New-York tribune., 1922-02-25
Reform Code
For Building
Trades Signed
tContInucd from paoo onc

the larger cities of the land the labor
union required that the stone be i'm,
ported in the rougn and dressed and
finished locally by union labor. In
addition to that, various other restric-
tions have been imposed by labor or
CARNATIONS not only upon materials
that were non-union made, but Likewise
even though such materials we're union
made, which restrictions sought to die
tate to the builder the source and the
locality from which he should purcha Sc
his materials
The third is directed against n ser
les of nation wide abuses which have
assumed various forms and aspects in
the relations between organized labor
and trade associations. Innumcrablc
instances have been found in the vari-
Gus building trades where, in consid
Grafton of some bonus or other induce
ment offered to the labor orpaniZa-
tion, the latter would in turn agree
to grant preference or to furnish
some cooperation to the trade associa-
tion member as against his indepcnd-
ent competitor
Cites Housing Hold Up Here
Take the case that arose recently
in the New York district by way Of
example. An individual had several
erection Of four hundred model homes
which he was then planning right in
the vicinity Of New York He was not
member of the Tile Contractors As
sociation. Under the agreement. how
ever. that then prevailed between the
contractors association and local of
the labor organization. the material S
had to be purchased from the same
contractor who supplied his labor. This
builder found himself in position
therefore. that he could not secure the
necessary labor if he made any at
tempt to purchase his tile other than
as directed under the terms of this
agreement AS result the four hun
dred homes were never built. Labor
itself suffered the real loss
"Thesc general practices Of prefer
cnces and special agreements made for
the benefit of contractors associations
have grown into veritablc national
system in the building trades. The in
cvitablc effect WAS not only to eliminate
all competition in the field involved but
of necessity to increase the number Of
unemployed and strictly to create ar
unlimited monopoly in the hands OF
these trade associations
Debt Collection
"The fourth strikes at what has like.
wise become a general practice for con
tractors and builders to use labo,
unions as an instrument for the collec-
ton of their debts Instances have
been reported to the department from
both Chicago and New York. and nc
doubt the practice prevails in the other
large cities. where the labor union re
fused to work on the completion of &
job where they had been compensated
fully and had every assurance of future
compensation only because some pre-
vious owner of the same building hac
defaulted in a payment to some ma.
terial man.
'ln conclusion, it may fairly be sail
that this decree Incorporates set OF
principles which make for independ
cnce on the part Of the employer i1
the purchase of his materials whenever
and wherever he may desire. 1t frees
the employer from the shackles that
have been thrown around him by these
numerous illegal restrictions as to the
quantity of work to be done in a giver
time irrespective of whether his ma
etrials are or are not union made. Or
the other hand, it recognizes all the
lawful aims or objects Of labor union
ism. Finally, and the most important
it gives the public chance