The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-27
CRITICAL PERIOD
IN CONSTRUCTION
REACHED IN CITY

Although building operations now IN
der W8E Do Memphis arr more eNten-
6ive than Tor Years AT this season, men
IN touch with conditions tn the building
trade believe that instead OF an in
crease there MAY he a slowing up In
construction duE!aR the summer This
wHl o. due TO the high cost bf building
materials and demands OF organized
labor crafts In the building tradts Tor
advances in wages.
Several large building projects con
templated have been temporarily ahan~
doned including one proposed office
building and one or more large apart
mat houses The construction now
under way Is proN8nE work for all
lahorers. but comparatively few resi-
dences are being built In spite OF de-
mand for homes. That demand con
Times although during 1919 building
permits were issued for 2S3 brick or
frame residences, - stores with apart
ments IN connection. and four apart
ment buildings, These residences ana
apartments added nearly 5000 rooms TO
the former supply. Vet the demand Tor
rooms and homes seems as heavy as
ever,
Il is net a;ono the demands for in
creased wages OF from 25 70 90 per
cent that are being considered by the
contractors as well as the public but
the working conditions asked for IN
many Of the contracts which the en-
pl0yers feel they cannot possibly grant
II was demands as to working Condl-
tons last year that caused ,ht dis
agreement between the Builders EN-
change and the carpenters, resulting IN
the firms which We're members Of the
exchange refusing to deal with the car
penters' unions
III the plans for the operation of the
Industrial relations division OF the
Chamber Of Commerce are carried out,
that body may be able TO reconcile all
such differences. as Il " proposed ~
include in the membership not only rep
resentatives Of the public, whose rights
are frequently lost sight ot in labor
disputes, but representatives Of organ
iged labor. as well as of the employers.
Speaking OF present conditions, not
only in Memphis, but throughout the
country, one man who has given the
question much thought, said Saturday
that the greatest obstacle to a better
understanding between employers and
the labor unions Ii, in his opinion, the
tendency 10 shorten the hours Of labor
and decrease production.
THAT is un- American, he said,
"and is really against the interests of
the unions, American ideals put pre-
mlum on efficiency. but that policy, II
carried out. would result hi bringing all
I 4sh0A h10Al W NtAN tEAtA VI lAtAAtAlAAa
Business men familiar with general
conditions believe that the highest
price levels have been reached and
that the tendency of most commodity
prices will hereafter be downward. and
that therefore the need OF higher wages
In the building trades or in other lines,
will not be felt much longer, and that
contractors therefore should hesitate In
granting increased wages, which would
possibly result In owners OF property
giving up all building plans for the
present.
Firms connected with the great in
suFance companies which lend millions
Of dollars on building improvements,
have been notified recently that money
will not be loaned on present inflated
values on the former basis, but that
loans will only be made on the basis
of former investment or building val
nations, That alone viii do much to
curtail some classes Of building opera.
tions which depend for financing upon
such loans.