Evening star., 1927-11-03
CUT-RATE PAY WAR
SEENAT NAVY YARD
Labor Delegate AssaiIs U. S.
Procedure at Wage
ParIey.

A salvo went rumbling across the
table at which the Naval Wage Board
Of Review was sitting at the Navy
Department today. when ii was charg-
ed that not only the general board In
past years, but the local navy yard
board, were openly changing statutes,
were iegislating for themselves and
were creating a wage competition
downward that was gradually under
mining the standard of American hv-
ing for the working man. /.
The board side was opened by James
j. Higgins, general organizer of the
United Association of Journeyman
Plumbers and Pipe Filters of the
United States and Canada, and his
raking fire was fianked by other
workers representatives appealing for
a compliance with the law and pro-
vision of sufficient pay to maintain
the American STAN of living.
Cut Rate Competition.
Mr.. Higgins alleged that the Gov
er..ment yards were entering into q
cut-rate competition with private en-
ployers and they are the means OF
cutting down the standard Of living.
He said that local wage boards at
tempt to and succeed in making q
wage law of their own, adding that
administrative officials of the United
States have no authority to change
the laws Of Congress. nor even the
right to interpret the law so as to
pervert it. But he said that 1t Is be-
ir done right along.
He said that the mechanical forces
of the Navy Yard are faced with the
question as to whether the law re-
quiring this annual adjustment Of
wages was a mere slip OF paper, for.
he continued, the general wage board
in the past has not even followed the
local board. and many times has made
cuts in wages when the data and the
reports Of the local boards showed
conclusively that an increase should
be granted.
The action Of these boards. he went
on, has forced the labor organizations
to spend thousands Of dollars. with
the addition Of time and labor. in
maintaining the American standard
Of living that the Navy wage boards
are continually tearing down by this
cut-rate wage competition. He toeS
exception openly TO the right of any
wage board TO substitute its opinion
for the law.
James Lennon. representing she
sheet metal workers. fanked the His.
gins attack with a demand that the
Navy Board show some respect fer
the law. He said that q fair wa.e
for this class OF workers, as evidenced
by wages paid outside the yards. was
81 10 an hour, while the boards xeaeE~
ally had recommended only 30 eSass.
He said that the prevailing rate Ess
such workers In private enploSssssss
in Washington is $l.sIia "a assss,
while the local board had reSNMSS>,~s,
ed only 80 cents.
Increase Is Sought,
Joseph NJ. Armstrong es .Aaass>sa2ls,.
representing the Associated <seNsSsss
ment Employees az the Naval -Aetstse9sS..
also asked for an incG~&Se IL wages
for the employees there. saA slde&
that il appeared shay the w4& xfhs
every year were speaessas seAaaS 4srs-.
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