The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-10-13
BOOM NO AID TO
CONTRACTORS
Emergency Not Threaten
ing Steady Growth of
Construction

Managing Director Edward j
Harding of the Associated General
Contractors Of American today sum-
married. action Of the annual fall
meeting of the governing and ad-
visory boards at which chief topics
were: Effect of world conditions on
the construction industry: progress
In labor relations: and speeding up
Of highway construction as o ma
ttonal defense measure.
In light of world conditions, he
said, general contractors:
/. Do not feel that the emergency
Immediately threatens the steady
growth of construction markets or
Ell -ployment, or promises an imme-
diate boom.
2. win do everything possible to
keep prices and conditions within
the industry as nearly normal as
possible. With markets still below
former levels they do not want price
increases or other factors to hinder
steady and permanent increase of
markets.
8. Feel that the industry which
Is recovering from ten lean years in
in strong position to carry out eff
GENTLY all public and private con-
Struction now in prospect, or that
will be needed in case of severe
emergency.
4. Recommend that In case OF a
severe emergency the federal gov
eminent establish a separate board,
composed of persons familiar with
construction, to handle all construc-
ton matters. Coordination Of the
industry with the government, with
the public interest served first and
the principles Of private business
preserved, can best be accomplished
by persons fully understanding COM
plexities of the industry.
5. Call upon the government to
cease destructive direct competition
on public works through the Work
Projects Administration, and per-
form all preparedness construction
and construction in the event of war
through efficient private construc-
ton organiza tons without the waste
of manpower, equipment, material
and money through WPA.
Progress in labor relations was re-
ported by E. p. Palmer, of Senior
and Palmer, Inc, New York, past
president Of the A. G. c. and chair
man Of the labor relations commit
tee. The current convention of the
Building and Construction Trades
Department Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, he said, changed
its constitution to perfect machin-
cry jointly established to prevent
stoppage of work by jurisdictional
disputes. Joint committees are at
work to improve other conditions
within the industry.
I'VE observe" he said, "a new
determination on the part of labor
to do its part in putting this indus
try Of ours on better basis"
In line with testimony Of mill
tary experts that the highways best
adapted for national defense are
those best serving normal traffic
needs, the boards adopted a rec
ommendation by M. w. Watson,
chairman of the highway contrac-
tors division, to urge upon Congress:
Legislation now pending permit
ting the federal government to ac-
quire land for highway rights-of-
way, thereby enabling states and
cities to speed construction.
Legislation for the designation of
a system of direct regional
highways with appropriate connec-
tons through and around cities, to-
gether with an appropriation to care
for the cost through more liberal
contribution by the federal govern
ment than the present SO per cent.
A meeting Of the Joint Coopera-
tive Committee of the American AS
ISOLATION Of State Highway Official
and the Associated General Con-
tractors approved recommendations
for uniform state standards for
measuring the responsibility which
contractors should have to under
take highway construction.
Memphis, Tennessee, was selected
as site for the 21st annual conven-
ton the week of February S, 1910.
H. B. Zachry, of Laredo, Texas, was
nominated for president for the
coming year, and M. w. Watson, of |
Topeka, Kansas, for vice president