The Washington herald., 1921-07-23

sam bTO"ne oleu IN 1VO1 q hOiuch
of the Victoria Cross.
BAD PLANNING
HITS BUILDING,
SURVEY FINDS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
cages have been forced into tax
exempt securities.
Little Actual Work.
Notwithstanding. therefore. the
shortage of housing and the mead
for new construction the actual
work going on has fallen to a re-
markably small figure and this in
turn has been reflected in unem-
olovment In certain cases ad-
vantage has been taken of the con-
ditions.
Much has been said in 1921 Of
the inefficiency of building labor
during the last few years. How
ever. except where effective man.
agement with well-defined stan
dards has been in operation there
nave OccH
throughout the country in all indus
ries. This inefficiency has beeN duA
to abnormal conditions.
with the depression in business
and lessened demand for all kinds
of labor the average production In
all Industries is again approaching
normal. Certain contractors are
again basing estimates on the as
sumption that labor is normally ef-
ficient. The improvement is in
part due to the wedding out Of mis-
fts in both labor and management"
Analysing the causes of building
waste, the report says irregular
employment is due to seasonal nue-
tuations, bad weather, strikes and
lockouts.
short-SiEhted Management.
inefficient management is blamed
for failure to furnish continuity Of
employment; failure to plan work
in sufficient detail; lack of propes
schedules to allow proper co-ordina-
tion of scheduling. purchasing and
delivery with job requirements:
lack of standards and adequate
cost methods as a means OF check
ing production: high labor turn
over: failure to use proper amount
or type of equipment; general faii-
ure to develop and use a greater
amount of mechanical equipment.
and waste CT material through care
less handling and improper plant
operations
wasteful labor regulations, ac-
pnrdinO 70 ha leo 80
quiring skilled men TO do work that
could be performed 30 unskiiled.
restricting individual incentive
through requiring uniform wages
limiting the number OF apprentices.
excessive reduction of WORKING
hours, restricting output by prohio-
iting the use of labor-saving de.
vices, and jurisdiotional reguia-
tions.
Additional sources Of waste are
failure of architects to furnish
check plans and specifications, du-
plication of labor in estimating, and
often in design, and accidents which
are particularly important in the
building industry because of the
extra-hazardous nature OF the WORK.
Strfkes very Costly.
'Th estrike is one of the great
economic wastes to be found In the
building industry" the report de-
clares- The waste to the men en-
gagged, the contractor and the public
Is hard to estimate" Il says. The
major causes OF strikes are occa-
stoned by demands for increase in
wages. and recognition OF the union,
decrease in working hours, and by
jurisdictional disputes.
Unions must cooperate" con-
tinues the report. ito the extent Of
eliminating the nat rate for all me-
chanics of a trade and to the ex-
tent of modifying the restriction
that forbids mechanics to accept
piecework. With definite standards
nxed and with the cooperation of
both parties fair incentives can be
introduced.
The most encouraging sign in
the elimination of the above cause
is found in what is known as the
Philadelphia PLAN put forth by the
labor element of that city"
Provisions Of the Plan.
This plan contemplates the or
ganization into a single body
through associations. groups or
committees of each employing
branch of the building industry in
number at least equal to the nine
teen represented in the council OF
the Associated Building Trades. A
heading-up committee, composed of
an equal rumber OF representatives
from the groups of employers and
employed, would constitute the tri-
bunal or council Of the building in
dustry in Philadelphia The plan
proposes the establishment of q
central bureau through which vol.
UNFAIRLY all construction in the ter
ritory would be cleared, including
-0'i"-a' State. municipal and pri-
vate work.
- the principal aims Of the
trade-unions, the report concludes,
should be to make their services
valuable to the employer by devel-
oping and training the men in their
| organizations and establishing a
high standard by assisting in the
development of Standardization of
time, method and material.
Hibernidns Want R0nus