ABSTRACT
What part do building practices play in slowing progress in home construction? As a result of such practices, are Americans denied cheaper, better housing? Apparent restrictive building practices often result not only from the efforts and interests of unions but from those of contractors and producers as well. Many restrictive practices do exist. They vary greatly from place to place. Beneath these variations from place to place and from trade to trade are certain practices that, in their totality, retard the adoption of new materials and improved systems of handling old materials, thereby adding to housing costs. The Commission attempted to collect instances of restrictive practices in a responsible way, insisting on substantiation with specific details rather than accepting broad, generalized attacks. Many practices incorporated in work rules may be more the responsibility of the employers than of the unions who negotiated the agreement.
