The union times., 1946-01-26
Seeks Cooperation
 To Meet Situation


 Harry C. Bates, chairman of the Housing Committee of the American Federation of Labor, this week warned that "the hous- ing shortage is about to become the number one threat to the American postwar standard of living with honelessness reality for American families in thous- ands of communities within a year."
 Speaking before the meeting of the National Association of Home builders at the Statler Hotel here, Mr. Bates called for "close and positive working cooperation among homebuilding enterprise, homebuilding labor and the gOv- ernmens toward achieving long. range goal of unified national housing policy which would enable private enterprise and local initia- tive to make a maximum cOntribu- tion to the welfare of the entire people," A summary of Mir. Bates statement follows:
 'Intolerable overcrowding is al- ready a reality most of our communi- ties are witnessing today. Tomorrow holds a real threat of actual home lessness to many American families.
 "Over l,5OOOO0 married veterans are already in immediate need of homes. More than 1,500,000 returning veterans are expected to marry and establish new homes within next year, but will find no place to set up new households. Some 3,000,000 new homes will therefore be sought in the course of next year by veterans alone, with a prospect of not more than 100000 to 5O0OO0 built next year and most of them at prices out of reach of the veterans.
 JOINT EFFORT NEEDED
 There is no binding of the fact that the housing shortage is about to become the number one threat to the American postwar standard ot liv- ing. That threat must be met with promptness and courage through a cooperative effort of building busi- ness, labor and the government.
 ssAmong the immediate prob lems facing us now, the foremost is that of an infiationary price boom. We must avert the danger of (l) large mass of our fami- lies being priced out of homes; (2) the homes to be built being priced out of reach of the mass market; and (3) the homebuilders being priced out of investment op- portunities with workers being priced out of jobs.
 Real estate and home-price inha- ton cannot be held by wishing. We cannot talk ourselves into price sta bility. Nor can the problem be equit- ably solved by snap judgment. The American Federation of Labor and the Building Trades Department are now making a careful and searching study of the ways and means to meet this complex and challenging prob lem.
 BUILDING TRADES AID
 The building trades are doing their full part to assure an adequate supply of labor in all classes of skills to meet the demand for an expanding homebuilding program in all parts of the country.
 ssThe flow of mechanics and la- borers who have been serving their country in the, armed forces back to their peacetime jobs is increas- ing every day. In addition, appren- tice training programs have been jointly set up by labor and indus try in thousands of our communi- ties, with increased training under way under cooperative labor-man- agement plans.
 Labor is equally alert to the need of making clear and farsighted pro- vision for more homes over a period of years, under an improved legisla- tive program providing for a unified American housing policy. The Amer ican housing market is a universal market.
 COMPLETE PROGRAM
 "To reach it we must have a com plete program serving families in all incomes. This program must give pri- mary responsibility to private build CTS and private investment to reach more home seekers than they ever have before. But this program must also include public aid to the fami- lies of low incomes, so that every American family could be assured a decent home.
 ''Labor cost for a close and posi-. tive working cooperation among homebuilding enterprises, home. building labor and the government toward achieving a long-range goal of unified national housing policy should enable private enterprise and local initiative to make g maximum contribution to the wei. fare of the entire people,"
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