Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-17
CONTRACTORS
SEE REVIVAL
IN BUILDING
Leaders in Construction In
dustry Meet in Con-
ventiOn.

Proceedings of the recent convention
of the Associated General Contractors of
America held in Cleveland and just re-
ceived at the headquarters of the Ma
rion County Buildings Trades Council,
al show a definite assurance that build
ing construction recovery is under way
and that this is the first phase of
general business revival. Such were the
opinions voiced by the leaders in the con-
struction industry, in convention as
sembled there.
Col. Leonard P. Ayres, formerly chief
statistical officer of the A. E. T. and at
present vice president Of the Cleveland
Trust Company, expressed the belief
that prices will fall, internationally, for
ten to twenty years more, but he thinks
the construction industry will be i'm
mune to many of the embarrassments Of
the coming period, because it supplies a
market two and one-quarter years be-
hind its normal production Of building.
ain other words" said Col. Ayres,
"con struction can go along for nine
years at % per cent above normal and
ONLY fill the normal demand by the end
Of that time"
BUILDING
FINANCE PROBLEMS.
Concerning building finance problems,
Colonel Ayres said these had commenced
to adjust themselves through greater
abundance of money. 1.-THE acrimonious
discussions between yourselves as con-
tractors and ourselves as bankers are
about over" he remarked. within a
few months so much money will be
available for borrowers that owners will
be able to arrange building loans on pre-
war terms" He declared that building
t5 Of
general revivals, and that it disseminates
prosperity more widely than any other
type of activity.
Determined not merely to predict pros
perity, but actually to observe it, the
contractors arranged a program in which
the theme Of waste elimination was con-
stantly emphasized.
J. Park Claiming of Boston, who sue
ceeded Herbert Hoover as chairman of
the Federated Engineering Organization,
gave the major paper of the conference
on this subject, and said that 25 per
cent of the responsibility for waste rests
on labor, so per cent on management,
and the remaining % per cent on outside
relationships.
He treated constantly changing person
mel as cause of waste, and recommended
measures to make employment more
nearly an annual affair. He expressed
faith in the method of reasoning with
employees rather than ordering them,
when labor emergencies are encountered.
LONG TRIP
IN BUILDING INTERESTS.
E. L. Crawford of New York, former
Government director of the Muscle Shoals
nitrate plant, discussed a 20,O00-mi trip
taken by officers of the association in
the interest Of construction revival In
his opinion, labor has reached pre-war
efficiency, and the chief retarding fac
tor is the general belief that material
is too high, particularly materials con-
trolled by national associations that meet
behind closed doors"
Cost-plus contracts, fee contracts, and
efforts made in some projects to eliminate
the general contractor, were discussed
D. A. CARRIER Of New York, voiced the
belief that few architects and engineers
can qualify to direct a building project
in the place of the general contractor.
Godfrey Edwards Of Los Angles de-