Evening star., 1934-06-29
Corporation Counsel Asks
Policy to Safeguard
Local Labor.
CITY HEADS TO CONSIDER
PROPOSAL DURING DAY
System of Forcing Rebates Is
Called Wholly Reprehensible
and Totally Unjustifable."

Drastic action against any con-
tractor on a District Government
job found guilty Of indulging in the
"kick-back" racket was advocated to-
day by Corporation Counsel E. Bar
rett Prettyman, who urged that the
Commissioners instantly cancel con-
tracts in such cases.
Prettyman filed with the Commits
sioner a report dealing with the
"klck-back" as applied on District
Government projects, and suggested
a series OF steps to safeguard labor
and to hold contractors strictly to
the terms of their agreements. He
denounced the system of forcing re-
bates of wages of labor as wholly
reprehensible and totally unjustifi-
able
His report was drafted on the basis
OF evidence at hearings conducted by
a Senate committee delegated to in
quire into abuses calculated to evade
provisions of the Bacon-Davis pre-
vailing wage law.
Wage Law Held in Effect.
Prettyman informed the Comm
sioners that while President RooSe-
velt on June suspended operation
OF the Bacon-DaviS law on all con-
tracts made after June IS, 1888, he
believed contracts let since then by
the Commissioners still carry tn
effect OF the prevailing wage Law
since such specifications were writ
ten into the contracts signed by thc
successful bidders.
Prettyman's report to the city heao.
upon which the Commissioners ale
expected to take action today, states
Since it (the 'kick-back' scheme
is a wholly reprehensible and totally
unjustiflable practice, see no reason
why the Commissioners should not
deal with it in any but a most
peremptory manner.
Il agree that the practice developed
so Unexpectedly and stealthily that
PuDA4I O4A4S4d4O OOu4d 1lOI NC CAPCCOCO
to sense the problem Immediately and
act drastically to exterminate it. Now
that We know the situation, however,
We can meet it.
Prevention Needed.
The object of the Bacon-D Davis law
is. of course, to secure to the workmen
their proper wages. This is the theory
upon which the Commissioners have
always gone, and I believe it to be
the correct one. Very fine results
along that line have been accom-
plished. But the practice has SEEM
ingly become so widespread that pre-
ventive measures seem to be in order
and it seems to be necessary to make
the next violators outstanding exam
piles and to handle the situation with
out gloves.
Il recommend. therefore:
That a letter be written BY the
Commissioners to every contractor
now having a District contract for
construction, calling attention to the
fact that this practice is known to
exist on building projects in the
District, and warning them that the
Commissioners will deem such prac-
tice a breach of the contract, and.
upon proof of it being done, will
peremptorily and instantly cancel the
contract, or, If a sub-contractor be
involved, will demand that the sub
contract be Cancelled:
That the Commissioners instruct
the resident inspectors on every con-
struction job to check the pay rolls
upon occasion, and from time to time
to observe the pay-off and also to
cause it to be known on the job
that any suggestion to workmen that
a back be made should be in
stantly reported to the resident in
spector, and such inspector should
Immediately report the matter to his
superiors.
Proclamation Cited.
The executive proclamation OF
June 5, 1884, suspends the Bacon
Davis act on all contracts made after
June 16, 1888, which do not specifi-
cany include that law as a provision.
All District of Columbia cont acts
for building construction since June
Is. 1888, have contained the BacoL-
Davis act as a provision in the con-
tracts.
Therefore, as l understand the
proclamation, the act is still In force
in respect to all District of Columbia
contracts made before June 5 1884.
What have said hereinbefore. there
tore, applies to all those contracts
now existing. I understand from the
papers that the Department of JUS
tice shortly will render an authorita-
tive Interpretation of the Executive
proclamation"