Evening star., 1936-02-15
BU|LDERSADv|SED
TO MAP FUTURE
State Groups to Fight Off
Destructive Competition
Urqed in Letter.

Organization of groups In every
State to prevent destructive compe-
tition and to promote unity Of action
in common problems is urged by
the Committee on Industrial Rela-
tions of the American Institute OF
Architects in an open letter to the
construction industry.
Appealing to architects, contractors,
subcontractors, producers, labor, and
all who take part in construction, the
committee, of which William Orr
Ludlow of New York is chairman, de-
clares that cut-throat competition
must 60.
"The business of building is pick
ing up" says the letter. Improve
ment Confronts the industry with
the necessity of facing certain vitality
important problems. We who are
engaged in construction can do much
either to stimulate and consolidate
improvement or to obstruct it..
IF we have learned anything from
the experience of the last five tragic
years, we must realize that the con-
struction industry-the backlog of
finance, the indispensable prime
mover in the basic industries, and
the direct employer of more than
100000 trained workers-must Or
ganize for examination of the in
dustry's problems, for discussion OF
them, for agreement as to what must
be done and for co-ordinated action.
Law of Jungle" Opposed.
1--WE want successful and honorable
business, but selfish individual effort
will never bring it; the law Of the
Jungle is law of destruction. The
members of the construction industry
will succeed only as the industry as
a whole succeeds. Good business
comes when an industry is built on
public confidence and on self re-
spect, and in a complex civilization
the first law of good business is CO.
operation.
Competition is, of course, assem-
tial, but there are two kinds of COM
petition-cut-throat and cooperative.
Cut-throat competition means that,
fair or foul, you beat your COMPETE
tor. Cooperative competition means
that you get together, understand each
other, and come to general agree
ment as to what is fair competition.
so that those who resort to unfair
and dishonorable practices will have
the kind of consideration they merit.
Then there are those relationships
where competition does not enter.
Have architects, contractors, subcon-
tractors, producers of material, all
working together as part Of this same
great industry, ever seriously tried to
understand each others problems. or
make any determined effort to play
together to win the game?
"It is only within the last few years
that building congresses and like or
ganizations have been set up to make
a common meeting place for all OF the
elements Of the industry, where men
in the different trades and professions
may come to know each other, and
sit down together to plan for the
good of the entire group.
Need Common Ground.
1--WE believe that every community
and State In the country should have
its building congress, State construc.
ton league, or like construction In.
dustry group, to establish q common
ground where the needs of the build.
ing industry may be studied; tt
harmonize conflicting interests within
the industry; to recommend ways ane
means of improving conditions in tn.
industry for the good of all, ant
to develop a high degree Of cooper
alton between individuals and groups
in order to establish better human
relationship and to build up mutua
respect and confidence.
Fundamental to all of this Is X
understand that good business ant
decent business are brought about b.
ICee co -OpER AXIOM PAGE Al