NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a letter has been received by this Guild from some of our members, stating as follows:—
"On account of the rapid decline of foreign exchange and high increase in costs, we have suffered very heavy losses and have asked in our previous letter for your assistance. We wish to thank you in this connection for your advertisement in the newspapers appealing to the owners, Since then we have been communicating with them for a compromise, Some have made reasonable increases, some only expressed their sympathy without taking any action, and others simply escaped from giving clear expression. As we cannot carry on with further delay, we shall be inevitably compelled to suspend our work and wait for a reasonable settlement. In view of other complications which might arise from the owners' tendering the incomplete jobs to new contractors after our suspension, we request that you would advertise in the newspapers to the effect that all jobs suspended owing to the present situation shall not be taken up by other persons without first obtaining consent of the original contractors."
Under the present circumstances, our member contractors have really encountered serious difficulties, which have set a big obstacle to the completion of their work and they have no way out of these difficulties unless some amicable compromise be made, We have previously published in the newspapers an appeal which we trust has received the attention of the owners.
We are in deep sympathy with our member contractors as regards what they have enumerated in their letter. But we would advise them not to suspend their work before careful consideration is made as, once the work is suspended, it will be more difficult to reach a settlement and additional disputes may arise thus making the situation more complicated, As to the incomplete jobs to be taken up by new contractors, less anxiety should be felt in consideration of our strong union and the majority of members who have high business morals and will no doubt refrain from profiting for themselves at other people's expense.
Since the agreements for construction work are mostly specified with a time of completion, and the owners would expect to have use of their property in due time, suspension of jobs will cause unnecessary losses. Even if the owners should give the incomplete jobs to their new contractors there is no possibility of coming to terms without an increase im price. Instead of delaying the jobs and losing valuable time, it will be much better to effect an early completion of work at a reasonable increase in cost. We believe this point will be thoroughly appreciated by the owners, For the interests of both the contractors and the owners we have herein-above reiterated what we are aware of and hope thet our appeal will be kindly accepted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.