Evening star., 1923-07-09
BUILDING INDUSTRY
CONCLAVE CALLED
Experts to Meet in Atlantic
City Tomorrow and
Wednesday.

Problems of the building industry,
looking to the relief of contractors,
artisans and the public, are to be
studied at a conference called by
Secretary Hoover of the Department
of Commerce. which meets in At
lantic City tomorrow and Wednesday.
Seasonal operation in the construc-
tion industries will be considered
at this conference which is an out
growth of the Presidents confer
ence on unemployment of which Sec
retary Hoover was chairman. Lower
relative cost of dwellings and other
buildings is expected to result from
the Atlantic City conference.
The uniform leasing date, general
ly about October l, is considered the
big cause of seasonal congestion in
the building industry. and the con-
ference is expected to revolve about
this pivotal problem. Housing sur
veys will also be considered to see
how many house are needed in each each
locality. The question of loss of time
to labor because of the peak periods
in construction work, and the
question of how many months both
artisans and equipment are idle will
be discussed.
Uniform Leasing Date.
One of the subjects to be given
very serious thought is whether re-
pair work cannot be done in the
winter and whether painting and
papering could not be done in the
winter as well as in the fall, if it
were not for running up against
the uniform leasing date.
Other relief proposals that will be
made are for seasonal freight rates
to break down the congested peak
period.
Previous surveys have indicated
that most construction activity is
concentrated in seven to ten months
of the year" those in the Department
of Commerce who have been studying
the problem point out.
This means that building trades
workers cannot find work in their
trade during several months, and that
contractors organizations and equip
ment, architects, engineers. building
material producers and others con-
nected with construction. must usu-
ally remain idle for similar periods
This idle time represents waste, and
direct losses to the construction in
dustries themselves, their workers and
the public.
To Seek Solution.
The committee was formed in the
hope that by examining the facts and
proposed remedies it might be able I'd
general cooperation in effectinG
them 1t is the general impression
that seasonal building has been due
perhaps more to custom than to
weather, and it is expected that the
investigation will throw light on this
and other important points"
Those who have been invited by
Secretary Hoover to take part in the
conference are: Ernest T. Trigg.
manufacturer of Philadelphia, Pa,
chairman: John w. Blodgett, manu-
facturer of Grand Rapids, Mich.
John Donlin. president building
trades department, American Fedora
ton of Labor, Washington; l.. F. Ep-
pich, president National Association
OF Real Estate Boards, Denver, Col.
A. p. Greensfelder, contractor. st.
Louis, Mo-; John NJ. Cries. Depart
ment Of Commerce.: Otto T. Mallery,
public works expert of Philadelphia,
Pa; Rudolph P. Miller. engineer of
New York; James P. Noonan, presi-
dent Brotherhood of Electrical Work
ers, Washington: William Stanley
Parker. architect of Boston. Mass,
and Edward Eyre Hunt, secretary.