Omaha daily bee., 1920-11-29
The Bees Platform
THE BRIcKLAYER A SYMBOL"

One OF the well reasoned editorials lately
appearing i'll our interesting contemporary, the
World-Herald dealt with the brcklayer as a
symbol. Teaching by symbols is as unsatis-
factory at times as is trying to impart informa-
lion by parallels; folks are prone to interpret
the symbols for themselves, and frequently ar
rive at conclusion some distance from the
truth aimed at This has proved to be the case
i'll this instance Not few have completely
missed the lesson contained in the preachment
The Bee has letter from a contractor who
is familiar with the processes. and who sets out
IN detail the various steps by which the cost
of 1000 brick in the wall has risen from $l4
in 1909 to $4505 in 1920, or 22l per cent ad-
vance, this covering material and labor cost
alone. Bricklayer's pay has advanced from SIS
= cents to Sl,25 all hour and his daily stint has
dropped from 1000 to 600 brick laid. Helpers
pay has jumped from SO to Is cents an hour;
the price of brick has gone up from 81 to $40
per thousand; the sand used from $l.80 to $375
and the cement from $3.50 to $3.50, a general
increase of ia per cent i'll the cost OF material
against ~ for the bricklayer and $50 for the
helper. The material difference is that the
money paid for labor now only buys half as
many brick in the wall as it did in 1909, showing
net increase in labor cost of $40 per cent
In this the bricklayer is symbol and
potent one.
He is symbolic of the inversion of economic
laws by which Americans have sought to get
rich by the singular process of producing as
little as possible and asking for it an exhorbitant
price, Not the bricklayer alone is an offender
in this regard nor labor, but capital as we'll
has shared in the prevalent folly. Presently
there must be settlement day.
Investigations OF conditions in New York
by the Lockwood coiiTnittee have disclosed not
only the miserable graft carried on by Brindell
and acquiesced in by contractors, but also that
a nationwide combine exists to control price
of building material. Something similar may
be suspected with regard to other commodities,
the alternative being that Americans show re-
markable unanimity in deciding on the selling
price of the same article in widely separated
localities. When prices were going up, we were
told it was on account OF the cost of raw ma
terals. Wheat, corn hogs, cattle, sugar, all
have come down, but bread, meat, candy and
all stay at the same old peak price.
The symbolism of the brcklayer is that
Americans will not make any real headway by
passing the bucks Too many are trying to
live we'll and do nothing. Ii the brickayer
will resume his practice of 1000 brick laid in
the wall in a day instead of 1000; if the 135
days work in yeay now given to 500O00 coal
miners is increased to 270 days for 250Ouo aid
the others are released to be employed i'll some
Occupation where labor is scarce, and similar
rcadjustments are made all down the line the
step towards solution of the problem will be
notable. Cutting unit output increases unit cost.
and does not add to the wealth or happiness OF
The nation. The sooner labor and capital alike
abandon the inversion Of economic laws now
being practiced so generally, the sooner will we
get back TO the normalcy sought by ALL The
brcklayer is a symbol, but not of what so many.
appear to regard him as representing