Evening star., 1896-02-12
OPPOSING CONTRACT SYSTEM
A Workiugmsn's Committee Heard At the
! Capitol.
In Favor OF Having Dis
trlct Government Work Done by
Workmen Directly Employed.

A subcommittee Of the Senate committee
on the District Of Columbia. composed Of
Messrs. Mcmillan. Proctor and Baker, lis
tened to arguments yesterday afternoon
in favor Of the passage Of Senate bill 1417,
introduced by Mr.. Lodge, to regulate the
labor on public buildings and grounds in
the District Of Columbia.
The bill provides practically for the abo-
lition Of the contract system and the do
Ing of public work by workmen employed
directly by the District, and under the
supervision of District officials.
Mr.. f. M. Blake and ]. ]. Mccarthy, rep
resenting the legislative committee Of the
Federation of Labor, appeared before the
subcommittee.
Mr.. Blake spoke at some length on the
he advocated would do the workingmen
vas SO obvious that he would confine his
remarks to the presentation of facts and
reasons in support of the bill as a measure
TO promote the general public good.
Corruption In City Governments.
cit can safely be assorted said Mr..
Blake. that all the corruption in city
governments which has been so great a
scandal to our country has been closely
identified with the contract system. One
need not go away from Washington or ex-
to find examples, which, IL we were not
as u people so welded to our iniGuities,
would have resulted in an immediate aban-
donment of so ruinous and lisgraceful a
public practice. A most glaring instance
Is the aqueduct tunnel, which, after
millions had been expended upon it, was
found worthless because of the scamped
work done by contractors. who could not
resist the temptation to fraud. The con-
slant discoveries of botched work in pub
hc buildings and on public works of all
KINDS afford abundant testimony that the
public. though paying the highest prices
gets the cheapest work. Every summer
witnesses ridicule and Intellectual efforts
on the part of the District authorities to Sc
cure the proper performance of the garbage
contracts yet, yearly the same process is
repeated and the system generally con-
demned in the summer manages to get
new lease of life in winter when appropria-
ton bills are drawn up
MI Blake explained that in the District
OF Columbia the contract system exists by
congressional mandate, and positive legis-
lat!on is required to change the existing
system. The law requiring municipal Of
ficers of the District to give out by contract
work costing more than $1,000 was quoted
by Mr. Blake. The days work system he
favored
First. Because the system proposed by
the bill is cheaper than the contract sys-
tem and hence is commended by considera-
tions Of economy.
Second. Because it will rid the public
service or the many scandals growing cut
Of the contract system.
Third. Because it will institute a system
of competition in quantity and quality, ard
not IN price, and thus secure for the public
better work for the money expended.
Experience of London.
In London, Mr.. Blake said, system SIM
liar to the one he proposed had been in
force for several years, and millions of dol
lars have been saved by it. The London
movement had been brought about by an
effort in letalf of the woIkingmen result
ing in the councils inserting a fair wages,
clause IL. contracts recurring contractors
to pay recognized standard wages. and the
contra ectors. thinking to defeat the enforce
ment OF this clause, refused to bid on
such work. which resulted in the establish
ment Of a public works committee Many
public works had since been executed by
this committee with saving of 8 per cent
to the government and the contractor has
practically disappeared. Great railway cor
porations had practically abandoned the
contract system long ago.
Mr.. Blake referred to the State, War and
Navy Department and the new Congress
sional Library building as giving evidence
of the character of work obtained under
the days work system. He quoted also
from recent rerCrt of Capt Derby as to
high prices obtained from the government
by combinations of contractors
"A great evil attending the contract sys-
tem, he said, lone from which the Dis
trict has sorely suffered, arises from the
practice Of avaricious contractors of i'm
porting into the District gangs of workmen
employed at low wages. Many such work.
men when their employment comes to an
end are stranded here, and their presence
serves to depress the local labor market
and to increase the general poverty in
times of distress so the gains made by the
contractors. through employment of cheap
labor, have to be paid over and over again
by the community.
1T Is difficult to imagine what can be
said in favor Of the contract system as an
piled to work done under the District gov
ernment The District government main
tains complete corps of supervisors and
inspectors, which would not have to be ma
terially increased If the contract system
were abolished. Why, with this machinery
already provided, the government should re-
quire the services of middlemen to come
between our own officers and the working
men is not clear The contract system as
thus applied becomes merely a system of
speculation in human labor, in human life
and happiness. An enlightened government
should never give its approval to such a
system. 1 confidently believe the day will
come when the contract system will be re-
garded, as slavery is now, as belonging to
an age when the nation was unenlightened,
and men will be amazed that it ever existed
by authority of the government
Impressed the Committee.
The arguments advanced by Mr.. Blake
yesterday afternoon seem to have made a
decided impression upon the Senators who
heard them. The District Commissioners
had advised an adverse report on the bill,
and unless the other side of the question
had been advocated 1t is hardly likely that
the measure would have received much
additional consideration. Mr.. Mcmillan
chairman of the Senate District committee,
in speaking to a Star reporter today, said:
"Mr. Blake made a very effective argu-
Llent for the hill to do away with the con-
tract system, and l am now inclined to
favor it, but wish to secure further infor-
nation before recommending any action. 1
have asked the Commissioners to furnish
data regarding the. amount of contract
vcrk on hand, etc, and when 1 receive
their reply I hope to be in position to
ccme to a conclusion about what should
be DONE"
Debate on the Bond Bill.
After the conclusion of District business