The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1920-01-04
GIVES ANALYSIS OF
STRIKE CAUSES in
BUILDING TRADES
Figures Show Ninety-Five Per Cent
of Strikes Result From Disagree
ments Among Men
Themselves

New York, January 9.-Ninety-fiye
per cent of the strikes and Is per cent
of the days of idleness in the build
ing trades in the past have occurred
through what is known as Snowflake
ing' or controversies between wage
earners themselves as to which trade
should do the work, says Franklin Il.
Miller, president of the F. w. Dodge
company and formerly director OF the
division of public works and construc-
ton of the United States Department
OF Labor Only per cent, he declares.
have been on questions between en-
ploydr and employe.
Mr.. Miller, who has been In touch
with the construction industry in this
country for 25 years, cited the ease OF
a big Chicago hotel costing millions,
the work on which has been delayed,
he said, more than year, because OF
disagreement between, skilled work
ers as. to who should handle certain
doors because of the preponderance of
metal over wood. This. he said, was
an inevitable consequence of the rapid
development of the industry. Analyz-
ing the situation and the building out
look for 1920, Mr.. Miller said: s9
THE creation Of a board Of jurisdic-
tional award by the United States De-
pa rtment of Labor board composed
of architects, engineers, contractors,
jses a solution of one of the most DIFF
ficult labor problems in the building
Industry AS a result of it decreased
cost of construction may be expected.
The board Of jurisdfctional award has
been formulated with the full APP
prevail of all interests concerned. VINO
seem to have entered into 1t without
reservation.
THE labor outlook in the building
Industry thus promises condition or
greater stability during the coming
| year because of the organized oeai-
ings between employers and employees.
with full recognition of the term con-
/ tract and arbitration principles.
| The first serious labor troubles In
| the building industry" said Mr. Miner,
| in reviewing the national construction
shortage. Occurred in the, latter part
| Of October, 1918, through a strike OF
| carpenters on government work IN
4 Brooklyn in violation OF the BAKER
Gompers agreement. pact, between
the War Department and the American
Federation of Labor. This strike was
/ settled by compromise early IN
| March, 1919 but in the meantime II
| threatened a sympathetic nationwide
1 strike OF the building trades and heit
Up construction. not only in New York
| but made 1t uncertain throughout the
! land Other labor troubles sprang UP
| throughout the country notably III
Chicago, where the> whole building
.rade was tied up from July to Sep
tenn Der, 1919" Since then conditions
nave improved but there would not be
complete harmony in the building in
.lustry, he indicated. until the federal
o-ra # jurisdictional award began to
function.
rronl April. 1919. to last July. ths
War Department. through Col. Arthur
Woods. as special assistant to the Sec
lretary OF. War engaged in the active
promotion. of public wor'ss in order =
provide jobs for returning soldiers
concluded Mr.. Miller Then 1t ap
peared that there would not be .suffi
eient Tabor materials and capital foi
he necessary new construction of th'
'ountry. The promotion of non-pro
luctiy1 public works was abandoned
rhe federal reserve board. early in De
ember 1919. announced its purpos'
| f pQstponing the erection of its con
mplated banking institutions. Thes
IRE among the factors in the presen
situation"