Evening star., 1933-11-11
CODE DELAY BLOW
TO NEW BUILDING
Labor Proposal Seen Likely
to Halt Construction Due
to Uncertainty.
Continued From First Page.l

Works Administration; (S) equal repre-
sentation with the employers on all Of
the code authorities.
The league and its constituent and
cooperating trade associations have de-
clared for a unified industry. To ap-
prove separate codes for the various
divisions of the industry would only
continue the present confusion leaving
the industry prey to outside interests
with selfish ends to be attained
1T is the belief of the Code Com
uittee that the basic code should not
include skilled rates, fixed nationally.
II included at all, such rates should be
IN the supplemental codes negotiated
by the various groups who have always
handled such wage matters in the past
IF the codes provide only for the
government OF the employers In the in
dustry, there Is no sound ground for in
cluding the representatives of organized
labor who have no responsibility for the
government of the employers.
However, the Federation of Labor Is
united back Of these demands and
aggressive and determined to include
them In the code, and this opposition
may seriously delay the approval of
the code and the continuation of the
present unsettled condition in the in
dustry throughout the country. The
Code Committees are putting forth every
effort to impress upon the adninistra-
tion the importance of approving the
code for the construction industry at
the earliest possible date.
The code, as submitted by the
Construction League of the United
States, is based on the fundamental
concept Of unified co-ordinated in
and local self-regulation. This Is not
new conception. For long time 1t
has been recognized that there Is
common interest pervad1ng all con-
struction operations, whether they be
bridges, buildings. roads or dams.
Architects Rules Similar.
The designers, engineers and archi-
tects are guided by the same under
lying principles Of design and are gov
erned by similar rules of practice.
THE design Of the structure Of the
construction code has not been as diff
cult as the opposing characteristics Of
the industry might indicate. The
scheme adopted is relatively simple in
its outline. It consists of basic or
master code covering the industry as
. whole with supplemental codes for
each occupational division or sub
division. such as those for architects, |
engineers. general contractors, plumbers,
electricians, plasterers, painters, etc.
In each supplemental code provision |
Is made for establishing local admins
trative committees, and In the basic |
code for local councils made up Of the |
representatives of these committees.
1.-The content of the basic code may |
be divided into four major parts-defi-
nition Of the industry. wages and hours
for employees, administration, and bid
ding practices. The definition OF the
field covered Is an important part OF
every code, and the construction indus
try is no exception.
"The provisions for hours are maxi
mum Of 40 per week and 8 per day.
with exceptions providing for 4S hours
per week in certain cases, such as prof.
ects remote from centers Of population /
requiring the housing Of employees IN
Certain classes OF employees are
exempted, such as those In professional
and executive positions.
The wage provisions are substan-
italy those Of the Presidents re-em-
ployment agreement, being minimum
Of 40 cents per hour. unless In July,
1929, the hourly rate was lower, but In
no case less than 80 cents per hour.
These rates obviously are for the un-
skilled workers.
Rates for skilled workers are not
covered In the basic code. The rates
for the clerical classes are substantially
those Of the Presidents unemployment
agreement-that is, sl2 TO SIS per week.
IAN important article provides for
formulating plans governing employers
by which area agreements may be es-
tablished In any division or subdivision
Of the industry through collective bar
gaining covering wages, hours and other
conditions OF employment.
The administrative provisions OF the
code are Of the utmost Importance.
They provide for the administration of
the basic code throughout the entire
industry and for cooperation with the
code authorities In the
administration within the various d.
visions.
"The construction code authority will
be composed OF nine members appoint
ed by the Policy Committee, the gov
erning body Of the Construction League.
In order to make this authority repre-
sentative, the Policy Committee pro-
poses to make the appointments on the
basis Of occupational experience, repre-
senting a cross-section Of the major
functions Of the industry and to give
as wide geographical distribution as
possible consistent with the necessity |
Of being reasonably accessible to Wash
tngton for meetings"