Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-05-20
UNIONS OFFER
SOLUTION FOR
HOMEPROBLEM
British Builders Agree to Con-
struct 1000 Houses in
Record Time.
DEMOCRATIC DIRECTION

MANCHESTER, England, May 20
When the British government decided
after the armistice that it would have
to shoulder the responsibility Of erect
ing at least half a million houses to
meet the acute shortage of small houses
throughout the country. it was believed
the municipalities would be able to
carry through the necessary building
schemes for their respective localities.
After a years experience, this plan
was found to work too slowly, and the
government undertook to subsidize pri-
vate building.
1t is felt, however, that neither one
nor vet both of these schemes will be
+. able to overcome one of the chief him
ORANGES to speedy building-the appar-
emily limited supply of labor.
in this connection the novel and bold
proposals put forward in Manchester by
the builders themselves are arOusing
public interest and speculation-the
builders propose to eliminate the con-
tractor and become contractors them
selves.
A building guild committee has been
formed from the ranks of the trade
unionists, and has offered TO build 2000
houses for the corporation, and to build
them more quickly than private or public
enterprise could hope to do.
The committee processes to have a
monopoly of labor in the district, and
asserts that men working under con-
ditions arranged by themselves for them
selves and free from profteering, will
put a zeal and energy into their work
which is certain to make for efficiency
snd speed.
LABOR CAN BE
GUARANTEED.
Whether the corporation will be able
to accept this offer has not yet been de-
cided. as the guild committee is not
prepared to give the usual financial
guarantees, though they can guarantee
the necessary supply of labor in way
the ordinary contractor can not do.
The committee states that the power
of group to produce should supcrsede
bank credits based on the purchasing
power of gold.
This scheme Of the builders guild is
necessarily Of the nature of an expert
ment-an experiment which viii advance
TIE guild idea out OF. the realm of theO-
~ ard submit this idea 20 its first prs,
teal test.
The guild idea is founded on the belief
thai workers will do more and, better
werk in a Economically governed in
dustry than they will DO under any
system of individual or state control {;
no anxiety is entertained that discipline
VII break down; on the contrary. It IS
claimed that it will be TOTe willingly
submitted to than when CisAptine is
imposed from above.
DEMOCRATIC CONTROL
90 PREVAIL.
The building guild committee in ques-
tion is taking steps to secure the best
services and talent-manuaI and non
m4nual-but democratic control will
prevail from the chief director down
ward.
The terms of employment are not as
yet made known. but they have been
arranged 'on Just and generous" lines,
and are certain TO do away with one
FERROUS existing grievance-that the
builder does not work. and consequent
" is not paid, for hours. days or weeks
when it rains; contracts will be taken
upon a system Of cost-plus percentage
for net profit and overhead charges.
All trade unions of Manchester and
district connected with the building
trade have extended their hearty sup
port to the building guild committee.
Should the experiment at Manchester
prove a success, the example of the
building guild committee will be fol-
tDwed throughout the country.