Fred Trump

In a front page story in the Real Estate section of the Sunday Times, Fred C. Trump, identified as a Brooklyn builder, decried the current building material shortages which he said would make it impossible to achieve the government's goal of 2,700.000 new homes for veterans in 1946-47. The most acute shortages were in plumbing supplies, soil pipes, water boilers, bathtubs, radiators, B.X. cable and nails.

Fred Trump, perhaps best known today as Donald's father, was the man who made the family fortune through the construction of affordable housing in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. He was a solid businessman with none of the theatrics, glitz or headline-grabbing behavior of his son. At this time he was building one of the largest developments under construction in the metropolitan area, 400 dwelling units at Cropsey and Twentieth Avenue in Brooklyn. Another 600 units were scheduled by the end of the year. The two men almost epitomize the difference between mid-century New York and the city at the end of the twentieth century.

Trump told The Times that a carload of nails had been delayed for two months and he had several men out hunting nails in NY, NJ and CT by the keg, pound or handful. Brick,rough lumber and trim, however, were available in "fairly good quantities." From what he had heard many manufacturers were not producing the items in short supply because they couldn't make a profit under existing OPA price ceilings. Nail manufacturers, for instance, were making fence wire, which had a higher price ceiling, instead.

Another problem for Trump was the 30-hour week instituted by several business trades. One rainy day cut the work week down to 24 hours and two rainy days meant 18 hours of work. With the scarcity of skilled labor and the need for housing, he felt the work week should be increased to 35 hours at least.