Evening star., 1932-04-28
PREVAILING WAGE
MAY Be REVISED
New Interpretation by Doak
Expected to Follow Action
by Carpenters.

A new Interpretation of what con-
stitutes the prevailing wage scale" in
the District of Columbia may be made
by Secretary of Labor Doak as a result
of agitation for lower wages in the
building trades, it was forecast today as
workmen and employers in the con-
struction industry awaited action by
union carpenters on a proposed wage
slash of So per day.
The carpenters council will meet
Friday night to pass upon the cut voted
by the Master Builders Association
What action they will take is prob
lematical, though one labor leader de-
:lared an acceptable, if not an
Smicable," agreement would be worked
out, and predicted there was little
likelihood a situation would develop that
would precipitate a strike.
L. S. Work to Continue.
Work in progress on Government
buildings will not be affected by the
pay cut order, it was pointed out, since
workmen there are paid the prevail
ing scale" under the provisions of tbs
Bacon-Davis act, and this scale has
been interpreted to be the union wage
Carpenters engaged in other projects
however, will face reduction in. wage;
of from $ll to So per day, effective
May !.
That the matter eventually will reach
Secretary Doak for a decision wa.
argued today as labor leaders and EN-,
ployers continued conferences looking t
a readjustment of wages of craftsmen
employed in every line Of the building
trades. These conferences, which have
been in progress for weeks, look to g
general reduction in wages all along the
line, and representatives of organized
labor today said reductions sought il
some cases would approximate 80 pei
cent.
Should a sufficient number of en-
ployers' organizations successfully fol
low the trail blazed by the Master
Builders Association, it was pointed
out, a general reduction of wages may
be effected throughout the building
trades. If this is done on work out
side of Government construction, it vii
necessarily follow that the new scale
will be brought to the Secretary Of
Labor for a corresponding slash in Fed.
eral construction in the District.
Most on Federal Jobs.
If the carpenters organization stands
pat and insists upon payment of the $ll
wage, and a lockout results, less thar
100 men will be affected, a representa-
tive of organized labor said The larger
portion of union carpenters now work.
ing in the District are on Federal jobs
he said, where no trouble is anticipated
since the contractors are expected tC
continue payment of the prevailing
scale.
One labor representative pointed ou
the expense of working at the building
trades has grown in proportion to tht
increases in pay, and that in mos
trades the workman is required to owl
an automobile to transport his tools
and sometimes his material, from jol
TO Job
1--WE might as we'll be blotted out en-
tirely as to accept cut of 80 per cent,
this official declared Congress is nov
talking Of eXempting from pay cut
salaries under S2,500 With the pres
ent rate of employment no three work
men in the building trades can poo
their earnings for a year and show tina
much income. A cut at this time TO
those who are fortunate enough Il
have work would spell disaster"