Evening star., 1939-11-18
Government Spying
Declared Retardinq
Private Building
Gypsum Company Head
Speoks at US.
Chamber Session

oPeokS at y. ,.
Chamber Session
An industrial leader attending
United States Chamber of Com
merce building conference here yes
terday listed Government Spying
on industry" as one of the factors
deterring construction in this coun-
try.
The speaker was Melvin H. Baker
of Buffalo, N. Y, president of the
National Gypsum Co. He was on
the program of the concluding ses-
sion OF the conference, which dis
cussed means of stimulating the
flow Of private capital into building.
Mr.. Baker mentioned the Justice
Departments investigation of the
building trades as an example of
spying" and said it Is "penalizing
the whole industry for the evils of
a few"
u. s. Competition Opposed.
He listed these other factors as
adversely affecting building:
l. Direct Government competition
in the building field through it's
many bureaus, such as the Works
Projects Administration, the United
States Housing Authority and 10Th
ers too numerous to mention"
2. Restrictions to obtaining new
capital because of regulations of
the Securities and Exchange Com
mission.
3. The capital gain and loss tax,
which the speaker said acts to dis
courage shifts of capital from pres
ent investments to provide for new
ventures in the building field.
Mr.. Baker participated in a ses-
sion discussing effects of the Eu-
ropean war on the construction in
dustry.
Other speakers warned that in
flationary prices would endanger a
promising construction year in 1910.
Hope was expressed that the United
States would not be involved in the
European war.
Imitation Restrictions Advised.
Raising Of prices of both ma
terial and labor" said C. G. Con-
ley, president of the Mount Vernon
Bridge Co., Mount Vernon, Ohio,
will result in lessening of the
demand for construction.
1T is more desirable" he con-
tinued, that we do not let this
country get into war; that we keep
the war as far from our shores as
possible, and that we do everything
we possibly can to promote keeping
base, and that we keep prices of
materials, labor and all commodi-
ties from any further imitation"
Robert w. McChesney, executive
vice president of Harry Alexander,
Inc, Washington, said the discon-
tinuance of guaranteed quotations
on building materials and equip
ment for specific jobs threatens the
stability and progress of the con-
struction industry
Business leaders of the country
"have used every proper means at
their disposal to curb infiationary
prices and inflationary buying"
Thomas s. Holden, vice president
of the F. w. Dodge Corp, New York,
told the conference. He predicted
relatively stable construction costs
during 1910.
Construction Seen Rising.
Mr.. Holden said 1910 should bring
increases in nearly all construction
lines, although "the last session of
Congress turned strongly against
pump priming as policy, curtailed
| w. P. A. activities and acted sd-
yersely on the administration pro-
! posal for a new spending program. u
| He said he believed the general
election next year would temper in
dustrial activity and capital invest
ment
While there is reason to expect
less social reform legislation and
less business batting than we have
been having" he said, there will
be some people who prefer to delay
their building commitments until
after election"
! Mr.. Holden summarized 1910 con-
struction and building forecasts as
follows:
Commercial building-An in
crease of Is per cent over 1898.
Manufacturing buildings-An in
crease of Al per cent.
Decline In Others.
"All other non-residential build
ings principally public and insti-
tutionsl buildings)-A decline of Is
per cent; hospitals are expected to
increase, religious buildings to be
built in the same volume as in 1899
and the other classes to decline.
Residential building-A S per
cent increase in private residential
building and IS per cent increase
in public residential building. net
ting a IA per cent increase in all
residential building. Large type
residential buildings apartments
and hotels, including both privately
and publicly financed) are esti-
mated to increase about 26 per
cent; one and two family houses
are estimated to increase about 9
per cent. New family dwelling units
would increase in about the propor-
ton OF total dollar residential VOL
ume, IA per cent.
Heavy engineering construction
public works and utilities,-Th
total volume Is estimated at prac-
tically the same as 1899, the net
result OF moderately increased high
way construction, sizeably increased
electric utility construction and
declines in all other classes"