Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-09
ADAMS TERMS LABORERS' PAY
IN RAZING BELOW LIVING WAGE
D. C. Employment Director Says Probe
Shows Men Clearing u. S. Sites Get
Only IS to 50 Cents Per Hour.

Charges that common laborers en-
ployed by wrecking concerns engaged
in wTecking operations on Federal and
District building sites here are being
paid less than living wage are made
by George j. Adams, executive secretary
of the District Committee on Employ
ment acting, he explains, in a per
sonai capacity"
Supporting his statements by copies of
afidayits, Mr. Adams. in statement
prepared for the advice of President
william Green of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor, charges that these men
are being worked ga hours psr day,
instead of g.
The common laborers employed In the
razing of the buildings on these Gov
eminent sites, the affidsvit saws, are
being paid. for the most pa<, rs or 80
cents an hour This contrasts with
wages of 40 cents per hour. which. in
vestizat'on shows. Is thu rue followed
by local operative building concerns,
even those which are operating under
opsn-s-lop arrangements.
Law Sets L. S. Job Wages.
The question is raised as to WHITTIER
the Bacon-Dayis law. requiring con-
tractors on all Federal Government
operations and on local Government
COf1tthuNbtOAA- w pay Liz
scale Of wages" would apply to clearing
Of sites.
Hugh L. Kerwin. Cancellation admin
istrator IN the Labor Department under
the Bacon Davis law, said be had not
received any official complaints about
wages for common labor on the Gov
ernment work here.
A laborer working nine and half
hours per day at the rate of IS cents
I A n -
the same rate, for eight hours per day
Harris Co. Orders Raise.
Data gathered by Mr.. Adams in his
| Investigation were obtained with con-
siderable secrecy so as to avoid antici-
pated objections from wrecking super
intendents, but when a reporter of The
Stsr asked the construction bosses on
the several razing operations about
wages the information was readily sup
Piled Some said they were paying Is
cents an hour, some 80 and some IS
cents. and one foreman declared he was
! paying from 35 to rs cents an hour for
laborers. but admitted that those getting
rs cents were but few--yery few"
r. A. Goldman, local representative
of the Harris Wrecking Co, engaged
on the site of the new Municipal Cen
ter. explained that 50 far as he could
detefmine IS cents an hour was the
prevailing wage" for common lsbor
here Told that some other wrecking
concerns we're paying 80 cents, Gold
man called one of his foreman and inn
medistely ordered that his 25-cent-an-
hour men be raised to 30 cents.
| A later check wi h washington oper-
ative builders. however. showed that a
:. number ~ the most active builders here
are paying common laborers 40 cents.
Men Beg for 25-Cent Jobs.
| An explanation OF the reduction in
common labor rates on the Government
/ wreckinc work is offered in the state
ments oil the vl-ecking firm bosses that
F. crowds nf men hang about their Offices
/ aay after day literally begging for Jobs. :
even az the 2a-cents- an -llour scale
The afiidaYits obtained by Mr.. Adams
and his paid investigators from men en-
gagged on the wreeking Jobs purpoTts "a
show that three wrecking firms were
paving either IS or 80 Gems an hour
working the men. nine, and in some
cases eight. hours = day. The afiidavits
I further stated that certain Of the con-
tractors who employed lahorerS several
months ago at IS per day, since theH
had cut the wages 70 $3.50 and then Il
! 81 81 for g nine-h0itr day.
Mr.. Adams. in public statement. de-
eiared ia part ~ personal belief is
that the wages set forth in the afildRvis,
DO not represent. or even remotely ap-
proach. fair wage q 'ils.ing wage o.
the prevailing wage
81 may state tant have given tho
question Of wage standards considerable
study. and ana convinced. while some.
thing may be said on both sides of ths
issue, that injury viii accrue TO the eco
noEnic ard social STABILITY Of this country
III q general pplicy Of drastic wage Re.
ksiucticu Il permitted % gain headway.'
The study by Mr. Adams of the com.