The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-08-07

$50 - "
iievo In collective bargaining and will
welcome az any time prior To Sep
tember l. a meeting with all craft
executives to discuss the matter with
| free and open minds. and with the
Interests OF the building industry at
| heart"
The teNt of the letter to the ma
terial men. supply houses. etc, FOL
lows;
Albuquerque. y. NJ, August 4. 1921.
"G-utlemcn;
''rhe Contractors association at n
meeting held In the Chamber OF
Commerce building nm the night Of
| August a. g2l. discussed IN" build
Ing situation IN and about the City
OF Albuauerque The, were unanl-
mously OF the opinion that the build
lng industry had approached a crisis.
/ II was observed that little, " any,
preparation was being mad To meet
the usual demand for houses and
business buiiding In this locality.
| when the demand IL always heavy Ia
/ September. October and November
each year fer houses we usually have
n -,ippiy. bnt nof 40 this year, Con-
tractors have very few houses To
! plncr upon the market Many Of
them have almost ceased building con-
nructton n was also observed that
many men were idle In many Of the
crafts Of the city.
The contractors ar, Of the opinion
that building In every line must he
| stimulated and men oi our city given
Ian the employment available
| Further. the Contractors ussocin-
ton is of the opinion that the situa
tiun In building h. pruciclly at a
stnndstill largely because Of two rea-
| sons.
-. The high cost OF labor both
Killed nd unskiilcd.
'2 The excessively hirh cost 81
material
"'Thrsr two conditions make IL inn
possible 90 induce the puhlic TO buy
Al price that will be fair and prof
ithlc to the contractor The market
price of tn" completed building Is
~ excessively high that the contrac-
tor in order to sell. aud he mast sell,
| Iis forced to reduce his profit To- a
minimum.
! Further. tho contractors are of
/ the opinion that labor did not nd
vance substantially during tho period
/ OF high prices In all commodities and
/ now here did labor reach the peak ut
prices of material and that the re
duction In the price OF labor at this
time should only correspond with u
further reduction In IN" price Of ma
tvriul
Dollar u bay Cut.
The Contructora' assertion at its
meeting on the above date decided
that an crafts should reduce thc.i
present scale not nproportionatcly
with the reduction In prices Of ma
t-rial. and u was fclt that a reduc'
tlnn OF one dollar day In all tn,
crafts was only a reasonable demand
Inasmurh m "a demand for the siui'
lar reduction would be- made upon
building supply houses, lumber yards
etc. The above scale to take effect
on September /. 1921.
III is sincerely hoped by m" Con
tractors association that such move
Will be- considered In the spirit II
which u h made. namely, to be- TO th'
best interests Of all concerned: to th'
building industry TO an IN" crafts
men aud TO the public. II II hopr'
that under this new scale In prices
of labor and material that construc
ton will receive new impetus an'
that no idle man who desired employ
mont viii be found The confidence
of the public win be restored in tn
building Industry as result Of sucl
action and the public viii buy onl!
when confidenc" ~ restored an'
prices are right.
The Contractors association be
licvo in collective bargaining aud vii
welcome conference with mnteria
supply houses. lumber yards etc, an,
We would suggest that all matcria
houses get In touch with wholesaler
aA the problem Will be solved yer
much easter II reduction Of mairriu
| is simultaneous with reduction q
| labor aud the psychological effec
upon the buying public viii innur