Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-20
PUBLIC WORKS HURT /
BY LABOR SCARCITY
Street Paving, Sewer Construc-
ton, and incidentally, Build
ing of Houses.

The difficulty in obtaining common
labor Mt the wage the city departments are
willing and able to pay Is the cause oil
delay in the beginning oi great many
projects in the public works OF the city.
This fact was emphasized at The meeting
this morning of the Board of Directors
of the Street and Sewer Department,
when appeals were made for street paving
and sewer construction that had hereto
fore been approved by the board.
There are many streets to be paved
that have already received the approval
of the department, and many sewers to
bc constructed. But labor cannot he
obtained at the price the department is
willing TO -45 cents an hour.
Some of the men who were before the
board this morning mentioned the Tact
that private contractors were able To get
labor to carry out their contracts IN build
inp. but il was also brought out that the
price they are paying ranges all the way
from 50 to 65 cents an hour. In figuring
on the cost of project, contractors make
allowance for the probability of having to
pav such prices for labor, and If they cant
get il mt As cents an hour, they will run
their offer up high enough to get It. The
city cannot do that All the city depart
ments are paying the same rate 10 cents
an hour and department officials do not
see how that figure can he raised, although
they are not able to get laborers Mt that
wage If one department raises the rate
per hour. all will have to follow suit, an
this. IL is said. would only result IN forcing
private contractors To raise their hlds-s so
that in the end the city would be no better
off than II is now.
Not only are the public works Of the
city suffering for the lack of labor, but
the delay caused hy this lack IS causlng
DELAY and difficulty also IN the erection OF
dwelling houses, now So badly needed m
the city Many sewer projects that have
| been approved bv the board are held mp
| on account Of the lack of labor, and IT y
! known in several cases that the failure to
| construct sewers has resulted III the ahan-
donment Of building projects or the post
ponement Of them,
Samuel II. Baynard was before the
| board this morning with reference to the
construction of sewer on Van Buren,
| street between Twenty and Twenty
second This sewer has been approved by
| the board, but MIR Baynard was told that
nothing could he done now on account ol
the labor situation II is probable that
an arrangement will be entered into he
| tween MIR. Bavnard and the board where
hy he and other parties will have the
sewer constructed and settle with the citN
| later.
The same conditions apply to sewei
project on West Fifth street, hetwecr
Shipley and Orange Leonard y. Wales
was before the board IN behalf Of ellen
who owns l02 West Fifth. This property
il served by private sewer which IL IN
adeuuate. and IT ls desired to divert 4 {,
ShIplcv street The board sad Il did nv
have the labor to do the work. and II j
probable that the proprietor Of the prop
crty will have II done, employing laho
AT IS cents an hour. and charge the ct'
for the labor ne the rate of - cents. pay
ing himself the difference Of 20 cents a
hour.
DR.. r. W. Ryon and Jacob Faber ar
peared before the hoard in the interest q
paving for King street, in the neighburhoo
of Eighth. and were told that nothn
could be done before next year on thl
project 1t viii he included IN the mex
bond issue
Petitions we're received for paving Della
ware avenue between Nnodlawn avCnu
and Bronson. and Delaware avenue uea
Bavard The petitions were received an
filed and will take the usual course.
A resolution was given first and sccon
reading giving the Traction Company th
right 10 make the necessary changes !
tracks incident 10 the closing Of Nasl
ingston street bridge and the diversion ,
the trolley cars now going over that brldg
to the Market street bridge.