Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-16
REINFORCEMENT.

"A banker was telling the Freeman
Journal a few days ago of resident of
Webster City who had been expecting
to build home this spring. He had
the plans drawn and submitted to a
contractor. 1t was not to be large
house and the prospective builder
| thought the cost would not exceed 81,
800. But the contractor submitted a
IBID of about $500. That man imma-
diately postponed building operations
for the year, and he did right if h.
can get along without a new house. The
only thing that will stop the advance
in the price of material and labor is a
diminished demand. Why. year or so
ago good hardwood flooring could be
secured in Webster City at $50 ler
thousand feet. Today it is selling at
5000 to 1925, and is hard to get at those
prices. Other building material has IN
creased enormously and the only way
to stop the advance is to use less Of the
stuff. SO long as people will pay the
price and take large quantities thee
will be no relief. About the only things
that show Il tendency downward in
prices are the products of the farm.
trolled by trusts and combinations. The
products of the farm are sold in the
open market for what they will bring,
just as products of all kinds should .)a
man who is an extensive employer
of labor said to the writer the other
day that it was not the high price Of
labor that was hurting most. 1t was
the disposition of quite proportion Of
worklnen to soldier on the job" They
would not only not render the best SER
vice of which they are capabale, but
would not work steadily as they used
to, insisting upon taking lay-offs when
ever they felt like it, thus disarrang-
ing his calculations and adding to
prices he must charge for the products
OF that labor. And the worst part of
the whole business is that the work
man who doesn't try to earn his wages
gets the same pay as the workman who
renders full value. As strange as it
may appear. the faithful and cOmpc-
tent man will consent to less pay than
he is really worth in order to stand
by the shirks.'
Some will say that it is injuring the
growth and prosperity of Webster City
to advocate the postponement of build
ing operations and the practice of econ
omy in other directions. 1t might mo-
mentarily operate that way, but unless
the people Of Webster City and every
other town and city. as well us the far
mers, get along with the minimum con-
in all directions. the indus
trial structure will get so top-heavy
that there will be crash one of these
days that will bring serious distress
to the entire country. 1t is far better
to proceed little more cautiously now
than to invite Il financial tie-up that will
be far reaching in its effects and usher
in period Of liquidation that will
Strew the way with business wrecks,
closing factories, throwing men out of
and ushering in a period
Of hard times like those, experienced
from 1893 to 1897. Economy and in
iustTy are the remedies. Why not
apply them before it is too late?
a gentleman who is building resi-
fence on Boone street told the Free
recently that he had just
received some finishing material for
his house that was ordered last July, |
1 delay of seven months. He also told
'f the experience of another man who
S building and who must move into his |
lew house March first. although some
'f his mill work has not yet arrived
md he has received word that it cannot |
ne shipped until April. If there is to
De any relief from this situation, it
must come through decreased demands, |
Us it is simply impossible for the sup
by houses to secure supplies on ac-
'ount Of the inability of the manufac-
urers to get men to do the work need
ii.
Human rynerinncn like tho stern