Evening star., 1934-05-07
PAY-CUTT|NGPLOT
LAID TO BUILDERS
"SIush Fund" Raised to
Force Carpenters Into
Line, Caya Testifies.

Evidence tending to show a "Slush
fund.- designed to force pay reduc-
ton" had been raised by the Master
Builders Association of this city, not
only from its own membership but
from outside contractors as well, was
submitted today to the Senate Com
mittee on Education and Labor by
Albert Caya, of the District Council
of Carpenters.
Caya submitted, to substantiate his
charges, photostatic copies of letters
passing between the contractors. He
charged the "slush fund" had been
used to reduce the pay of carpenters
in washington. although the carpen-
ters themselves. he declared, had voted
four times against reduction of pay
Charges that contractors and a pre-
vious Wage Committee of the Carpen-
ters' Union had forced wage re-
duction agreement last April. cutting
the carpenters from $1l to So day,
against the almost unanimous wish of
the carpenters, were made by Caya.
Questioned by Walsh.
In answer to questions by Senator
Walsh of Massachusetts,. chairman OF
the committee. as to how the wage
reduction of SO day could have been
accomplished against the expressed
wish of the carpenters, Caya ex-
planned a new wage board was created
by the Council of Carpenters. This
wage board met with the Master
Builders Association and an agree
ment was signed.
In other words" Caya explained.
forced an agreement against the
wishes of the membership"
You infer said Senator Walsh.
that the plan of the builders to break
down the old wage through officials of
the Carpenters Union succeeded
against the wishes of the men for a
reduction of wages
Thereafter the wage was So
said Caya.
After the committee adjourned TO
meet tomorrow in executive session,
Chairman Walsh predicted the Sem
ate would authorize an extensive in
vestieation The committee. he
thinks. will favoraply report out the
Walsh-Davis bill which would au-
thorize the investigation into the
kick back racket and other labor
complaints.
This is an appalling situation" the
Senator said. Out of it may develop
prosecutions or possibly wholesale
reputation of contracts Apparently
there is no attempt to respect human
rights and the prerogatives of the
working classes in the administration
of Government contracts
The investigation. he predicted.
would probe particularly into the
manner in which these contracts are
being performed and the nature of
inspection by Federal agents.
Contests Legality.
In his testimony, Caya had made
it clear that he was not member
Of this wage board Of carpenters
which had forced" the agreement.
and upon questioning by Senator
w olSll IlC CAPidiliOh 40 NOliISSb-
ing the legality of the SO agreement.
Senator Walsh attempted to dis
cover how the agreement had been
forced" He learned the new Wage
Board of Carpenters had been formed
in April of last year and the dis
puted agreement cutting wages from
S11 to So a day had been announced
April IA.
The Carpenters Union in Washing
ton is now on strike throughout the
city. with more than 200 men idle.
in demand to restore the wage level
from the 81 an hour negotiated last
April to the scale of 1917 cents an
hour, which in the previous years.
with an eight-hour day. brought sll
day. The carpenters now demand,
however, a six-hour day.
Negotiations were understood to be
pending with an officer of the Inter-
national Carpenters Union. Accord
ing to indications from carpenters at
the hearing, however, there was little
prospect of immediate settlement OF
the strike.
PhotoStats Presented.
Photostats were presented indicat-
ing one company, the George B. H.
Macomber Co. of Boston. had agreed
to pay $500 to the Master Builders
Association. In one letter an official
stated. concerning part of the pay
ment of this sum: please make cer-
tain the Sl-an-hour wage is in effect
before making payment
Senator Walsh said the contributions
apparently had been made "in return
for the Master Builders forcing an
agreement of SO per day.
How could an agreement be forced"
he asked. except through influencing
properly or improperly some official of
the Carpenters Union?"
1T could be done. but not very
likely" answered Caya
Was it the objective to use this
money to reach some of the members
of the Wage Committee" asked the
Senator.
Possibly" Caya said. But the
membership refused to accept the re-
duction of pay. They turned it down
three times"
Continuing his testimony of last
Friday, Caya presented a series of affl-
davits to support contentious union
leaders before the committee that the
"kick-back racket" had taken from
the pockets of labor many thousands
of dollars by deducting them in one
manner or another from the car
penters.
He related in detail the story of
the strike of carpenters on the stand
being built for President Roosevelt's
Inauguration and said that after con-
tractors had agreed to pay sill day
and had actually paid that rate for
one pay day. they reversed them
selves and after the stands were built,
cut the rate to SO again. One con-
tractor, Caya said, had to Jump into
his car" to escape from a group of
"enraged carpenters"
James j. Ryan of New York, presi-
dent of the American Labor Alliance.
followed Caya on the stand.
Indicates Racket General.
RYAN told the cor,,r,ittae renor+e ~