The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-09

excessive heights and wages in the building trades were being forced up out of line with the wages received by workers in other industries.
 But conditions are now undergoing a change.
 - Although there is still great deal of home building activity, it is taking the form mostly of finishing houses which were started some little time ago. In other words, not nearly go many new foundations are being dug today as was the case at the beginning of the year. The slaekened demand and the pros pect of still further curtailment of ac- tivity have already had quite an effect upon building materials. An impor- tant lumber importer and jobber told the writer the other day that prices had dropped about $10f per thousand feet or fully 9 per cent. Cement \ prices are also quoted below the recent maximum, notwithstanding that this industry is organized more thoroughly than most industries and is not notori- ous for price cutting wars, to say the least. Brick manufacturers have also had to come down from their giddy price heights. And, of course, iron and z steel prices have fallena very substan- :. tially-iron which was quoted at S21.26 a. year ago, now is quoted at $21:25; while steel billets have dropped from $47.50 to $3S within the last 12 months.
 .E Although building wages have not been officially reduced, the fancy pre- Ihiuhns which were so common a while ago, are less common now. Moreover, the acute scarcity of unslnlled help has passed, at least in most centers. Not only SO; but there is more or less un- employment in number of industries, and 1t would be helpful if the building trade could absorb. some of those now idle. @
 Has the time not come for Secretary Hoover to do everything within his pow CT to have the falling off in home build ing followed by resumption of construc- tion of public. buildings?
 Could not road building which has been held up because of scarcity of labor and excessive costs also be taken up more aggressiyelyl
 tsss Also many business concerns have. postponed construction of factories. warehouses. etc, because of the ins : ordinate competition for materials and < men caused by home building. Now < that the pressure for both men and ma terials is relaxing, would it not be time , ly to inaugurate an increased amount of business building, especially, as the al- : most unanimous view now held is that i business is headed for a, period of de- cidedly greater activity?
 
 Z The report of the committee. on sea ,. sonal operation in the construction in ! dustries appointed by Secretary Hoover, as the outgrowthy of the Presidents in- vestigation of unemployment, strongly urges elimination of wastes caused by seasonal idleness. The committee finds that one reason why theke has develop ed a scarcity of men in the building trades is that employment has not been regular through the year but marked by months of idleness during the winter. The experts declare that this seasonal idleness could be greatly reduced by proper planning.
 sIs it not important that whatever can be done should be done so that the diminution in home building this winter may be eounter-balaneed as far as prac- ticable by construction of public build 1nSs, noausS' iaStoLI- DuhumSs anu SO forth?"
 The building industry plays such an important part in bringing about good times and bad times that no stone should be left unturned to put it on the most sensible and rational basis. If TO effort be made to meet the conditions likely to arise from the falling off in building of homes. the prosperity, of business and labor may be affected.
 It is all right to be optimistic over the general business outlook, but it would be all wrong to neglect any step designed to insure the actual material ization of business prosperity. NGILNu GRnTTMn TnCT