New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-17
Building Will
Be UnderFull
Swing Soon
Harmony at Last Reached
Between Employers and
Employees Gives Con-
struction Bright Outlook
Great Demand for Brick
Price for Material May ADJ
vance; Railroad Freight
Charges on Cement Up

Flnal adjustments are expected to be
completed tomorrow when the long
expected peace in the building trades
VIII be consummated, according to the
Dow Service Daily Building Reports"
AS the week opens there is almost
complete harmony in the entire build
ing trades as far as any differences
between employers and employees are
concerned. There is demand for
additional help far beyond the supply,
and efforts are being made to bring
pack to this city laborers who formerly
were employed here but during the
long negotiations regarding wage rates
ana labor conditions removed to other
parts OF the country, where they OBJ
tanned ready employment.
Men Return to Work
The last adjustments to be made in
clude the rock drillers, tool sharpeners.
rock men, foundation excavators and
the steam shovel engineers. There was
sllght disturbance among the carpen-
tiers and store fixture workers. hut if
seems that about 70 per cent of
the men have returned to the affilia-
lions under the control of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. This con-
ditlon, which few weeks ago did not
seem TO be a possible realization for
some time, coupled with the slight re-
llel IN the supply of building materials,
gives the building trades assurance
that things are definitely and actually
on the way toward marked improve,
ment
>, ferhaps the strongest evidence that
1t Is not surface indication but one
OF actually lies in the fact that adj
Justments have already been made on
three of the six jobs struck in protest
against the policies of the Iron League
Erectors' Association, and these have
been manned and are now going ahead.
There seem to be possibilities of an
early adjustment in the others.
Railroad freight charges have been
aoVanced III cents on Portland cement.
The result is that possibly there will
De ~ cent advance noted in the Off
claI price reports coming out into the
trade next week, although the quota
tions to-day still remain at the new
quotation Of $3.50 barrel. 1t was ap-
parent at the week end that all cement
companies would follow this advance.
Prices on asphaltum show a change
this week in all cases upward.
Brick Cost May Advance
Hudson River common brick closed
the week exceptionally strong at $50 a
thousand. with the usual extra charges
TOR haulage, handling and IS per cent
for delivery. There is q possibility
that the price of this commodity will
be advanced before the first of June.
owing to the fact that strike conditions
here and extra costs of towaee and
handling have upset the manufacturers
schedule for this year.
1t may now be definitely stated that
the tide has turned in favor of gem
eral resumption of building work. The
architects and engineers seem to have
sensed this change last week, because
many building projects which have
been scheduled for indefinite abandon
ment have come to life. In addition.
many Of the contractors who heretofore
nave refused to make estimates en-
Dulldlng work are again submitting fir.
ures. This is because they can place
more dependency upon the supply and
fidelity of labor.
Railroad companies stated on Satur-
day that 1t was still indefinite when the
results of the late strike will be en-
tlreiy removed, although transportation
and traffic managers stated toward the
week end that they are beginning to
ease up on some Of the embargoes.
Some even went so far as to promise
conditions at least approximately nor
nal by June l, although the larger
companies say it may be July before
the full capacity of the rails can be
utilized