Evening star., 1935-06-22

proposes q plan to permit progress
in fair trade practices.
Through q trade practice council
1t offers q means to an end. Step by
step, slowly but surely, we are con-
Vinced the council can and will i'm
prove industrial relationship between
employers and employees and with the
public"
The varied nature Of construction,
with its many branches, makes it
virtually impossible to draw a volun-
tary code covering the entire industry,
but at the same time it Is vitality neces-
sary that some step be taken to fur
ther the integration of the industry
started under the compulsory N. r. A.
codes, Col. Hogan declared. He pointed
out that while manufacturing and
other groups in the industry had
maintained individual codes, the en-
tire erection branch of the industry
had been unified under one code
authority.
Achievements Expedited.
SIT is generally conceded" said the
leagues statement, shat in the prep
aration of the construction industry
basic and divisional codes certain in
dustrial achievements have been ex-
pedited. Many hitherto futile resolu-
tions Of national conventions Of vari-
GUS constituent members Of the league
became actualities through code ac-
tivities.
Industrial integration is the only
means of self-preservation. Willful
suicide due to neglect or laissez-faire
Is not to be contemplated"
Actual formation of the Trade Prac-
tice Council was placed in the hands
of the Executive Committee Of the
league, with instructions to place on
it one or two representatives Of each
Of six broad branches in the industry.
These branches include the manu-
facturers' or producers group, the
general contractors group, subcon-
tractors group, professional group,
including engineers and architects;
material supplies dealers and distribu-
tors and the public works group, In
cluding road building, bridge con-
struction and similar contractors.
A program and guiding principles
are to be worked out dealing not only
with practices of fair competition, but
with the relations Of the construc-
ton industry with other industries,
relations with labor, relations between
different branches of the construction
industries and relations between the
construction industries and the public.
Brown Addresses Session.
Lewis H. Brown, president of Johns
Manville Corp. and chairman OF the
Manufacturers Committee Of the
league, speaking at the meeting at
which the action for formation of the
Trade Practice Council was taken,
declared that the construction indus
tries must admit that they had In the
past not only countenanced but even
encouraged actions in their relations
with the public that they must not
countenance in the future.
The encouragement Of speculative
building on an unsound financial .ba-
sis and the encouragement or at least
open acceptance of shoddy building In
order to gain immediate business were
two things that he said must not be
countenanced In the future in indus
try relations with the public.
Concerning the whole question Of
N. r. A. codes in the construction
field, the leagues statement, issued
after the meeting Monday, said:
1T is quite generally recognized that
industry made some real progress in
self-regulation and establishment Of
standards Of fair competition under
N. r. A. The N. r. A. also provided
for certain improvement in industrial
relations and conditions of employ
ment. The construction industry, to-
gether with many other industries,
desires to maintain these gains. They
recognize that only through contin-
ually increasing purchasing power can
construction and other durable goods
industries be rehabilitated and their
normal volume Of business regained."
Federation Of % Groups.
The Construction League, formed
IN 1881, Is a federation of % trade
and professional associations in the
different branches of the construction
industry. It has IL State organiza-
ttonS. Under the Trade Practice
Council. an attempt will be made to
preserve the So local co-ordinating
committees that were established by
the Construction Code Authority to