Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-17
District to Turn Benjamin
Stoddart Work Over to
Bonding Company.
LOW PAY Is CHARGED
TO BANNETT CONCERN
Action Against Contractor De-
manded Recently Under Pre-
vailing Wage" Law.

Charles S. Bannett, Philadelphia
contractor informed the District Com
missioners yesterday he had resigned
from the job" of construction of the
Benjamin Stoddart School in the
Burleith-Glover Park section. The city
will be compelled to turn the work over
to the Massachusetts, Bonding Co.,
which underworld the contract.
District officials have been aware for
some weeks that the contractor could
not complete the building on scheduled
time, as the project is now only SO per
cent finished, whereas the contract
called for completion this week.
Vigorous demands for action In the
Bannett Co. case were laid before the
Commissioners early last week by the
Washington Building Trades Council,
representing local union building me
chanics, following the filing Of a series
of affldavits accusing the contractor
of eVading provisions Of the Bacon
Davis prevailing wage" law.
Low Pay Charged.
This law prescribes that contractors
on Government building projects in the
District and elsewhere in the country
wages for the various crafts Of work.
men, such as obtain in the communities
where the buildings are to be erected.
The prevailing scale" for Washing
ton, adopted by the Commissioners and
placed in effect October l last, is sub
stantially the same as the scales Of the
Washington union mechanics.
Bannett, was charged, in affidavits
filed with the District Government and
the Cancellation officer of the Depart
ment of Labor, with having compelled
his workmen to sign blank payroll slips
and then paying them less than wages
called for under the legal schedule.
The affidavits were turned over tc
Corporation Counsel William W. Bride
for investigation and report, since the
Commissioners also had on hand an aft
dayit bearing the name of Charles S
Bannett, which stated that carpenter
on the school project were paid S1.37l2
per hour, which is the legal rate. There
were, however, aff1davits from carpen-
tiers charging they were paid IS cent;
per hour.
Default Long Indicated.
According to Maj. Holland L. Robb,
assistant engineer commissioner in
charge Of the Districts building pro-
gram 1t has been apparent for the past
six weeks that the contract might be
defaulted, and few days ago repre-
Sentatives of the bonding company were
called in to inspect the work.
No payment was made to the con-
tractor during December because the
work was so far behind, it was revealed.
Bannett's bid on the contract was
$I06,7O0 Of this sum $4S,7247O has
been withheld. The amount paid rep
resentS about 80 per cent Of the cost Of
the work done through November, this
being in accordance with the plan of
the city government to hold back 10
per cent of the contract payment until
project is completed.
For completion of the contract, 1t is
explained, the bonding company is not
entitled to charge more than the I'M
paid balance.
In addition, the District may sue for
damages, If any are found incident to
the delay in getting the building ready
for occupancy
Conference Tomorrow.
Maj. Robb will confer tomorrow with
representatives of the bonding com
pany relative to the financial details
surrounding the default.
A recommendation that Bannett be
barred from bidding on any subsequent
District contracts here for three years
has been made by S. B. Walsh, assist
ant municipal architect. 1t was not
clear yesterday that the default Of the
contractor would give the Commission
erS such power
District contracts must be let to the
lowest responsible bidder"
In protesting against the Bannett Co.
q ~ fhA ~ CSnf.1 ~
the Building Trades Council, through
its secretary, Charles S. Young, urged
that the contract be taken away from
the contractor and that he be barred
from bidding on later projects here.