Letter to James J. Scully, President of the Building Trades Employers' Association.

[Released January 24, 1930. Dated December 26, 1929]

Dear Mr. Scully :

I have been apprised that representatives of the Building Trades Employers' Association and the Building Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor will meet in Tampa, Florida, on January 20th, 1930, for the purpose of taking up for consideration the matter of jurisdictional disputes and of agreeing on some method by which these differences may be adjudicated. The serious effect of the jurisdictional dispute upon both workers and employers in the building trades merits your most earnest thought and action. The public interest is very closely interwoven with that of the builders and mechanics involved in these disputes. In addition to the loss to builder and worker, it frequently happens that the completion of important undertakings, hospitals, schools, and other public structures is delayed, thus entailing heavy and unnecessary expense upon the taxpayers.

I am glad that a real earnest, sincere effort is to be made by the employer and employee representatives of the construction industry to devise a plan to amicably adjust these disputes and thereby prevent a stoppage of work on the building under construction while the differences are being composed. I know of nothing in the great building industry of the country which has done so much injury to building trades craftsmen, the contractors, and the public.

If the conferees set up machinery to meet and settle these jurisdictional disputes it will be a fine contribution to the advancement of the building industry of our country. Wishing you success in your endeavors, I am,

Yours faithfully,

HERBERT HOOVER

[Mr. James J. Scully, President, Building Trades Employers' Assn., 1 Beacon St feet, Boston, Mass. ]