Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-03
>'!y Y DING STRIKES
DOIif: OIi:s;; Ss, RALLY To
LABOR QUARRELs
Department Official Says 95
Per Cent of Trouble Occurs
Over Which Union Shall
Handle Job.
tsy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL ltAsrD wtsr

lay MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEAsEp WREl
New York, Jan. 2--Ninety- five per
cent of the strikes and Is per cent OF
the days of idleness in the building
trades in the past have occurred
through what is known as SNOWFALL
ing" or controversies between wage
earners themselves as to which trade
should do the work, SAYS Franklin T.
Miller, president of the f. w. Dodge
company and formerly director Of the
division of public works and construc-
tion of the United States department
of labor. Only 8 per cent, he de-
cared, have been on questions be-
tween employer and employe.
Mr.. Miller, who has been in touch
with the construction industry in this
country for twenty-five years, cited
the case of big Chicago hotel costing
millions, the work on which had been
delayed, he said, more than year be-
cause of a disagreement between
skilled workers as to who should ham
die certain doors because of the pre-
ponderance of metal over wood. This
he said was an inevitable conse-
quence of the rapid development of
the industry. Analysing the situation
and the building outlook for 1920 Mr.,
Miller said:
Way To Avert Trouble.
THE creation of a board OF juris-
dlctional award by the United States
department of labor, board COM
posed of architects, engineers, con-
tractors, material men and wage
earners, promises a solution of one
OF the most difficult labor problems
in the building industry. AS a result
of it decreased cost of construction
may be expected. The board of inr-
isdictional award has been formulated
with the fun approval OF all interests
concerned, who seem to have entered
into 1t without reservation.
The labor outlook in the building
industry thus promises a condition of
greater stability during the coming
year because OF the organized dealings
between employers and employees,
with fun recognition of the term con
tract and arbitration principles.
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, 1918, 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.
Settled by Compromise.
This strike was settled by COM
promise early in March, 1919, but in
the meantime it threatened a sympa.
thetic nationwide strike OF the build
ing trades and held up construction,
not only in New York but made It un-
certain throughout 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 conditions have
improved but there would ndt be
complete harmony in the building in
dustry, he indicated, until the federal
board of jurisdictional award began to
function.
From April, 1919, to last July. the
war department, through Colonel
Arthur Woods as special assistant TO
the secretary of war, engaged in the
active promotion of public works in
order to provide jobs for returning
soldiers" concluded Mr. Miller
"Then 1t appeared that there would
not be sufficient labor, materials and
capital for the necessary new con-
struction of the country. The promo
ton of non productive public works
was abandoned The federal reserve
board, early in December. 1919, an.
nounced its purpose of postponing
the erection of its contemplated bank
ing institutions. These are among
the factors in the present situation"