San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-06
OUTLOOK FOR
BUILDING GOOD
SURVEY SHOWS
Labor Generally Employed,
Wages Are High and
Shortage Possible.
HAD AN OPEN WINTER
More Than Customary
Amount Of Construction
Done in Most Localities.

Building labor conditions through
out the country are considered gen
orally favorable at present, accord
ing to a national survey of conditions
in the building crafts just completed
by S. w. Straus & Co., and made
public yesterday. Current conditions
are eptimoized ss follows:
a. Wages generally well stabiliz-
ed with slight upward tendencies in
larger cities where prospective build
ing operations are large.
(2) General employment at peak
wages with especially pressing de-
mands for bricklayers and plaster
ers.
90 Possible shortage OF common
labor with the development of &C.
tivities now indicated by unpreced-
ented volume of building permits.
a. Possibility of ensuing difficult
ties through jurisdictional dispute be-
tween Carpenters Union and Sheet
Metal workers over installation OF
metal trim work.
(6) Successful and significant CO.
operation of building trades, unions
and contractors in establishing build
ing trades apprenticeship schools to
help relieve labor shortage.
Employed All Winter.
Zone Of the factors in promulgating
the generally favorable tone now per-
vading the situation" the survey
states, @has been the unusual amount
of employment throughout the build
ing crafts during the winter months.
These conditions were partly due to
mild weather in some sections of the
country, but it is noted that efforts
to increase the volume of construction
in the so-called off-seasons have been
successful. 1t is significant that the
government has seen fit to take up
this important phase of the building
situation semi-officially through the
formation Of the committee on sea-
sonal operations in the construction
industries, which now has in prepar-
alton voluminous recommendations on
plans and methods of equalizing &C.
tivities throughout the year.
Current building trades wage rates
per hour show that building labor now
is getting peak wages, as follows
Bricklayers, SLIP IL to S1.15; car
penters, 20 cents to SLIGO; hosting
engineers. 80 cents to $1.67 IL; hod
carriers, so cents to S1.25: pile driv.
ers, so cents to S LIZ IL: structural
iron workers, 60 cents to S1.50; CON-
mon labor, 25 cents to 81 1-2 cents
Present wage scales in st. Louis carry
the highest rates in the country. In
that city wage advances ranging from
10 to 20 cents an hour have been
granted carpenters, hod carriers, hoist
ing engineers, and common labor
Negro hod carriers have signed a new
scale of SIPS per hour. Painters are
demanding a rate of S1.50 per hour
Monday to Friday inclusive, and I8
per hour for Saturday and Sunday"
The survey reports the common la.
Dor rate for the nation as applied
to pick and shovel men at 65 cents
an hour as against 81 cents for the
preceding month. In New York, Chi
cago, Cleveland and some other large
cities, laborers are getting from 20
to 81 IL cents per hour.
Renew Wage Scale.
sIn many cities" the report points
out, athe building trades have ar
ranged for renewal Of the 1923 wage
scales for the ensuing season. Where
advances are being written in the new
contracts they have thus far been COM
paartively light. In many cities where
wage increases have been granted
they have only covered previous bonus
payments, although bricklayers and
plasterers are in some places getting