Lord Weir and Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in their enthusiasm for
the so-called steel houses have come up against the Federation of Building Trade Operatives, whose Secretary, Mr. Coppock, has announced that when any firm erects these houses building trade practices as to hours, wages and general conditions must be observed. Lord Weir contemplated finding much employment for the unemployed, whether skilled engineers or unskilled men. Mr. Coppock in effect lays it down that the cost of steel houses must be increased, since men who screw up the bolts of the houses must be paid the wages which are current in jobs that they have never been trained to do. This simply means that the building trade unions want to dictate to the whole country. It is not even as though the builders were themselves threatened with any unem- ployment. There is in any case more work than they can do. We shall see wheiher the nation will maintain its right to build emergency houses at an appropriate cost in the face of this egotistical challenge.
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