Evening star., 1934-12-08
PRIVATE FINANCES
DECLARED NEEDED
TO HELP INDUSTRY
Builders Agree Federal Ac-
tivities Ought to Be Tenn
p0rary in Nature.
MOFFETT SAYS HOUSING
ACT WILL NOT COMPETE
President Given as Authority Pri-
vate Enterprise Will Be
Given Free Hand.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn, December 8
CF). - That sound recovery" can
come only through a revival of pri-
vate industry, private financing and
private purchasing was the theme of
four-day conference of the con-
struction industry which ended here
today.
The Construction League of the
United States. representing the in
dustry, further set out in a program
presented at the meeting that "a
public construction program for other
than necessary Federal projects is a
temporary emergency measure and
should be limited as soon as possible
to that which can be included in
balanced budget"
James A. Moffett, Federal housing
administrator and outstanding speak
er of the entire meeting, told the con-
tractors he was authorized by Pres
ldent Roosevelt to say the public
works program would not compete
with private enterprise in the field
covered by the national housing act.
Is Long Range Program.
1.-THE national housing act" he said
lis to be conducted by private enter
prise and is long-range program"
The National Construction Code Au-
thority, which held a one-day meet
ing in charge of Stephen c. Voorhees,,
~.
tractors protest the 40-cent-an-h hour
common labor wage throughout the
country as too high for the South.
The protesting contractors intro
duced resolution asking that the
wage for common labor be reduced
from 40 to 80 cents an hour in the
South. The resolution was referred
to the National Planning and ADJUST
ment Board for the Construction
Board, which considered it in closed
session.
j. w. Follin, secretary of the board,
said that body requested Southern
contractors to appoint representatives
to meet with employe members of the
board to see if the problem could be
solved. The Planning and Adjustment
oOdIO " III ullCIl IlldhC ItIOlIlIIltllUdllOIl
to the National Recovery Administra-
ton.
The board is composed of 81 men,
bers, 10 representing contractors, 10
representing labor, While Sullivan w.
Jones, New York City architect, was
named by President Roosevelt as
chairman and the twenty-frst men,
Der.
Favored 30-Cent Labor Rate.
Jones said he favored lowering the
common labor wage in the South TO
80 cents an hour provided Southern
contractors paid higher wages to
skilled workers.
THE code" he explained. docs not
fix wages for skilled workers, permit
ing that to be worked out on an area
basis. Its only requirement Is that
a skilled worker receive higher pay
than a common laborer. The result
has been that the skilled worker in
the South has been receiving Al cents,
which is inadequate"
Adopted by the Construction League
as proposal that manufacturers
name a committee to meet and con-
fer with the contracting group in the
latter's program. This was suggested
by M. J. Beirne, vice president of the
American Radiator Corporation.
The league agreed that plans should
be carried forward for the setting up
of regional boards for the enforcement
of codes in the industry.
Cost Can Be Held Low.
The Planning and Adjustment
Board, 1t was announced. approved a
statement by its chairman. Mr.. Jones,
that the job of the construction in
dustry is to build homes for the
Americans who need them. The in
dustry can construct substantial homes
at as low cost as the Government or
any other agency
1t means" the chairman explained,
"that we think the construction in
dustry should meet the challenge
that industry must organize TO do
the job which is its job
Willard T Chevalier. vice president
of McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., who
delivered the keynote address at
conference of the entire group Thurs
day, urged that the Government prose-
cute violators of the construction code.
ct cannot help thinking" he said,
"that if the Government through ag-
gressive and sustained action. would
obtain one conviction in each State
for code violation. most of the COM
pliance problems would be dissolved
In thin air"
He said there was too much may"
and not enough shall" in connection
with many of the trade practice pro-
visions of the code He charged that
the Government itself was not living
Continued on Page 4, Column p