Evening star., 1932-08-05
Secretary of Labor Doak
Asked for Reconsideration
on Housing Jobs.
PRESENT RATE CALLED
ARTIFICIAL AND HIGH
Union Leaders Offer Fight if Con-
tractors Push Attempt for
Lower Pay.

An appeal for a general reconsidera-
ton of the prevailing wage scales paid
to building mechanics on Government
operations here was laid before Secre-
tary of Labor Doak today by the Build
ing Trades Employers Association OF
Washington.
A letter. signed by Charles J. Colum-
bus, executive secretary of the con-
tractors body, based its petition on an
assertion that the present scale OF pre-
vailing wages is artificial and too high.
The effect of the move for lowering
of the prevailing wage scales, under au-
thority of the Bacon-Davis act, ap-
peared to be very uncertain, however,
because the local employers association
did not make any specific contest over
wages paid to any group on a Govern
ment project.
It was explained at the Labor De-
partment that the Secretary acts as
final judge in dispute over the pre-
vailing wage" only when the affected
contractors and the mechanics engaged
cannot reach a satisfactory agreement.
1t was indicated today in union labor
circles that any move to bring about
a lowering of the official prevailing
scales for building mechanics on Gov
ernment operations would be fought by
union leaders.
One leader pointed out that should
reduction be made for mechanics
now employed on Government work
here, the money saved would go to the
contractors and not to the Government,
and that the money saved would come
out OF the pay Of the mechanics.
U. S. Workers Reduced.
The Employers Association petition
to Secretary Doak stated, in part:
Congress in a move for economy
has brought about wage reductions for
all Government employees. Industry
generally has found a new level, while
the administration of the prevailing
wage law in building operations has
made 1t possible for labor unions to
maintain an unreasonable scale of
wages in the District of Columbia and
its environments to the detriment of
the Federal Government as well as in
dividual welfare.
1T is the common opinion that hun
dredS of men are denied employment
because the investing public is refusing
to build while labor costs are so far out
Of line with labor reductions that have
taken place in all other cities of any
size. In other words, fictitious wage
scales are being permitted on Govern
ment work and building construction,
forcing excessive costs in the current
building program"
The letter points out that the con-
tractors and local union representatives
have engaged in extended conferences
I recently without reaching new wage
scales for union mechanics in any but q
few instances.
1t was declared that during these con-
ferenceS the Washington Building
Trades Council agreed to recommend to
its affiliated labor groups to adopt a
wage reduction of 10 per cent for all
trades having wage scale Of $40 per
day or less and a wage reduction of Il
per cent for all trades having a scale of
more than $40 per day.
In a scattered few cases the unions
agreed to the recommendation, but
others rejected this compromise offer, II
Is reported. Earlier in the conferences
the contractor spokesmen had urged
adoption Of 30 per cent wage cut.
1t also was pointed out that outside of
Government work here very few projects
| are affected by the prevailing wage
law, since mcSt Of the private con-
struction now under way Is done by non
union Workmen.