Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-07
OFFICIALS PREPARE
. FOR new WAGE ACT
Davis Law Requires Payment
of Local Scales on All
U. S. Projects.
CONTINUED From First page.)

that in cases of disputes as to the pre-
vailing wage scale the Secretary of
Labor will render final decision.
The report, submitted by Senator
Davis, also stated:
1.-THE Federal Government has en-
tered upon an extensive public building
program throughout the United States
and in the District of Columbia. This
program will continue for a period OF
eight or ten years and will result in the
expenditure of approximately half a
billion dollars for the construction, alter
alton and repair of Federal buildings.
Have Paid Low Wages.
eft was intended that this vast sum
of money should be expended not only
TO properly house Federal offices in
their own buildings, but also to benefit
the United States at large through dis
tribution of construction throughout the
communities of the country without
favoring any particular section.
"The Federal Government must, under
the law, award its contracts to the
lowest responsible bidder This has
prevented representatives of the depart
ments involved from requiring success
full bidders to pay wages to their en-
ployes comparable to the wages paid for
similar labor by private industry in
the vicinity of the building projects
under construction. Though the cff1-
Gals awarding contracts have faithfully
endeavored to persuade contractors to
pay local prevailing wage scales, some
successful bidders have selflshly i'm
ported labor from distant localities and
have exploited this labor at wages far
below local wage rates.
This practice, which the Federal
Government is now powerleSS to stop,
has resulted in very unhealthy situa-
ton. Local artisans and mechanics
many of whom are family men owning
their own homes, and whose standards
of living have long been adjusted to
local wage scales, cannot hope to COM
pete with this migratory labor. Not
only are local workmen affected, but
qualified contractors residing and doing
business in the section of the country
to which Federal buildings are allocated
find IL impossible to compete with the
outside contractors. who base their esti-
mates for labor upon the low wages
they can pay to unattached. migratory
workmen imported from a distance and
for whom the contractors have in some,
cases provided housing facilities and
food in flimsy, temporary quarters adj
tacent to the project under construc-
ton.
VIII Garry Out Policy.
"This committee has held extensive
hearings on the subject and has arrived
at the conclusion that this measure will
alleviate present unsatisfactory condi-
tions and win carry out the intent of
the Federal public building policy This
legislation will provide a more ecuable
distribution of employment. especially in
the present time of depression, and will
generally benefit the country at large
by requiring that those who have been
awarded public building contracts pay
their employees wages comparable to the
prevailing wage scales where they are
emoloved.
This measure does not require the
Governments to establish any new wage
scales in any portion of the country. It
merely gives the Government the power
to require its contractors to paw their
employees the prevailing wage scales in
the vicinity of the building projects.
This is only fair and just to the en-
ployes, the contractors and the Govern
mert alike. 1t gives a square deal
TO ALL