b'Tokeepmomentumgoiniinthedirectionofcontinuanceofcontrols, weurgeeachofyoutowriteyourCongressmanandAdministrationrepresentatives.Letthemknowwhateliminationofcontrolsonorbefore "-\' April30wouldmeantoyou. Anyonewhoquestionswhetherconstructionwagecontrolshavehelped needonlyreadon.TheBureauofLaborStatisticsreportsthatduring theyearendedJanuary2,1974,hourlywageratesforunionizedbuilding trade~workersmovedup4.4%- or32.5cents- toanaverage$7.79,substantiallyunderthe7.1%advanceintheprecedingtwelve-monthperiod andthesmallestJanuary-to-Januaryincreaseineightyears.ThisiscomparedwithanadvanceintheConsumerPriceIndexduringDecember,1972-73 of8,890. Duringthefourthquarterof1973alone,theriseinwageratesfor buildingtradesworkersfellbelowthe1.0%markforthefirsttimein fiveyears.Theincreasecameto0.7%comparedwitha1.1%gaininthe finalperiodof1972.OnJanua~y2,1974,theBureauisindexforstraighttimeratesforbricklayers,carpenters,electricians,painters,plasterers, plumbersandbuildinglaborersstoodat164.3%ofthe1967average. Clearly,thecontrolshaveaccomplishedtheprimeobjectiveofslowingtheadvanceofconstructionwageincreases,Anyonecaretoguesswhat theBureauwillreportasofJanuary2,1975if controlsgooffthisyear? COSTESCALATIONCLAUSE - costByletter toyoulateinDecember,1973,weforwardedarecommended. escalationclauseforinclusioninallfutureconstructioncontractsObviously,theclauseisofnovalueifitisnotincludedinthecontrollingcontractdocument(whetheryourproposalformif acceptedbyyour customeror yourcustomer\'scontractformif signedbyyou).Communication isthekeytoobtainingapprovalfromyourcustomersofinclusionofthe clauseinyourcontracts.Letthemknowwhyyouneedtheclause.further, werecommendthatyourlocalAssociationcontactgeneralcontractors, architects,designspecificationwriters,etc.concerningtheclause. Enclosedwiththisissueistheescalationclauseplusaletter whichis beingmailedtoarchitects,generalcontractors,etc.bytheKansasCity Association.Wewillmakequantitiesoftheenclosedletter andthe escalationclauseplusMRCAenvelopesavailabletoanylocalAssociations inourregionwhichwishtomakeasimilarmailing.Pleasecontactusif youwishcopies. 1973CONVENTIONTAPES Professionallyrecordedandpreparedcassettetapesofall 1973 conventionbusinessprogramsexcepttheprogramentitled"Equipment MaintenanceandOperation- theRightWay\'\'areavailable.Theprice foracompletesetofseventapesis$25.Thetapeswerepreparedso thattherewouldbenooverlappingofprogramsfromonecassettetape toanother.Accordingly,if youwish,youmayorderthetapeofa particularprogramortapesoftwoorthreeprogramsratherthanorderingthewholeset.Thepriceperindividualtapeis$4,Torefresh ,_yourrecollection,theprogramswere:'