The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-03-29

BUILDING WORKERS
AVOID CANCELLATION
Refuse to Meet Public Group
When Lockwood Members
Withdraw.
EMPLOYERS HOLD SWAY
They VIII Arrange New Wage
Schedule and Basis for
Trade Agreements.
EMPLOYERS HOLD SWAY

The controversy between the building
employers and trade unions remains
deadlocked as result of the refusal OF
the Building Trade Council leaders to
attend the meeting yesterday in the
Metropolitan Tower called by the public
group Of volunteer conclliators, Of which
Walter Staber, comptroller OF the Met
ropolitan Lite Insurance Company. is
chairman.
Meanwhile the Board of Aldermen ex-
tended until April 1, 1923, the time
within which new dwellings may be
started in order TO come within the
ordinance exempting them from taxa
ton until January !. 1882. The resolu-
ton went through under an emergency
message from Acting Mayor Hubert.
The exemption Is $1,000 a room--no in
Guiding bath rooms. and not 10 exceed
$4,000 for an apartment or a house.
The objection by the employers group
to Samuel Untermyer's presence led 10
the withdrawal OF the members of the
Lockwood committee from the confer
ence, and this in turn gave the union
leaders an opportunity TO decline the in
vitation on the ground that Mr.. Inter
nyer and the Lockwood committee rep
resented the public and they were not
willing to have them excluded.
The outcome of the meeting was that
the Building Trade Employers Asso-
citation agreed to submit q set of fourT
teen points on which future trade agree
ments should be based to the public
group for its approval and later to
formulate a new wage scale to be pre-
scented to the committee.
Absence of the union leaders was
criticized by Christian G. Norman, head
Of the Building Trade Employers $50
citation, who said:
THE Building Trades Council has
r.laneuvred itself in a position where
the members are either in fear OF the
investigating committee or its counsel
or else they believe they are secure In
accepting the suggestions OF Mr.. Inter
myer."
The implication that the Stabler COM
inittee did not actually represent the
Lublic was resented by some of the COM
mittee members, Robert D. Kohn. the
secretary. declaring that they did not
intend to be told by the labor leaders
who should represent the public, and
pointed out that twenty-five representa-
tive civic organizations had supported
the committees efforts.
The objection to Mr.. Unternyer was
explained by Mr.. Norman by the state
ment that ever since 1903 the Building
Trade Employers Association always
had barred lawyers from acting as arpi-
traitors in trade disputes, and while the
present dispute had not reached the
point of arbitration it tended in that d.
rection. Mr.. Norman said:
1.-THE workers are now taking ad-
vantage of the peak of war prices be-
cause Of the housing situation that gives
them more or less OF steady employ
nent, but this condition will not last.
They are facing unemployment, perhaps
not now, but in two years hence at least
because it is the public building and the
monumental work that provides lasting
employment and not the small houses
that are finished quickly"
No date was set for the next confer
ence OF the public committee.