Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-05
Leaders rqe
Free Hand on
Construction
Government Warned
Against Restrictions
At Conference

leaders of the building industry that
business must be freed from UNI
necessary restrictions and must be
given a fair chance" to carry out
the program of construction for both
normal and national defense re-
quirements.
John w. OLeary, chairman of the
Executive Committee of the United
States Chamber of Commerce, said
this was the condition for sue
cessful performance in opening a
National Industry Construction Con-
ference at the chambers headquar-
tiers. 1t was echoed by other repre-
sentatives of the building industry
who had been called together to
consider the dual load" imposed
on the industry during the present
emergency.
Alfred Rheinstein, chairman Of
the Co-ordinating Committee of the
New York Building Congress, de-
clared there is probably no other
industry in the country which is as
we'll prepared to produce a large
volume quickly in an emergency.
But, he warned:
1T is fundamental to the abnor-
NAL situation that the industry must
bend to the needs of the emergency,
but without surrender of independ-
ence and initiative, and when nor
malcy' has been restored it should
be able to shift from Government
TO private building without loss Of
competence.
Should Understand Reasons.
Where the necessities of the
emergency require Government con-
troll the industry should understand
the reasons for it and should exert
its influence to see that these con-
trolls are carefully thought out and
that they do not become greater
than are needed to secure their i'm
mediate detectives. Such a demo-
cratic process in an emergency i'm
plies self-discipline more difficult
to impose than dictatorial regula-
ton"
Mr.. OLeary visualized private
construction work as sound foun-
dation" for the defense program.
I'VE need it also as something sub
stantial on which to build our fu-
ture prosperity when defense con-
struction is finished or greatly re-
duced," he said. We need it as a
cushion against too violent a re-
adjustment at that future date"
The problem, said Ernest T. Trigg
of Washington. president of the Ma
tional Paint, Varnish and Lacquer
Association, and chairman Of the
conference. is to continue needed
peacetime building and at the same
time make effective a superimposed
national defense construction pro-
gram.
One of the high lights of the con-
ference was emphasized by Thomas
S. Holden of New York, vice presi-
dent of the F. w. Dodge Corp. He
told the conference the defense con-
struction program already is bringing
about, practically for the first time
in poSt-depression, full employment
OF both union and non-union build
ing trades workers. This full en-
ployment, he advised should con-
tinue well into next year.
Warns of Possible Demands.
Coupled with it. however. Mr..
Holden warned of possible demand
for increased union wages. Remind
ing that the amount of private resi-
dental building will be governed
somewhat by building costs, he said
that non-union building labor is
now being paid higher wages than
1t has been accustomed to receive
in recent years.
This fact" he said, quite DOS.
sibly might encourage the unions to
demand increases as May l ap-
proaches, the date when most new
wage contracts go into effect
| Mr.. Holden estimated that l941
construction-both public and pri-
vate-would increase ID per cent
over the 1910 figure. This volume.
he said, will be the largest since 1880
and would not have to be increased
to any great extent to produce the
largest construction volume since
1929
Mr.. Rheinstein had reported to
the conference on one of the most
pertinent problems connected with
the building industry. Unless more
young men are trained as appren-
tices, he warned, prefabrication Of
home construction will grow to off,
set the scarcity of available mechan-
les. Such temporary compensa-
ton, he said, may in the end prove
to be a permanent benefit.
IF more work is to be done in the
| shop rather than in the field" Mr..
Rhelnstein said, 1T should tend to
make employment more continuous.
1t should capture all economies of
machine production, which have so
largely been lacking in field work,
and generally speaking, it should in
crease the annual income OF the
workmen and produce more quickly
a better and cheaper structure for
the consumer"
Palmer Outlines Problems.
The problems of defense housing
were outlined by Charles F. Palmer
Of Atlanta, Ga, housing co-ordina-
tor Of the National Defense Commits
sion. Other speakers included George
V. West of Atlanta, past president
OF the United States Savings & Loan
League. At luncheon conference
problems were discussed by Lewis II.
Brown of New York, president of
Johns-Manville Corp, and John P.
Coyne, president, Building and Con-
struction Trades Department, A. F.
of L.
Mr.. Palmer declared the $4,000
houses now under construction or
allocated represent "a pretty good
start" on taking care of defense
housing needs. At this early stage.
he reminded, the progress of de-
tense housing for different purposes
Is naturally greater. on the military
service list than on the private in
dustry list. =.
Evening sessions of the confer
ence will be devoted to apprentices