New-York tribune., 1920-03-01
Construction
Interests i'm
Favor of Peace
Strongly Against Anything
That Threatens to Inter-
fere i'm Active Building
Operations This Spring
Adjustment Is N ca r
Believed That Strike of Steel
Workers Will Be Speed
lily Brought to an End

oe IN process OF reduction to mere
floating vapors, according to "The Dow
Service Daily Building Reports"
The most menacing of these adverse
conditions, the labor situation, with
special reference to the bricklayers and
the men employed on structural steel
operations, has been modified. accord
ing to statements made by officials of
both the Building Trades Employers
Association and of the Building Trades
Council, representing 115,000 workers
IN the New York building industry;
to point at least where the horizon
is in view with the prospect immedi-
ately beyond it of the beginning &C one
of the greatest building construction
eras that .his part of the country ever
has experienced.
Steel Workers Walk Out
During the Week just closed the
Building Trades Ceuncll called a walk
out of all union structural steel work
ers employed or STEEL co, truction op~
cratlons where non-unlou men were
lnpioycd under the auspices Of one
branch Of the membership of the Build
ing Trades Employers Association,
which was not siGnatory to the recent
agreement entered into by the building
trades artisans, whereby it was ex-
pected that all departments Of the New
York building industry would bring
about a workable state Of stabilization
Of building trades wages for at least
one year and possibly two.
Ihls action, it was explained. was
taken to bring to a quick adjustment
practically She last remaining rift in
an otherwise placid building outlook
as far as labor was concerned. But
almost Immediately reports developed
to the effect that the United States
Steel Corporation had indicated its
support to the steel erectors and that
II the union men withdrew from Jobs
where non-union men were employed
the fight would proceed to finish,
even to the extent of the total with
drawal Of structural steel supply in
this market
Bat at this point anottp. element
interposed. Ghe Hudson Nivy~ brick
manufacturers have been strainng
every facility to meet the anprece-
dented demand for common ick this
summer to the end that the housing
shortage may be relieved as speedily as
possible. When the rumors Of re-
taliatory measures on the part OF the
industry supplying structural steel to
I this market reached leading brick man
ufacturers decided damper was
placed upon the enthusiastic effort 70
meet the potential demand for brick
One leading brick manufacturer said
most decidedly that if anything like
that occurred it would so narrow the
market for Hudson River clay products
that 1t would not pay the manufacture
ers to continue producing brick in the
quantity now proposed.
Have No Fear of Setback
Investigation, however, quichly es-
tablishcd that prospective builders
have no cause to fear general set
back to the spring building program
from either source. Officials of the
international Brlcklayers' Union were
due in this city over the week end
for the express purpose Of clearing up
the differences existing between the
bricklayers' locals and the employers.
The utmost confidence was expressed
at the close of the week by those
close to the question that the building
sit"ation is too acute in the matter OF
supply and demand TO warrant eX-
pectations Of a general labor disturb
ance over single issue of this sort.
especially since almost every trade in
the conference has already become
slgnatory to the wage agreement and
current stabiization plan.
The general view as expressed b.
leading construction interests in the
last few days is decidedly in favor
Of industrial peace. Anything thar
threatens, the further postponement of
the 1920-'2l building program is met
at once with vehement voice of pro-
test, at least as long as the present
OF the problem continues to be mani
tested. Building material manufac-
turers say that any protracted battle
between employers and employees
will force prices to levels vastly
higher than those now ruling, in the
late summer and autumn, when the
greatest distress resulting from gen
era rentable space shortage viii sure
~ be experienced. Every broad
gauge distributor is trying to prevent
prices from rising above the present
plateau.
In fact, the general building con-
struction situation is in immediate
danger of passing beyond the province
OF the individual builder. Unless the
steady and increasing flow of builI-
ing materials into this market can be
encouraged, at least by Industrial
harmony, the solution of the general
housing shortage will rest entirely
upon the group plan of home buildinr
> >.Sil eS dlIe&Uy Is uNQer way DIT w MT
Plains, Wiikes-B Barre, Pa. an,.
Grand Rapids, Mich, where the pres
ent residents of those cities are sub
scribing to vast community home
building programs, where hundreds OF
homes can be erected under corporate
management, thereby purchasing sup
plies in vast quantities.
Building material supply under
present production programs is men
aced now almost solely by car short
age. One company put in a requiei-
ton for LOGO cars and only four cars
were provided to meet the order. In
January it ordered approximately 500
care to move material to this market
to relieve a shortage and only l2S
cars were sent in. This condition is
having a straininC effect upon ef-
forts now being made to keep pr.ccs
at present rang, but the appearance
is being noted OF railroad freight
solicitors who are giving assurance q
change in the freight car supply,
improving as the weather moderates,
SO that, on the whole, the spring
building movement seems to give evil
dence of an early start and generous
development--if industrial peace is
maintained.
Home Buying III Westchester
Fish & Marvin have sold for Mrs
I f'jiz Tcabr bnr