The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-03-05
to undertake the work.

W uiluGGLdhC LiiS "Olhs
Here are some interesting figures in
connection with this stupendous war
wodk. The area of operation was l.
900 acres; over 10000 men were car
ried on the pay roll. In round figures
it took $4,000 cars to deliver material
at the site, averaging during the busy
period 300 cars per day, which, cal
culated ON ten-hour day, meant that
car was received and unloaded ev-
cry two minutes
The work included the laying of rs
miles of standard and narrow-gage
railroad track; in addition, 1873 miles
of sewer and water-piping, $4,000
cubic yards of concrete, 100000
bricks, 108,000,000 board feet of lum-
Der, boiler plant rated at $4,000
horsepower, but designed for 100 per
cent overload, and the installation of
water system to handle 90,000,000
gallons day.
Mr.. Horowitz is optimistic as to the
outlook in his line of work for 1920.
We read further:
Asked about the prospects for the
money supply for building operations,
| he said. at is a noteworthy fact thai
one of the largest lenders has recently
come into the market for mortgage
loans, and believe this bank will be
followed by others. This in spite Of
the fact that insurance companies
and savings banks have been practic-
ally cut CT the market for mortgage
loans, due chiefly to their using up
their funds in buying the various Lib
erty Loans. Individual investors will
not be slow to follow this banks ex-
ample,
"F.gure it out for yourself. Mort
cages paying per cent interest can
not successfully compete, from the
standpoint of income yield, with other
securities on the market, some OF
which have tax-exemption features. l
am advised a bill was recently intro
duced in the House providing for the
exemption from the operation of the
income tax law of mortgages up to the
amount of $4,000 held by any one in
weston. Such legislation, in my opin-
ion, is highly desirable, as it would
help overcome the grave money short
age.
"High prices" he continued, are
caused by lower production and taxes,
Taxes will take care Of themselves
now that war expenditures have de-
creased, and prices can be reduced
without reducing wages, if those who
work for wages will give fair days
labor in return. In the building in
dustry, for instance, where costs of
work executed under existing wage
scales must run higher than they did
when wages were from so to 70 per
cent of what they are today, necessity
for paying present wages carries with
it the paramount need for increasing
the output of each man.
"The contrary, however, has proved
the rule. Bricklayers who are capable
of laying 1000 or more bricks per day
and who were laying 1900 to 1,50O
when they were earning $500 day
now that they are receiving from $500
to $40 day lay only 700 bricks.
"And this holds true in every other
industry. Things can not go on like
| this without smash-up some where
along the line, and earnestly urge la
Dor leaders to take up this question O
! Conscientious full days work for I
, full days pay.
, "The restriction, too, of immigra
ton, is having a serious effect on bus
mess generally, and, as you know, il
the building industry particularly. IT!
long while since I've seen an ltal
, ian laborer or an Irish hod-carrier
except in vaudeville.
"Ine country's supply of unskilleC
{ labor" Mr.. Horrowitz continued, I'll
largely drawn from immigrants, ant
therefore curtailment in this respec
seriously affects our supply and tend
to raise wages of such labor as il
, available"
asked this genuinely self-mad
, man for some word to the younge
| generation that would help it to sue
; coed in business.
"Don't worry about success" he re
, piled; 'it will come as surely as nigh
/ follows day, to quote Shakespeare, i
you attend to your own work con
] scientiously. Most young men jus
work sufficiently to earn money 81
they can play around. Play should b.
, an incident, not the aim of life"
How Thoreau would have appreciat
ed and what a glowing account h
, could have penned of this "maste
builder!" You remember Thorea,
tells how he awoke one night and wha
satisfaction it was to his soul to re
member that the day before he ha'
driven one nail straight. What woul,
he have said Of the huge Woodwork
, and Equitable buildings, or of the lit
tie man that gave them form litter
, airy Digest.
, PERTINENT POLITICAL PRATTLI