Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-16
Local Work for Local Men.


of letting contracts on municipal work
to out-of-town low bidders first thought
emphasizes the utter inconsistency OF
regarding public works projects as re-
lief to unemployment unless the locally
unemployed are given the opportunities
for employment. If municipal con-
struction work is given to out-of-town
bidders who import cheap labor, the
effect is to aggravate rather than al
leviate unemployment. Such appears
plainly to be the case in connection with
the bids for construction of the new
Roosevelt High School. BY circum-
stance. presumably peculiar to this case
alone, 1t appears that the successful
bidder will be determined by the type
of stone facings to be used on the build
ing. II marble Is used, the low bidder
appears to be North Carolina firm,
and the municipal architect, as an
architect, favors marble. If limestone
Is used, q contractor with q branch
ONCE In Washington, who will employ
local union labor, will probably receive
the contract.
But there are, Of course, deeper and
more fundamental issues involved In
the broad question of awarding con-
tracts for local work. Hundreds Of
local building tradesmen are out Of
work. They depend. to a great extent,
upon work in Washington. New York,
for instance, forbids by law their inn
portation in that State on public works.
In nearby Maryland, where Government
construction is in progress at Camp
Meade, politically influential Maryland
ers have insisted that the jobs be given
to Marylanders and Washington work.
men are In effect barred. A local trades
union oficial is authority for the state
ment that when some Washington
workmen sought employment on school,
building work in North Carolina recent
ly they were practically run out Of the
State. Other communities vigorously
preserve the principle that local jobs
are for local men.
There comes, then, the question
disregarding for the time being the
statutes involved-whether it is fair to
the local taxpayer to pay higher price
on local work merely to provide higher
paid local union men with jobs, when
the work could be done according to
prescribed standards by cheaper, non
union labor from out Of town; whether
any factor other than the natural law
Of supply and demand for labor should
rule. Local union carpenters receive
$I.s7h an hour. for instance, while
lahorers from North Caro-
lima viii do the work for sixty and
seventy cents an hour. The cost Of
labor represents about sixty per cent
Of the cost Of the job.
Here there must be considered the
standard of living attained and de-
manded by the resident union men vs..
the standard of living Of imported nom
union labor, and their relative value as
members Of the community. Unless the
gospel Is preached for the last decade
ls an empty myth the higher the stand
ard Of living, the more prosperous the
community: the higher the wages, the
greater the purchasing power, etc. The
local building tradesmen are for the
most part Washingtonians, many Of
them property, owners and taxpayers.
They have established themselves on
standard set by q recognized wage scale.
Their loss q the community's loss; their
gain the sommunity's gain. Dollars
saved on paper by importing cheap
labor are In reality dollars lost to the
taxpaying community. To lower wages
Is to reduce living standards.
The Federal Government has recog-
nized this, and in recent statement
the subject Secretary Mellon
said:
In line with the departments desire
to have local labor employed on Fed
eral building projects to the greatest
extent possible, consideration Is now be-
ing given to the inclusion of a para
graph in the specifications for public
building construction which would
notify bidders that the department will
look with disfavor upon any departure
by the contractors from the well known
policy Of the Government to maintain
existing rates Of wages.
In the case of the Roosevelt High
School, which is the case at issue, it
apparently lies within the power of the
Commissioners to award the contract
locally, at the expense Of the beauty
that lies in marble facings. Under the
circumstances the District could well
afford to lose the marble in q good
cause and content itself with less i'm
pressive stone.
But the same conflict between local.
union labor and out-of-town, cheap
labor Is sure TO come up again in some
other municipal contract. How viii it
be met? The law gives the Commits
sioners no leeway. They must accept
the low bid, other things being equal.
Too much leeway Is dangerous. 1t would
be hazardous to frame law that would
invite formation Of local contractors
ring. shutting out competition from
elsewhere. But it would be possible to
give the Commissioners suficient discre-
ton to lean in favor Of local employ
ment when the difference between
competing bids is not too great: or TO
specify, as has been suggested. that bids
are to be submitted on the basis of
nationally prevailing wage scales, thus
-
cial price for labor in Washington alone.
stimulated by the extent of public con-
struction now under way or In prospect.
An Englishman was given a cold