Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-12
DEFINITE MOVE TO
STIMULATE BUILDING
INTERESTS IN CITY
Continued from page l

j. Kennedy, Edward G. May.
Dealers in Building supploa--I. w.
Broaius, Joseph M. pusey John M. SIN
clear.
Real Estate Dealers--W. II. Bramble.
Guy r. Ford Emmet =. Hickman
BankerB-~Otho Nowland, Robert y.
Kemp. Robert f. Robinson.
only after considerable preliminary
discussion was II agreed TINT a reduction
would stimulate the building trades. Sew
eral union labor mon thought the COM
lmittee should, In order To determine |
what reduction should be made In wages
/ II any, agree 10 ascertain what amount
would be required To properly maintain
| a family Of five at present living.
Several "barrages" with unusual cross
! fire resulted when an EFFORT was hto'
| TO determine as to which of the pafto~
] uinr groups waa most responsible IN tue
/ present slump In the building trade IN
/ wilmington and which group shoui"
come down the most. Upon nlotion
] of Harry g. Mellon II was agreed tilat
Il was tho sense Of the meeting 70
which all groups participating nEreed.
Tint reduction was necessary 10 CAUSE
n revival In the building industry.
T. L. Rice, architect. IN a direct anea-
| tlon from Mr. Warner, stated That prices
must come down. and advocated re-
adjustment of labor aud material. MY
office has stood still for ~ months,
said Captain Rice. and when my ohFe
is NJ n atandatill. every business main In
this room is standing still
Mr.. Rice further declared that he has
two buildings. costing approximately
SEQ 600 each for which estimates have
not been made. II was then explained
that bids on these buildings conld iot
II was also pointed out by the labor
men that II would be difficult 10 arrive
ut any definite percentage of reduction
apnlicable tn all tho different crafts aH
weather conditions entered largely into
In. earning power Of the men engaged
in aeaaon8hle occupations
That building materials arc material
Il higher IN wilmington than In other
cities. except where the element ot
freight entered was denied by dealers
laat night They declared that the
newspapers were misleading IN their
quotations u waa denied that there
was any truth IN the allegations that
Wilmington waH being diaerinnated
against or that higher prices were he
ing maintained
George T. Cornell. manager 81 the
Charles Warner Company IN order to
tho largest dealers In building nnt ials
in the state. . 20 operate ~ tho n@ve-
mcnt to stimulate the building trade.
road tho folIuwunE letter. signed by
: Charles Warner. president of the com
pany;
chamber Of Commerce. Wilmington,
Del.
tientlcmen-we wish to endorse your
, plau to expedite liquidation ~ every
chase Of construct tiun industry that may
not have adequately responded 70 the
present economic trend. by calling
conference Of those concerned for mo
purpose Of frankly placing on the table
AN ~ the facts aud conditions aHsf ting
materials. labor. contracting and fin1nc-
ing.
with theee atepa takon nnd ihe
, p,hii. nrapefIg informed the evidence
ahouldl hc reasonably convincing to most
nrnsrectivr builders that thrY can con-
at,-,,ct on tn rno4t reasonable cost hasia
that may be expected during the present
: / period Of depression.
I -This policy uf frank publicity ia tn
o exact accord With tho recommendations
+ recently made hy Secretary OF Com
. mcrrv Herbert Hoover. IN conference
! attended hy tho writer a. "A member q
o a special committee of the National
! Federation of Construction Industries.
G - one 81 the suppIiers Of masons
: building materials in the Wiiml7E1"E
G market. the Charles Warmer Company
tenders its support TO Your program.
So far as our practical part IN th'
: adjustment is concerned @e have care
\ fuitv reviewed thu net profits 10 on1
j, departments which produce sand an
? et4vcl and retail these and other prod
urts In tho city of Wilmington.
!. ~ consolidated profit statement -
!, thce, departments shows that We hay
/ made during the past four years a.
: average return of 5.10 per cent per an
mann an the actual capital invested
This return would appear TO be less thal
) what is usually regarded az prope
Il yield on business capital,
n During the past few months. be
I. cause of low tounages, we have beel
operating these departments at loss
Is We have decided. however to make ou
j. contribution 10 the building Resumption
s. program in the city Of Wilmington b
Is reductions in retail prices OF sand an
gravel products of Is cents per ton. an
= on cement, lime plaster and simila
$ products reductions varying from .
cents TO 81 per ton. These will be ef
D. fectfve next Monday. May i6.
I'VE have continuously adopted In
ne policv during the past few months {
III promptly passing on to the consume
oi every reduction made 10y manufaetui
ers in sement, plaster and other proc
ST 1rcts. and many of these reduction
a that have previously been issued al
- substantial.
rs Because Of our low tonnages at tn
time. these reduced rates are. merel
US adding to our present losses but OF
su contribution is made on the cxpectatio
II of substantial recovery in the built
al ing and construction industry within
'o few months.
~ As explained by Chairman Warne
!, the object of the general commits
IL will be to act as n clearing committe
. before which representatives of eae
"a. group can appear and make plain in
Aie how much it is willing % contribute L
oi ward establishing a lower price level.
ny G. II. Tindan thought that the eli
should assist in reducing building cost
,t THE trouble is" he said, that if
20 man makes improvements. he will in
- mediately be assessed by the city f
ieS making those improvements
Mr. Warner suggested the election
liu a sta tistical committee and also anoth
committee to work along the lines
determining after lower coz level n