New-York tribune., 1920-03-08
Business Space
Shortage Grows
More Serious
Many Concerns viii Soon
Be Forced to Move, With
Prospects of No Place
to Go in Manhattan
More Delay in Building
Long Fight Threatened by
Steel Construction Work
ers Against Open Shop

With the 1920 building construction
srosram for the metropolitan district
4 New York showing . gain Of sSs
=. cent over the total reported las,
,e.r 1t this time. reports Of extensive
l.ds disturbances are being variously
.eceived, according to "The Dow Service
bs.ly Building Reports" to-day.
The prospective builder is Of a mind
10 believe that if there is to be a six
months fght on the principle Of per-
uitting open shop conditions to rule
In steel construction jobs in this
= vicinity, the imm ediate effect will be
% pile up building material supplies
!. manufacturing plants and in dis
suilding material prices lower.
attitude Of the general building ma
srial producer that if there is to be a
enish fight on the closed shop condi.
ions here, thereby in the interim
sonstruction, they will immediately haly
heir plans for augmented building ma
serial production because Of unstable
demand. In such an event building
material prices now considered a. being
aigh will soar to absolutely prohibitive
levels, IS the probable output Of build
tng materials in this vicinity, even
,nder the best conditions that can
TOW be imagined. will be hardly
more than 40 per cent Of the rate Of
production reported in 1912.
Various sides Of the controversy re-
lating to the merits Of the contention
u the Iron League Erectors' Assocla-
ion and Of the Building Trades Coun-
Ill are each to be made public, state
nent giving the side of the steel erec-
sors having been prepared by Walter
Drew, counsel. and A. S. Roberts, as
socia.e counsel
Great Business Space Shortage
Meanwhile the building trades Of
New York are experiencing increasing
activity portending potential construc-
ron work far beyond anything reported
IN recent years. Architects are releas-
Ing work that has been held in abey-
anes for many months upon the theory
shat public pressure is growing daily
more insisteht for relief from the in
areasing scarcity Of space accommoda-
don IN buildings AS May l approaches
'eores Of business firms are facing ejec-
non, with no place TO move to. In one
aotabe case downtown a big insurance
iAyscraper that is rented from cellar
o garret has its steel frame up. but in
.osed with brick only to the third
ioor The prospective tenants expect
d to move into the building on May l..
they probably viii not be able to move
before October, and not even then
lnIess some agreement is reached in
me differences now existing between
Ae orlcklayers and their EMPLOYERS.
There are many such cases.
The crux of the whole situation. as
'iewed generally by the architects, en-
rnsersi prospective owners, investors
N 0ul -irE enterprises, general and
Mo-eoA q tors and building material
manufacturers and distributors, is that
NE issues existing during the late steel
Itrlke have been brought to life in this
ny, where the stLggle on the question
u whether New York is to be changed
rom closed 10 open shop conditions
Is to De fought to definite conclusion.
Ihs vicinity of New York bounded bv
tcfcle OF fifty miles from the Battery
vas 53 per cent under-constructed last
october. To-day the same territory is
per cent uHdersuppl with housing.
commercial, industrial and institutionsi
'pace' and by the first of May the per-
ssntage will be considerably over so.
Prices May Go Higher
Inc general attitude of the building
Gausfry IS that of impatience, to saw
ne least, with reference to the latest