The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-06-16

| for the reasons i have heretofore
stated 1t Is not all. as understand
| il, a question of a dollar an hour or
a dollar and a Quarte- an nour' OF
seventy cents and dollar an hour
there are many condit'nhs, worNii 3
conditions that have been imposed ID
the mast that we must get away FRO"
: IL We are going to get Things TO iu"
ming along smoothly and in the prop
ar channel why one OF the biggest
men in the labor organizations mo
other day said out at Denver that tH0
labor organizations must get togethor
in regard to these jurisdictional queS-
tions and these working conditions 50
as to not have this dispute between
themselves, for when they do 1t rams
upon the employer with heavy DO"
when he is not to blame for 1t in any
particular whatever. So you see with
these conditions. men who are respoh-
sible to the people who have placed
the money in their banks and in the
building and loan associations mt"
who are responsible for the handling
of that money to put 1t out TO heip
build up our city to help build our
homes. etc, are not going to take the
chances, gx.ntler of jeopardy zing
that fund for which they are respon-
sible unless they know that the people
in the community are going to stand
behind them and see that the money
they have put In the property that the
property Is going to be so constructed
and built in such a way and in such
time that that money so invested VIII
not be jeopardized and the people who
have entrusted them with their funds
are not going to lose It. They are not
going to lose the confidence and re-
spect of the people who have given
them their confidence and put their
money in tho building and loan and
banks. Can you blame them7 Ger
tainly no sensible man would do such
a thing?
II was in indianapolis yesterday
and had occasion to talk to some or
the large contractors in Indianapolis
one of them happened to be brother
fn-law Of mine who has been in the
contracting business In Indianapolis
ever since 1886, a good many years
building hundreds of homes In lndl-
snapolis. scores OF tenant houses, pub
lie buildings of various kinds ana
Dublic schools. and he says that one
Of the greatest evils today is not the
question Of wages altogether. but 1t
is the question OF iurisdictional dis
putes between the organizations
themselves which delay him in his
work and for which he is not respons-
ible at all, and some other questions
in regard to the combinations OF ma
terial men. II you please, who held up
the price Of material. You see It IN
Chicago, you see the investigations In
Chicago. I am not saying this thing
IS all one-sided. but / am saying this
and I believe II was the sense of the
board of directors OF the Chamber OF
Commerce. seventeen being present
that the time has come in Hammond
when we should not bubble on these
questions at all. the time has come when
we should 90 to work There Is
plenty of work here and there is
money that will be loaned for the pur-
pose Of conducting this work. to build
these homes. and the doing of bust
ness that is worth while in our city,
II these conditions are right and peo-
pie are willing to work and give an
honest days work for the pay they
receive-give us value received. They
want to know that the value Is in the
house or the building or whatever 1t
is that the money is to be in, so that
this fund that is put in will not be
ieopardized Now, over in Lafayette
they have agreed upon a scale OF
wages recently which is much less
than the scale that Is proposed here in
Hammond. as I understand 1t I I'M
derstand there is a proposition here in
Hammond by the men who are con-
Quoting the building operations Of
dollar an hour for skilled labor and
seventy cents an hour for common la
Dor. Now we can't hope to be so
much different from other towns OF
our Size in the measure Of wages that
are to be paid. In Lafayette just
short time ago they reached an agree
ment between the associated contrac-
tors and the union carpenters and
hod-carriers. The carpenters signed
up for eighty-two and one-half cents
an hour or n reduction of seven and
one-half cents instead of ten cents as
proposed. and the hod-carriers viii
receive sixty-two and one-half cents.
cut of seven and one half cents. No
agreement had been reached up to
this time with the fathers.
Now. 1t wasn't the purpose OF my
getting up here or or this meeting OF
the Hammond Chamber Of Commerce to
advocate an open shop. I would be the
last person to do that II you could get
on any other grounds. I be-
lieve in organizations and 1 know these
organizations of the unions have help
ed them in many instances in working
conditions and in their wages. I know
that. 1 know that when one side or
ganizes that the other fellow has to or
ganize too. 1 know too that when the
time comes. such as IS here at hand, 1t
is the duty of every man who resides
in the community. that knows the con-
dition of things as are here; and knows
what Is coming If they don't do some
4ni..