270 



SELLING LUMBER 



The 



Contractor 

 Figures for 

 Profit 



The 



Contractor's 

 Finances 

 Limited 



Then 

 Comes a 

 Critical 

 Moment 



hours after writing them, hej himself, the architect supreme, cannot 

 interpret his own writings. Therefore, how can we expect the 

 next man in order, the contractor, who only reads a specification 

 for profit, and who knows that the architect himself cannot in- 

 terpret his own specifications, proceeds to interpret them only for 

 his own profit. ^ 



The contractor having this power vested in his charge, his 

 decision necessarily becomes final and binding, as the lumber manu- 

 facturer receives a list from the' contractor giving the sizes of the 

 material, also the quality to be furnished, for a structure. The lum- 

 ber manufacturer does not know for what purpose the lumber is to 

 be used, consequently without any question whatever he furnishes 

 the lumber of quality ordered by the contractor, and bills him for 

 the amount furnished. 



The majority of contractors do not carry a sufficient amount 

 of bank balance to meet all claims or bills for materials entering 

 into the building, therefore, the contractor must necessarily rely 

 upon, a certificate from the architect to the owner for money to 

 meet his current bills. 



In other words, the manufacturer of lumber, the lumber dealer, 

 as well as manufacturers of all other materials entering into the 

 building, must finance themselves for a certain length of time, pend- 

 ing the receiving of money from the owner. 



It is when certificates are called for by the contractor that the 

 architect, with his wonderful knowledge of lumber, first visits the 

 building to critically inspect and ascertain if the lumber furnished 

 makes it safe for him to issue a certificate to the contractor for 

 payment to the lumber dealer for lumber furnished by him. 



It is then at that critical moment when the contractor, the 

 lumber manufacturer, and the dealer, are forced to resort to arbi- 

 tration, as to what was specified and what was delivered at the job. 

 Arbitration which results ultimately in exposing the ignorance of 

 the layman, as well as the professional man, called the architect, 

 the master builder called the contractor, and the lumber manufac- 

 turer or dealer. 



Generally, the arbitrator, who usually is a technical lawyer and 

 who does not know the difference between an architect's specifica- 

 tions and a fairy tale, steps into the arena, and his decision be- 

 comes final and binding, which naturally results in a greater separa- 



