Evening star., 1934-07-28
ShipbuiIding Delay Until
Wage Rates Are Com
pIeted Proposed.
REC0MM MENDATI0N SEEN
IN TESTIMONY OF WALSH
Senate Committee Yesterday
Hears Other Charges Of
Kick Back Racket.

Chairman Walsh Of the Senate
labor Committee win transmit to the
Navy Department testimony presented
yesterday 10 the effect that S50, ,00o,-
900 worth Of naval construction
scheduled to be awarded August Is
should be delayed until an industrial
relations board under the shipbuild-
ing code completes rules to govern
wages and other labor conditions on
Shipbuilding work
AS the hearings came to a tempo
rary close for a few weeks. Senator
walsh announced the committee
would send the testimony TO the Navy
and might include some recommen-
dation. Representatives Of organized
labor asked for postponement of the
new naval contracts, stating that more
definite provisions should first be
made to govern the wages to be paid.
Hears Series Of Cases.
The committee heard a series Of
cases Yesterday involving wage COM
plants on public projects In various
parts Of the country. including charges
connected with erection of a power
house at st. Elizabeth's Hospital Last
year.
1t was testified that after the st.
Elizabeth's Job started. the Labor De-
partment ruled that $l.65 an hour
was the prevailing wage that should
be paid iron workers. One iron worker,
Harry Carter. testified he was paid
at the rate of IS cents an hour, and
several other ironworkers said they
were paid so cents an hour.
Carter also alleged that the $1.65
rate was paid one week, but that on
the following day he and two other
ironworkers were called on to return
part of that weeks pay TO T. C.
Steucke, general manager of the Alex
andria iron Works, the subcontracting
firm for the structural steel work.
Steucke denied there was any pay
back Of wages by the men. Regarding
the Labor Departments ruling of a
Sl.65-an-holr rate for ironworkers.
Steucke contended sl.10 was the wage
rate to govern skilled workers on that
project.
As to the amount actually paid,
Steucke argued that the ironworkers
did skilled work part of the time, but
that at times they performed ordi-
nary labor work. Steucke said he
told Harry Carter, who acted as fore
man of the ronworkers, that he
would be paid at the rate of $1.lO
nfk klaaa r.
Of so cents an hour for labor work
and that 1t might average 65 cents.
Describes Complaint Action.
Leslie Myers, business agent for
the Ironworkers' Union, told of va
rious steps he and other. labor repre-
sentatives took in laying wage ccm-
plants on the st. EliZabeth's job
before Government officials and of
obtaining the $l.65 ruling from the
Labor Department.
H. Herfurth, jr., one of the general
contractors on the project, was ques-
toned by Philip Philbin, counsel for
the committee, as to conditions pre-
ceding the giving of the subcontract
for the iron work to the Alexandria
Iron Works Herfurth said his work
had always been union work.
Herfurth testified that before he
awarded a subcontract for the iron
work, Maximilian Won Pagenhardt,
who was employed by the Interior
Department and had supervision over
the project, told him that the nine
other contractors on the job were
non-union and that if union con-
tractor came in it would disorganize
the Job. Herfurth told the committee
this related to the question of select
ing subcontractor for the iron work.
Chairman Walsh indicated hearings
would be resumed some time in
August.