Evening star., 1922-04-01
new BUREAU, Plan
FOR THE BUILDERS
Associated General Contract
ors Provide for Dissemina-
ton of Business Data.

vi SdHlSdtiof OF new bureau OF
business information and statistics is
being perfected by the Associated
General Contractors of America,
headquarters of which are in this
! city. The proposed bureau is designed
to benefit all branches of the con-
| struction industry.
The new department Is the out
| growth of the plan for world sur
vey of the construction industry
which was authorized by the Interna-
| tional Chamber of Commerce at the
London congress in June, 1921.
Mr.. Hoggson Discusses Subject.
Noble Foster Hoggson, one of those
who attended the congress, repre-
sentins the Associated General Con-
| tractors. describes the new bureau in
the April issue of the Nations Busi-
| ness. as follows:
Let us suppose. for instance, that
| contractor wishes to bid upon a
| puliding at Dunkirk. N. Y. At present
ne can get prices on materials and
laoor from some nearby large city
such as Buffalo. He can get special
prices on steel f. 0. b. Pittsburgh. He
can get mileage and freight rates
IRON railway guides and by wire from
- ioauS. ne can OBTAIN from
the Department of Labor the costs of
ilVlnS Tor employees who must be sent
! TO the job and maintained there. He
can learn the interest rates on such
loans as might be required locally
with the contract as collateral. From
| trade publications he can obtain car
| loadings and reports of stock on hand
at different point.
Data ON Unemployment.
From other sources he can learn
tne state of unemployment, the num-
per OF contracts let in that city and
tne number and value Of building per
mits recently issued. Where contracts
a ac.uaily under way he can make
accurate comparison between them
ana the other statistics on hand. Not
until ne had done all this. at great
| pans and considerable expense and
losS OF time. would he be equipped to
| make bid equally fair to himself
and to the prospective owner. through
the bureau these facts will be avail
| aoie TO any one with no further
ero4oIe than writing for them
! might go at some length into
who desires ! to compare building
costs in different communities with
a view to establishing a factory: the
manufacturer already establish ed.
VINO wishes to map out selling ter
rltory for construction material
and SO on; but space forbids. It is
enough to say that within the last
year the construction industry in
TINS country could have used such a
service TO advantage. to my knowl-
eose' IN connecting with the market
ing or a new terra Gotta product
manufactured in one of the middle
Atlantic states; in connection with a
large public improvement in Rio de
Janelro; and in connection with the
cost of erecting a plant for manu-
alternate locations.
1T is refreshing at this time
when through the Lockwood investi-
cations and other disclosures, the
try has been somewhat undermined
to point to this and Similar construc-
tive measures which are being
adopted.
Long strides are now being taken
! toward reduction in the costs of
building through dimensional simpli-
| hcation and the standa rdization of
material Union leaders are stanch
IN their support Of the National Board
Tor Jurisdictional Awards and in their
which make for waste. sabotage and
delay.
Quotes Secretary Hoover.
Already a thorough house clean
ing has been undertaken and has
progressed far towards its goal Of
higher standards and better ethics.
In this movement the leaders of the
industry have the cordial support and
sympathy of Secretary Herbert
Hoover. and 1 cannot do better than
quote in part at this juncture a re-
cent message of his to the Associa-
tion General Contractors of America.
Due to some small minority of
the members of the building trades,
contractors, material and labor men,
the whole of this great and vital
, branch of American industry is under
OF the business are challenged daily
throughout the entire country.
"I am convinced that these things
can never be cured by legislation or
by jails. They can be cured by the
resolute action of the vast majority
of honest men who form the profess
sions, and 1t has now become vital in
the country's interests that this
should be undertaken in the branch
of which you comprise SO large a
part.
"I do not believe that there is
any service that could be performed
| i'll our whole business fabric today
| that would be of such value as really
definite action on the part Of your as
ISOLATION
with such motives animating the
construction industry in all it's
branches; with general adoption of
tho quantity survey system; with a
new form of standard contract now
being prepared; with a new national
| building code: with standard methods
of cost accounting: with adherence
on the part of employers and en-
ployes alike to the decision of the
National Board for Jurisdictional
of the construction industry?"