El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-09-25
EMPLOYERS, ORGANIZING, HELP To-
AND PROMOTE INDUSTRY

IL PASo building contractors who have formed an asso-
Il citation locally DO wish to have IT understood that
this Is open shop closed shop movement. General
and special contractors the building trades VIII be eligible
membership whether their shops union nonuHion
open OF closed
The spirit underlying the new association has been ex-
pressed thus: that the building contractors must regard
themselves as agents Of the owners that is Of investors
and home builders and that they must way stand be-
tween these people who put up the money for construc-
ton the hand, and the material men and wage
workers on the Other hand
is necessary maintain some sort Of balance between
the prices Of labor material and the public necessities
community. When labor and material advance in cost
beyond certain point the returns building investments
become too meager to attract investors, and persons VIII
submit to great inconvenience rather than build for them
selves at ezorbtant costs.
For time, labor may keep employed and material men
nay keep up their trade even under conditions uuayOrabe
10 the general public but the reaction certain and when
It comes wage workers the first to lose Material men
VIII feel It too, and the contractors
Material prices within the control Of the local dis
tbutors to limited extent only These mems schedules
depend on the general market the country and
freight rates which outside their jurisdiction. The
prices they quote to customers affected by their general
efficiency in conducting business, and the well managed
business can quote closer prices than the poorly managed
one and yet make profit Competition insures that the
actual profit shah be limited and that the public shall get
service.
The contractors must depend more OF less On the gen
eral state Of the credit market They cannot afford to take
notes payment from building customers unless they
market the notes They must have the ability 20 borrow
nave some assurance Of stability IN labor and material costs
before they bid iutellgently on new work.
It is TO the contractors interest quote the intending
building investor price low possible merely to
business for himself but to promote the general IN
terest N keeping up strong building program. When
lot Of wodbs builders of homes business blocks meet
with disappointment in prices bid for handling their jobs
there comes about disposition to wait to hold off OF
ABANDON plans, and partial stsgua0u follows In which
everybody is loser.
Tie wage worker to greater extent than any other
element IN the building construction business controls his
action to the price he shall charge for that which
he has TO sell He has competition to face theoretically at
least but IN community where progress continuous and
work plentiful the element Of real competition not
important IN the organized building trades There is mini
nun wage which he is justified in requiring and this Is
1Ie winch represents the value Of his work compared
with other forms Of labor, manual and intellectual taking
into consideration the time required prepare oneself the
cost Of preparation which may be called the capital invest
meut OF the worker the decree Of skin required and the
responsibility carried.
There is such thing as reasonable wage IN any
line Of work and when demands Of workers become IN
reasonable they nay properly be resisted only BIZ en-
pl0ysrs but BY the general public which finally pays In
the building trades there is disposition the part Of
any epyecoatractorl OF On the part Of the general
public to force wages below the reasonable line But Z
wage workers themselves do not hold their demands within
reasonable bounds, they must expect to face organized
1t not strange in view Of the tghtness Of money and
the strain On the banks under present abnormal conditions
that the banks SHOULD have declined to finance new build
ngs II repeated and frequent demands Of wage workers N
certain lines passed the reasonable a II nav a said
Dy some that It Is no business Of the banks OF Of building
contractors where prices 60 70, If the public st shows
willingness to carry the increased burden But this is
shortsighted view to take
At tine Fl Paso had begun to show signs Of being
N vicious crsn Of wage increases such as is cursng
England today and causing great distress loss and dis
turbance- In England advance In wages in any trade
whether BY governmental decree trade arrangement Is
llsol4ley IoAoNed oy demands On the part OF other
trades n no way comparable The tendency is thus always
Upward out Of al regard for justice and reasouableness
and ny throwing al business adjustments out Of balance
and fE- 80
dscontenL Even the workers receiving money increases
receive no benefit because their own fellow workers are