The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-01-03
PETTY CONTROVERSIES
CAUSED THE TROUBLE
Outlook for Labor IN the Building
Trades is Better for the
Coming Year
ASSOCIATED Press )

New York. Jan. 2.-Ninety-five per
cent of the strikes and rs per cent of
the days OF idleness in the building
tcades in the past have occurred thru
was is known, as "snowballing" or
controversies between wage earners
themselves as to which trade should
do the work, says Franklin T. Miller,
president of the F. w. Dodge Com
pany and formerly director of the di-
vision of public works and construc-
tion of the United States department
of labor. Only FIVE FER cent, he de-
clared, have been on questions be-
tween employer and employee.
Mr.. Miller. who has been in touch
with the construction industry in this
country fer % years. cited the case of
a big Chicago hotel costing millions,
the work or which had heen delayed,
he said. more than a year because of
o, disc greement between skilled work
ers as to who should handle certain
doors becauCe of the preponderance of
metal over wood. This he said was
an inevitable consequence of the rapid
development of the industry. Analyz-
Ii% IilS SICIdtIcA anu ING DuIIuuIS
outlook for 1920. Mr.. Miller said:
"The creation of a board of juris-
Giction award by the United States
department of labor, a board compos-
ed of architects. engineers, contrac-
tors, material men and wage earners,
promises a solution of one of the mots
difficult labor problems in the build
ing industry. AS a result of it de-
creased cost of construction may be
expected. The board of jurisdictional
award has been formulated with the
full approval of all interests concern
ed, who seem to have entered into it
without reservation.
"The labor outlook in the building
industry thus promises condition of
greater stability during the coming
year because of the organized deal
ings between employers and en-
ployees, with full recognition Of the
term contract and arbitration prin-
ciples.
"The first serious labor troubles in
the building industry" said Mr.. Mil
Ter. in reviewing the national con-
struction shortage. occurred in the
latter part of October 1913, through
a strike of carpenters on government
work in Brooklyn in violation of the
Baker-Gompers agreement, pact
between the war department and the
American Federation of Labor. This
strike was settled by a compromise
time it threatened sympathetic ma
tion-wide strike of the building trades
and held up construction, not only in
New York but made it uncertain thru
out the land Other labor troubles
sprang UP throughout the country,
notably in Chicago. where the whole
building trade was tied up from July
to September, 1919" Since then con-
ditions have improved but there would
not be complete harmony in the build
ing industry he indicated until the
federal board of jurisdictional award
began to function.
"From April 1919, to last July, the
war department, through Col. Arthur
Woods as special assistant to the Sec
rotary of war. engaged IN the active
promotion Of public works in order
10 provide jobs for returning sol
diers," concluded Mr.. Miller. "Then
| it appeared that there would not be
Sufficient labor. materials and capital
for the necessary new construction of
TIE country. The promotion of non
productive public works was abandon
! ed. The federal reserve board, early
| III December, 1919. announced its
purpose of postponing the erection of
| its contemplated banking institutions
These are among the factors in the
present situation"