Evening star., 1933-02-14
Contractors to Seek Final
Decision on Scale by
Labor Department.
HEATH RULING HAILED
BY LEADERS OF UNION
Blumenberg Prepares Reports OF
Work Throughout D. C.. to
Show Prevailing Wage.


Government buildings at S1l day for
which they have been fighting, con-
tractors planned to carry their battle
for lower prevailing wage to the De-
courts.
The carpenters, most of whom had
been of the job, locked out" or "on
strike" since last Thursday, returned
to their jobs early this morning fol-
lowing decision by the Treasury De-
partment late yesterday that S11 day
Is the prevailing wage in this city for
carpenters under the Dayis-Bacon law.
Meantime both the subcontractors
who had endeavored to lower the wage
scale to So and the general contractors
planned to send the question on appeal
to the Department of Labor, whose de-
cision under the Davis-Bacon law is
final The matter was formally pre-
sented to the general contractors by a
letter sent on behalf of the subcon-
tractors following a meeting last night.
The subcontractors will be represented
by Frederick j. Rice, attorney, who said
today that he understood the general
contractors were willing formally to
present an appeal of the case to the
Department Of Labor Under accepted
practice the Government deals only
with general contractors and not with
subcontractorS, so it was necessary to
have the formal protest filed by gen.
era1 contractor.
Decision Hailed by Labor.
The decision by Assistant Secretary
Of the Treasury Ferry K. Heath that
$ll per day is the prevailing wage
under the Davis-Bacon law was hailed
today by labor leaders as a victory
which could not be overturned by an
appeal to the Department of Labor.
Henry W. Blumenberg, general repre-
sentative Of the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners' of America,
said he was confident that Assistant
Secretary Heath's decision of s11 would
stand. Mr.. Blumenberg explained that
he already has obtained mass of data
from all over the District of Columbia
to support the union labor contention
Of $l1 day, the union rate. as the pre-
vailing scale in the National Capital.
If the case is appealed to the Depart
ment of Labor, he said, he was ready
with what he considered very strong
ease and viii lay before that depart
ment detailed reports of carpenter work
Ill over this city where men are re-
ceivtng $11 day. In case the matter
should 80 to court later, Mr.. Blumen.
to the end for the carpenters OF
Washington.
Pay SlI Under Protest.
Meantime. the subcontractors this
morning were said by Mr.. Rice, their
attorney, to have paid the $11 scale
under protest." reserving to them
selves all rights to appeal the case to
the Department Of Labor. This reserva-
ton by the subcontractors was apparent
In at least one of the notices posted,
that by the George B. H. Macomber
Co.. which has the carpenter work on
the Post once Department Building
The notice there, signed by H. O.
Weber, superintendent, offered the $l1
scale until further notice"
The only building involved in the
dispute over carpenters wages where
the men did not return to work today
was the Congressional Library Annex,
where it was said officials in charge
were out of the city. Only four car
penters were involved there, it was ex-
that the $ll scale would be paid there
probably beginning tomorrow morning.
All Workers Return.
The five buildings, where men had
quit the job either Thursday or Fri
day when they offered to work for $11
and were refused that scale by the con-
tractors who had offered So, were the
scene Of complete return to work at
$11 today. They included the Depart
uent OF Agriculture, Interstate Com
merce Commission, Post Office Depart
ment, Archives and Department OF JUS
tice.
The George A. Fuller Co., which Is
building the Archives and Department
of Justice, also put about so carpenters
back TO work this morning on the Su-
preme Court of the United States on
Capitol Hill. The situation on that
building was somewhat different from
the others, the scale of So never being
offered there. But the carpenters had
been paid off and there was no car
hpenter work going on during the con-
troversy on the other structures. The
same company also put a few carpenters
back to work today on the Naval Hos
pital
Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury
: Heath made known his decision late
yesterday afternoon in the form Of a
letter to the George A. Fuller Co., read
ing, In part, as follows: THE depart
ments Interpretation of the Davis
Bacon act is that the prevailing wage
T for a particular trade Is that rate per
day which Is being paid the majority
Of men in particular trade on all con-
struction in progress in the city. The
department has made an investigation
Of practically all public and commercial
projects now in progress and finds that
the majority Of carpenters now en-
= ployed in the city are employed at the
All daU Srple and N iS the 6enart-
ment's decision that the prevailing rate
Of wages for carpenters in the city OF
Washington is s11 per day"
Unions Dispute Jurisdiction.
Meantime jurisdictional dispute be-
tween two labor unions on another pub
lie building, the new Public Health
Service headquarters on Constitution
avenue and Nineteenth street, has tieC
up the work of laying tile floors, ac-
cording to George Urmson, represent
ative OF the Wills, Taylor g. Mafers
Corporation, the general contractors.
About 10 carpenters had started x
lay the tile flooring when this wori
was claimed by cement fntshers. WheI
the carpenters continued their work, tn
plasterers, who are afhliated with thu
cement flnishers In the same union
were pulled OF the Job In protest. Abou
is plasterers quit work, stopping tn
plastering work on the building.
Whereupon, Mr.. Urmson explained
In order to put the plasterers back K
work, he took action for the genera
contractor and stopped the tile foo
work, leaving the jurisdictional disput
to be settled between the unions. Thi
action by the contractors was followes
by the plasterers going back to work
but the floor work IS still tied up, await
ing action on the '',spute by the unions