Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-08-15
BUILDING
TRADES IDLENESS
BY SEASONAL WORK

By international Labor News Service
WASHINGTON. D. C., Aug. IA
Custom, not climate. is mainly re-
sponsible for seasonal idleness in the
building industries.
This is the conclusion Of q commit
tee on seasonal operation in the con-
struction industries, appointed by
Herbert Hoover, secretary of com
meree, rs a result Of the presidents
conference on unemployment, which
met in Washington in September,
1921.
The. committee, composed Of men
representing many phases of the
building industries, made a thorough
study Of the problem Of seasonal en-
lployment. The Carnegie Corporation
of New York gave the committee q
limited appropriation and contribu-
tions Of funds and services were re-
ceived from several organizations, in
GLIDING the American Federation of
Labor. The committee included two
representatives of organized labor,
John Donlin, president Of the Build
ing trades department of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor, and James
P. Noonan, president of the Inter-
national Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers of America.
Workers Idle Much Of Year
The committee found that building
trades workers in most American
cities are employed less than three
quarters of the year. AS result the
trades are fully employed for only
three to five months. Commenting
on these facts, Mr.. Hoover says:
"The Committee states that bud
weather IS not the principal cause Of
seasonal idleness. Customs which be-
came fixed when builders had not yet
learned how to cope with adverse
weather conditions have not been
changed to meet improvements in
building materials, the development
of new equipment, and innovations
in management methods. For most
types of construction it is now pos
sible to build the year round in all
parts of the United States.
ORGANIZED community efforts by
Representatives of the construction
industries, the professions concerned,
and the public are necessary to find
the facts as to local handicaps, peaks
and depressions in employment, and
to make the facts public as a basis
for a more even demand for construc-
ton work and for the elimination of
wasteful customs. Conscious
planning ahead with reference to sea-
sonal conditions is absolutely neces-
sary to mitigate the extreme ups and
downs of construction from season
to season and from year to year."
Climate Not Chief Cause
Contrary to popular belief" says
the committees report, dad weather
is not the principal cause of varia-
tons in employment from month to
month. The present survey shows
that seasonal idleness is not confined
to regions where climate is severe.
Cities in the South and on the Pacific
coast are affected much like those on
the Canadian border.
1.-THE art of construction has adj
vanced to such a point that the eff
feet of bad weather on building OPP
erations has been greatly reduced.
The survey shows that there is today
much less manual labor on the job
than formerly; a greater proportion
of the work is done in factories or by
power machinery, which is less af-
fected by the elements than hand la
Dor. Steel and concrete construc-
ton with certain safeguards can go
forward at low temperatures. Meth
DDS of winter construction developed
by leading contractors should now be
greatly extended. Winter work is
being done in some cases more
cheaply than summer work, and in
others at an increase in cost which
is slight compared with the advan-
tages of holding down the contract
or's overhead expense by keeping
his organization together, the shorter
time that the owners capital is tied
up in the operation, and the earlier
date at which occupancy is made pos
sible."
CO-Operation Necessary
Of labor in the building industries,
the committee says:
''The cooperation of labor and
management is necessary to increase
production and to eliminate waste.
Records of employment, hours,
and earnings should be Systematically
kept by labor as well as manage
ment, and made available to the pub
bc.
Advertising to apprise the public
of dull periods in the building trades
can be proftably utilized by labor.
''Since. the letting of contracts for
new work is likely to be interfered
with when there is uncertainty
caused by pending wage agreements,
the committee recommends that such
agreements be concluded at least go
and preferably 80 days or more be-
fore the date when they take effect"
HIGH MOVIE MUSIC SCALE
CHICAGO, Aug. 1.-THE Chicago
fadarnfion of v,auefriane secured a