'll Connecticut particu- lar1y and the prediction is freely made that if the association sticks to its strictly "open shop" policy 1t will have a hard row before 1t.