New-York tribune., 1921-06-12
Home Problem
Solution Now
Seems Near
Builders, Bankers, Realty
Men and Others Organize
TO Change Conditions;
First Move for Unity

Out of a meeting held last week st
the Engineers Club, attended by build
ers. architects, bankers, real estate
men and others, may come the rapid
solution of the trouble that IS holding
back the construction of homes and the
discord in the building industry. TIE
meeting was held by the New York
District Conference Of the National
Congress of Building Industry, which
was officially organized at this meet
ing for the purpose. as set forth in the
constitution which was adopted at the
meeting, of promoting the general well
fare OF the building and construction
industry Shy discovering, through SCI
entifc surveys, the needs of the public
and of the industry; by finding and
recommending ways and means of sat
isfying these needs; by defining group
functions and harmoniZing group actlv-
tiles through the formulation Of codes
Of ethics and Of practice for the indus
try and by other means agreeable to
and in the interest of the public and
the industry and conformable to law"
First Move to Organize
The movement is the first attempt in
this country to unite in a single or
ganization ali of the elements directly
or indirectly interested in consJruc-
ton. As it is now. a disorganized in
dustry, it does not command the rec
ognition which construction is entitled
to in the business of the country. The
organization is expected TO be duplicat-
ed in other sections Of the country,
and these are to be bound by an agree
ment which will prevent, or rather
eliminate, labor troubles and, perhaps,
never allow the country again to be
short of hOOsiuO racilirios
The findings Of the Lockwood COM
mittee are likely to form a basis OF
study by committee for the purpose
Of preventing recurrence.
One of the immediate purposes Of
the congress is the preparation of a
code of ethics and trade codes of prac-
tice for the building industry. The
preparation Of these codes has been
delegated to q committee Of which
/ William j. Barney is chairman. John
Braid, T. A. Bgrdett. Charles Ewing,
Burt Fenner, F. W. Lord and Walter
Stabler are members of this committee
At the organization meeting held last
week Stephen F. Voorhees, was elected
president, Andrew j. Post, A Kelso and
F. Mathesius presidents; Ben
! iamin D. Traitel. treasurer, and Rich
ard A. Wolff, secretary.
Although no membership drive has
been planned, the organization extends
an invitation to all who would like to
/ Join this important movement.
Survey Urged on London Conference
At meeting of the International
Chamber of Commerce. which is to be
held in London on June 27 to July 2
report will be made by a committee
urging the establishment of a bureau
! of statistics and research for the con-
struction field. A world survey of the
building industry also is to be urged
as vital business necessity which has
been made clear to the entire world by
the present building condition. The
bureau which is suggested would fur
/ nish information on building in every
section of the world. Noble Foster
Hoggscn, OF this city, and Colonel John
/ R. Wiggens, Of Philadelphia, are the
American delegates on the committee.