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Show I BRICK MEN SEE I MORE f TIYITY Ninety Per Cent of Plants Are Idle But Resumption of Work is Expected DlscUaslcybfl of the- broader problems Kj affecting ine Industry, as well as ihose hiving to do with method". of in creasing ihe production and OonBUmp tlon of brick, were civcn prominent H place on the program of the Joint ses- li:; sion of the National Brick Mainline- Hirers' association and the t'omnmn H ,lf Brick Manufacturers' association. ' whose annual meetings were held 111 H; rhe Hotel Pennsylvania, New York H v.; City. January SI Februai J I Though the greater part of the eon ' ventiou time was consunn-d in discus ?5 sion of more or lese te bnlbal metli H ffi nds of hri k m;mi. ;k Mil , hr.ndlin :j m nd transportation. HCtion was taken H through resolution on several impor Hr tant Issues which concern employ H'f?; inent relations and the broad admin H istration of the industry Chief among Hl the resolutions were those (1) Hec- ommending co-operation with arch I-H I-H tects and others in stimulating enroll H ment of apprentices In the brick lay H in trade; and (2) urging upon con-Hi;' con-Hi;' gross the adoption of custom duties H that will result in a reciprocal agree 1 ment for the tdiipmenT of brick be- iween the United States and Canada H Tariff duties from the 1'ntted States H to Canada now are 30 per cent ad va H$ loreni. with an anti-dumping clause H To the United States from Canada, H brick is taxed 10 per cent ad valorem, H an anti dumping clause also being In H eluded in the tariff provision. The HUi National Brick Manufacturers' asso i ciation recommended all duties on H brick be removed and, that there be H no antidumping clause, or at leasi H that the duties not exceed in per cent ad valorem. H It was stated from the floor ot ihe H convention that approximately i per H cent of the plant capacity of the Com- Hi) mon Brick Manufacturers was now H idle. When a resumption In brick Hj manufacture will occur, depended M was said, upon a lowering in wage LUrI cost. One statement was made tha' HEl a recession of 2f per cent in (he com Hli- mon labor wages would probably re- Hffij suit in a drop of liom $1 to $2 per Hn thousand in the price of brick D HH pile the present condition of the in- Hlj dustry, it was frequently stated thai a Iffi resumption in building construction I was bound to come, though it would H noi come perhaps until several months HI after normal spring construction be H gins. In thU connection, il is an in HI teresting fact Ihnt Ogden brick prices HI have already dropped. The belief was generally expressed Hfl rUat during the coming year or so HI brick will have its greatest market In HI building house construction. There- l fore, in order to make a brick house 1 competitive In first cost with other 1 types, a new type of wall Uhs bwen o 19 velOped, called ih -ideal" wall. It HLJJ is u hollow wall, having several forms. HH the simplest being the laying of the H brick so that every other brick in ev- H cry course is a header. Tests are now H being carried on to determine if that HI type of wall will meet city building HI code requirements. Once Its status HI as an approved design is secured, n bbS large increase in the consumption of HI brick Is looked forward 'too. HI oo |