Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-07
PREVAILING WAGES
PAID ON i. S. Jobs,
COMPANY ASSERTS
Violation of Pay Act in Reve-
nue. Building Paint Con-
tract Denied.
REPLY TO UNION CHARGES
DISAVOWS LONG HOURS
Following Conference, Heath De-
clares Report Will Be Made
to Labor Department.

Herman Morris of the Alliance Con-
struction Co. of New York, which is
painting the new Internal Revenue
Building plaster, today made vigorous
defense of his company in reply to
charges that he had violated the
Bacon-Davis act by paying less than
the prevailing rate of wages on a Gov
| vernment job, and had worked his men
longer than eight hours a day.
In conference with Assistant Secre-
tary of the Treasury Heath and James
A. Wetmore, acting supervising archi-
tect, Morris denied all the charges
made against him by the local painters
; union, and submitted his pay roll as
evidence.
Mai. Heath said after the conference
that a report of the matter would be
! turned over to the Labor Department,
which had referred the question to the
! Treasury after the charges were made.
Maj Heath did not say when the re-
| port would be submitted, nor did he
| give any inkling as to its probable
| contents. It was evident, however, that
Morris made favorable impression by
| his presentation of the case.
Holds Added Hours Necessary.
Morris contended, according to Mai.
Heath that he was paying his en-
| ployes more than the prevailing rate
! of wages for an open shop, and that
| he was not working them more than
| eight hours a day. He pointed out.
! however. that when painting in offices
where people are doing Government
work, it had been found necessary at
! times to have painters work at odd
| hours.
! Following the conference Morris IN
! formally explained to The Star some
! of the statements he had made at the
| conference. He said he had determined
that the prevailing open shop wage for
| painters here was $7.20 a day, but that
| he had raised that to SO day. He
added that he was paying some of his
painters as much as Sl2 day. while
| painters helpers are being paid SIS a
day. which, he said, also is higher than
| the local open-shop rate.
Morris protested against the local
unions alleged attempt to control the
wages paid by his company, saying the
/ union scale is not the prevailing scale
/ here. He admitted union painters were
| getting Sl1 a day. and said he under
stood there were about 600 men in the
! union, but that there were about 1000
painters in Washington who do not
/ belong to the union He said he had
been told by hundred of painters here
| that they were working for from 30 to
! IS and 80 cents an hour for an eight
hour day.
Differ on Prevailing Scale.
His company, Morris said, is doing
! painting work elsewhere for the Gov
eminent: for instance, at Raritan Arse
| nal, at Metuchen, N j., where the job
| is larger than the paint job here in the
! contract He is paying the prevailing
! cpen-shop rate there Morris said.
The Government does not have the
union do its cwn painting" Morris said.
| THE Government is paying many OF
| its own painters $720 day, the pre-
| vailing open shop rate. Is this new
| law made for me and not for the Gov
| eminent? Would the Government, force
me to pay $11 a day while it is paying
! its own painters $720 a day? I think
! not. The union scale of $11 is all
right for the union, but the union
| cannot contorl my job, nor control the
| Government and the union scale is
not the prevailing scale in this city
The painters union claims the union
scale is the prevailing scale. Nc
| further statement was forthcoming 20
day, however from union headquarters
beyond the fact they are now awaiting
action by the Secretary of Labor. They
expect the Secretary to determine under
the Jaw what constitutes the prevailing
wage. The union claims membership
of 300 painters.