Evening star., 1939-09-30
Building |ndusty's
Stability 10 Be Topic
OF Contractors
Cost Increases Will
Limit Volume, Warns
Director Harding

Managing Director Edward j.
Harding of the Associated General
Contractors of America, Inc, an
nounced today that chief business
OF the annual fall meeting of the
governing and advisory boards
which will bring association officers
and members from the entire coun-
try to New York City October 2-5
will be:
l. Steps to preserve stability Of
the construction industry during the
war emergency.
2. Steps to perfect machinery to
prevent stoppage of work because
OF jurisdictional disputes and for
settlement of such disputes, agreed
upon August II by the association
and the Building and Construction
Trades Department of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor.
Mr.. Harding said, "The war and
the proclaimed state of emergency
IN this country threaten increase Of
construction costs. General con-
tractors do not want construction
costs to increase, and must do every
thing possible to prevent increases.
First, increases would curtail the
volume of construction. Second, con-
tractors realize from experiences of
the last war that war profits are
not sound profits. 1t is to the best
interest Of the construction industry,
and of the public, for construction
to proceed as nearly normally as
possible.
Conditions Can Hinder,
"World conditions and govern
mental actions beyond control OF
general contractors can, however,
hamper construction. Rises in
material prices, wage increases,
delays through shortage of labor,
and cancellation of contracts while
construction contracts are in force
will be detrimental to the industry.
Negotiations are now under way
with other national associations in
the industry and with Government
departments with view to placing
In construction contracts fair and
equitable clauses so that the risks
assumed by general contractors will
be appropriately limited to those
matters over which they may exer-
else control. Every effort must be
made to keep prices low, but this
cannot be accomplished if the con-
tractor is required to be an abso-
lutte insurer against any and all
possibilities which may arise under
emergency conditions.
To Discuss Work Disputes.
"In the meeting contractors will
also discuss ideas for perfecting the
machinery agreed upon to prevent
stoppage of work during jurisdic-
tional disputes. Since the agree
ment with the Building and Con-
struction Trades Department went
into effect, the number of strikes
has been greatly decreased and
their duration shortened. Con-
tinued improvement in the future is
expected.
Under consideration also will be
means of bringing about other
agreements with labor on training of
apprentices, on having all crafts on
a job work uniform hours, and on
having wage scales remain constant
Tor the duration of a job contract"
The high balances of Federal aid
funds in the State highway depart
ments, which threaten to decrease
the amount of money that will be
available for highway construction
IN the future, will be discussed.
There will also be an important
meeting of the Joint Cooperative
Committee of the American Associa-
ton OF State Highway Officials and
the Associated General Contractors.
to- approve national standards for
qualification and prequalifcation of
highway contractors.