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Vol. CII.





NEW YORK, JULY 20, 1918





No. 3





National Federation of Building Industries

Conference at Atlantic Gity of Representatives from Every State
Effects Organization and Adopts Constitution

(Special to the Record and Guide.)





ATLANTIC CITY, July 16.—As the result of a two-
days' conference of leaders in the Iniilding iiidustry
throughout the United States, a pernianent organi-
zation known as the National Federation of Building In-
dustries was perfected here today.    It represents interests
lotalling $3,000,000.

The objects of the new organization are stated in the
following declaration, which was adopted enthusiastically:

The National Federation of Building Indus-
tries, representing an interest, second only to agri-
culture, in the numbers who live by it, pledges
to those in authority all aid within the power of
the industry to accomplish success in the war.
'We are glad to assume our share of the burdens
of the war and cheerfully to sustain, in common
with other industries, whatever sacrifices may be
essential to its successful prosecution. The Ex-
ecutive Board of this federation shall endeavor
to devise means whereby, with the approval of
the Government, the resources of the building
industry may be best marshaled for direct assist-
ance to the Government in carrying on the war
and for the indirect assistance through mainte-
nance of national prosperity and through creation
of values upon which the national credit may be
enlarged.

Nearly three hundred delegates, representing all of the
important branches of the building industry in the na-
tĩon, attended the convention, which was held at the Marl-
horough-Blenheim and which lasted two days. The con-
ference was called under the auspices of the United States
Chamber of Commerce, and was attended by representa-
tives of fifty-fîve national associations, fifty-five regĩonal
associations covering the supply, engineering and con-
tracting bodies from every state, and fifty-three individual
manufacturing concerns.

When the conferees held their first session yesterday
mornîng they selected Allan Walker, of New York, East-
ern District Representative of the United States Cham-
ber of Commerce, as temporary chairman; E. A. Roberts,
Secretary of the Cleveland Builders' Exchange as tem-
porary secretary, and J. Osgood Andrews, of the Plate
Glass Manufacturers Association of America, temporary
treasurer. Col. John R. Wiggins, of Philadelphia, was
named as chairman of the Committee on Permanent Or-
ganizatîon,

One of the first acts of the conference was the adoption
amid cheers of the following message to President Wilson :

"Representatives of the varioiis branches of the building
industry, gathered from all parts of the country at the
summons of the Chamber of Commerce of the United
States, send you fervent good wishes for the completion
of the task of bestowing upon the world a permanent
peace.

"We are glad to bear our share of the burden of the
war for the liberty and shall carefully accept whatever





sacrifices and readjustments may be essential to its vigor-
ous prosecution.

"The Government has a perplexing problem in the en-
deavor to restrict construction activities where necessary,
vvhile keeping employed labor and materials not needed
for war purposes.
^ "To solve that problem successfully in an industry of
such magnitude, such ramifications and such large in-
fluence on general trade and prosperity will immeasurably
strengthen the nation for the support of taxation and loans
which must continue as long as the war lasts.

"We are assembled to devise an instrumentality through
which the building industry may give iinited aiid efifective
aid in solving that problem.

"We pledge you and those officially associated with yon
the fullest co-operation within our power."

(Signed)        E.  A.  Roberts,   Secretary."

Harry A. Wheeler, of Chicago, President of the United
States Chainber of Commerce, outlined the need for the
conference, declaring that in its study of the industries
of the country and their relationship to the war program
the Chamber of Commerce had found no single industry
of such vast scope and so much disintegrated as the build-
ing trades.    Continuing, Mr. Wheeler said:

"There are splendid organizations representing the dif-
ferent industries in the building trades. They are work-
ing with great efficiency insofar as their respective lines
are concerned, with the authorities at Washington; but it
is not enough that these unit industries should be organ-
ized; for no industry making up a part of the building
trades can speak for the building trades as a whole.

"There are conditions developing daily that are becom-
ing distressing in some localities and with some industries
that must be properly represented to the Government in
order that justice may be done to the industries as well as
co-operation of the right kind find its way to the seat of
Government to help win the war.

"Your industry, because of its ramificatĩons, presents
niore problems than any industry we have yet undertaken
to counsel with; but problems are solvable in these times
rnd men's minds are working seriously toward a common
co-operative end. Diflferenccs of opinion and jealousy and
.íuspicions are dropping ofF like a coat that is discarded
and American business is standing forth as a unit as it
never has done before in the history of the nation.

"Now. the Chamber of Commerce of the United
States was asked many months ago by the then Coun-
cil of National Defence to organize the industries of
the country, to see that the industries had acceptable
and representative War Service Committees, that it
might be able to dcal with these committees, rather
than with the units of an industry. This was when our
period in the war was rather new. They foresaw the
necessity of dealing with an industry, instead of with a
(Continued on page 64)