The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-02

SO long dS LIle WOIk COIllSS up W opSt
Contractors on four of the larger
road projects are spending almost
one-half million dollars of taXpay-
erS' money to improve about nine
teen miles of road. Large forces are
at work on three of the improve
ments.
Laborers at the West Tenth street
road told a Times representative
that many are accepting the 30
centS-an-hour pay under silent pro-
test. Cuts. of cents an hour have
dwindled their pay envelopes twice
in the last two weeks, they said.
County officials say that the con-
tractor is paying several men IT'S
cents an hour, although this was
denied.
Denies Wage SIashes
w. c. Halstead, West Tenth street
contractor, admitted to The Times
that the 3O-cent wage was being paid
pick ard shovel laborers, although
he denied claims of three employees
that cuts we're made in the last two
weeks. He declared his minimum
wage is 80 cents, and the maximum
rs cents. The lowest paid employe
is water boy, who works for 20
cents an hour, he asserted.
ANY man who says have made
wage cuts in the last two weeks is
making a false statement. Some
body is working against my inter
ests," he added.
He said that rs per cent of his
workmen have been with him reg
ularly and that the balance are
laborers who ARE here today and
gone tomorrow"
Wage reductions were made
recently by the Indiana Asphalt
Paving Company, builders of the
Arlington avenue road, according to
George A. Brilliant, official. Labor
erS there were cut 5 cents an hour
recently, to a minimum of IS cents
an hour, Brilliant said.
Pays 40 Cents an Hour
j. r. Hiatt, contractor building
the new Shelbyville road, lays the
sole claim to making no wage cuts.
Seventy laborers are receiving a
minimum of 40 cents, he said. La
borerS there certified HATS claim.
A 30-35-cent minimum is the pay
standard for laborers at the West
Seventy-f1rSt street improvement, it
was learned. Heads of the James E.
Mcnamara Construction Company,
contractors, declined to discuss the
pay situation.
Iaborers at West Tenth street
said that scores of men ask for en-
plyoment there daily. Some apph-
cants are put to work without
knowledge of what their pay will be,
and abandon their duties after an
hour or two when informed of the
wage scale, they said.
There is plenty of squawking
here" one laborer said, but there's
nothing we can do about it.
What can a man do when the
boss comes around and says we're
due for a cut? They put up the
old story of hard times and cheaper
labor, and there you are" the
workman said.
Price War Is Blamed
Commissioner Shearer declared
that contractors are waging war
among themselves for county bust
ness.
They are paving roads almost
$4,000 a mile cheaper than a year
ago" he said.
Shearer asserted that the price
war among contractors may justify
to some extent the cutting of wages.
He declared that contractors are
paving roads for about $4,000 a
mile this year against $4,000 aver
age of last year.
It will not attempt to say whether
the wage drop is proportionate to
the drop in bidders contract prices"
he said.
Paving of about six miles of West
Tenth street from Tibbs avenue to
the county line was awarded to Hal
stead on low bid of Sl26, 371,
slightly more than $4,000 per mile.
In 1929, Shearer pointed out, bid
der's prices would have been about
$40 200.