Evening journal., 1920-10-27
Chapter III
BY MARSHALL OLDS
Copyright 1920. New York Tribune Inc.

their dignity to move radiators from
the ground floor up 10 where hey
had 20 be installed. They demanded,
on threat Of strike, that somebody
else be hired to carry the radiators.
The employers yielded and hired ex-
ira labor TO do this. But The steam
filters soon found that with this
work done for them they could not
charge. so much time to given 1oD
SO they demanded, on threat OF strike
--and some OF them did strike-that
they be again allowed TO carry up
their own radiatorsl
As a result OF such continually in
creasing demands, not only for
high or wages and shorter hours. but
for all sorts OF special and expensive
concessions, always backed by. the
strike threat, costs OF buildings nave
gone up for a decade out OF all pro
portion TO normal costs, and rents
have continued 10 so up even faster,
both because OF these costs thefn-
selves and because OF the way they
have handicapped and decreased
building.
But entirely in addition to this,
cost OF building and. consequently,
the cost OF rents has gone up tremen-
dously since the war as a direct re-
suit OF strikes.
These strikes have been OF two
kinds: First, strikes in the building
field itself, % per cent. Of which have
nothing TO do with any controversy
between employer and labor, but have
been the results of fights between
unions; and econd, strikes that have
interfered with the production or
transportation OF building material
and raised It's costs by raising its
cost of production or by causing a
shortage which has, raised its price
through competition.
The first OF these types OF strikes
that because Of fights between
union and union, generally for. Juris-
dictlon over some particular class OF
work--wheh il is fought out to con-
wins, has exactly the same effect as
any other strike In holding up the
completion OF the building, increas-
ing the interest charge before any re-
turn can come from the building and
often causing serious depreciation or
unused or partly used material.
Jurisdiction fights between unions,
however, are more and more tending
to result In compromises which often
do far more toward increasing costs
OF building than the strikes them
selves. A new type OF heating regu-
lat0r, for example is put on the mar
ket and because OF its superior quail
lilies adopted in many buildings. II
consists Of a meter connected by
pipes and valves TO the furnace. I'm
mediately the plumbers union and
the steamfltters' union each claims II
should be erected by their workers
and each calls a strike to keep the
other out OF work until the other
gives in. If, as has been said, the
strike results in a victory for either
side, the owner Of the building only
suffers the ordinary losses OF an or
binary strike. But n there Is "a COM
promise reached, this compromise is
very frequently that the workers OF
each union shall do a part Of The job.
This means that the work which one
or two men could easily and quickly
| do by themselves must now be done
/ by twice that number OF men, each OF
whom has to wait for the others to
get through with their operation,
with the almost invariable result that
the installation COSTS at least twice
as much or more than II one man OF
group OF men were allowed TO &c
right through with it from the begin
ming.
-Four unions called strikes TO sec
who should set registers. Two union:
now control this one job. Plumber:
and steam filters must now work to-
gether In connecting a boiler which
leither could connect easily and much
more quickly alone.
Nineteen strikes out OF . every
twenty in the building trades al
over the country during the last yea
have been Of his kind and they con
stitute one OF the biggest reason:
why only half as much work is beini
done for twice as much money anC
lwhy the price OF building Is going M
so high that even the present higl
rents are not enough inducement fOl
the building Of enough new building
TO offer any hope Of rents being re
duced, at least, for years 20 come.
The second element in the higf
cost OF rent today for which strike.
are chiefly responsible, is in the higl
cost OF material.
our steel capacity in 1918 was 80.
100000 tons. In 1919 the steel com
panies had orders for 100000 tom
which they were bending every effor
10 MI. But the steel strike cut on
actual production last year to $1,000,
1000 ions.
Such a sh ortage as this. due TO IN,
steel strike, has a far more serious
effect on building operations and thi
cost OF building than the figure!
themselves indicate. The great ma
liOrity OF our steel Is bought by biz
land consistent users OF steel like tn
railroads or the American Bridg
Company. or other manufacturing
plants. Such users are always in tn
market and so In a specially favor
able position TO get as much, or al
lmost as much, steel as they require