Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-02
MASTER BUILDERS
OFFER COMP PR0M|SE
Make Proposition to Pay Union
Carpenters 81 an Hour,
Effective May l.

Whether or not the master builders
and the union carpenters are gong to
come to an agreement on the wage ques-
tion for the season viii be determined at
a meeting of Local No. 626, Brotherhood
OF Carpenters and Joiners of America,
which win be held Wednesday night.
At this meeting there viii be submitted
to the carpenters a proposition that was
discussed and agreed on at a meeting last
night of the Master Builders Associa-
tion, held at the offices of the Snyth Con-
struction Company, $40 Orange street.
The Master Builders reached an agree
ment TO meet the carpenters half way in
their demands as to wages for the com
ing season, proposing a standard wage of
81 per hour, which they claim is an IN
crease Of 25 per cent over the present
scale. The carpenters have made a de
mand for wage of 81 .25 per hour.
In the Master Builders Association
are represented about fifty contractors
and builders who are on the carpenters
''fair" list. In Local No. 626 there about
] 500 carpenters, about 500 of whom are
employed by the master builders.
Nothing could be learned today as to
the probable attitude of Local No, 626
on the proposition Of the Master Builders.
Without doubt it will come in for some
very animated discussion. On the de-
cision TO accept it or reject it hangs the
fate OF building operations IN this city
during the coming season, to a certain ex-
tent. as a refusal 10 meet the terms of the
Master Builders might cause a general
tie-up of operations now going on and in
prospect in the near future. In the natural
course of events, the coming Of spring
should see big revival IN building opera
tions and great activity.
The special committee appointed by
the Master Builders Association TO
make an investigation and report on the
matter, submitted a report last night.
recommending the offer Of 81 an hour,
as stated. in arriving at the decision In
the matter, the committee reported that
IT had taken into consideration the In
creased cost of living.
The report SAYS that the building
industry is in a yerv critical condition
on account Of the fact that building has
decreased because of the high costs of
material and labor, and that as much
building work is not being offered to the
trade as formerly. 1t comments on con-
tinuing demands for wage increases SIS q
vicious circle which can never terminate
until it breaks by its own tension
1t is also claimed bv the report of the
Master Builders that there is a condition
existing in this city at the present time
which causes an entirely erroneous and
misleading conception on the part Of the
mechanics in the building trade--there
are about half a dozen large Jobs in the
city, the importance of which to the pres
perity of the community is grossly exag-
gerated The few large operations have
never spelt prosperity for the city; il is
rather the large number and continuous
volume of small jobs that make for the
real prosperity of the community
The present scale in Wilmington is 80
cents an hour and the demand for 81 25
was made By the carpenters in January,
to become effective MAY 1, the beginning
Of the new wage year The scale here is
the same as in Philadelphia, Chester
Baltimore and other cities in this section
it is stated. and II is said that tho unions
in all of those places have asked an in
crease to S1.25, effective May /