Evening star., 1934-06-23
PAY ON j. S. JOBS
STUDIED AS LABOR
PROBE IS CLOSED
Officials in Doubt on Wages
After Law Is Suspend
ed for P. w. A.
LEGAL EXPERTS TO RULE
ON PERMANENT WORK
Walsh Will Take Question to
President if No Satisfactory
Conclusion Is Reached.

Senate hearings into labor oondi-
tions on public building projects here
and throughout the country ended for
the time being this afternoon after
Chairman Walsh had taken initial
steps to find out from Government
departments what labor and wage
provisions they will be able to place IN
contracts during the temporary sus-
pension of the Bacon Davis prevailing
wage law.
Testimony before the committee has
indicated there is no doubt that on
emergency projects, the stringent P.
w. A. conditions as to wages and work
ing conditions remain. but doubt has
been expressed before the committee
as to whether regular executive de-
partments doing work under specific
appropriations from Congress have
any substitute for the Bacon-Dav4s law.
Senator Walsh at today's hearing
asked Herbert Baruch of the Veterans
Administration to have legal experts
of that department submit an opinion
on this question. and he plans to get
similar views from other permanent
executive departments, such as the
Treasury. If the information thus
gathered indicates these departments
are not clear as to what they can do
in the future. the Senator indicated
he would confer with President Roose-
welt.
Officials Are Heard.
The committee today heard Herbert
S Woods. member Of the Board Of
Labor Review; Mr.. Bsruch OF the
Veterans Administration and Bradley
B. Smith. division of investigation, of
the Public Works Administration. Each
official outlined to the committee what
these agencies have done in investigat-
ing complaints relating to wage pay
ments on public building work.
Senator Walsh announced the in
quiry into wages and specihc pro-
jects late Yesterday after Neal Melck.
superintendent of construction carried
on under the Treasury Department.
told the Walsh committee his office
is in doubt as to just what wage re-
uuirements it eau place in corstruc-
ton contracts provided by regular an
nual appropriations.
Walsh asked Melick and other
Government officials to submit opln-
ions later on the sdvisability of leg
islation authorizing flexible contracts.
requiring payment of the prevailing
wages, with a proviso that the con-
tractor would be paid more or less
than the contract price if the wage
level should go up or down while the
job was in progress.
Complaints Are Few.
Melick testified that. for the regu-
lar S5O.OO0.000 Federal building pro-
gram carried on in Washington dur
ing the past few years, the amount
of complaint regarding wage ques-
tions has been insignificant" He
indicated that for the work done
throughout the country, complaint
has been more general.
There have been comparatively few
complaints. according to Melick, OF
workmen receiving the required pay
ana then paying some of it back. The
chief trouble. he said. has been over
complaints of men working for less
than the prevailing wage.
Chairman Walsh suggested that
throughout the depression. ne pre-
sumed men anxious to work have
been willing to enter into private ar
rangements to earn a dollar" and
Melick said that was his conclusion
also
Another source Of trouble. Melick
said. arises when contractors agree
with a group of mechanics to do Ger
tain parts of a construction project
for a lump sum price. Complaints
follow. Melick said. if the men fnd
later they are not earning the prevail
ing wage on that basis.
Brick Dispute Heard.
The committee also heard testimony
yesterday afternoon regarding wage
dispute between several bricklayers
and the G. A. Sullivan Co.. on
contract for alterations last Winter
ing School for Boys. Chairman Walsh
read affidavits from three bricklayerS
contending. in substance. that their
hours worked out to a wage of $1.l0
an hour and that they should have re-
ceived at the rate of $l.75 an hour.
William j. Sullivan of the firm. de-
MED the contention in the afidavits.
He testified that during the first few
weeks of the job in November the brick
layers we're paid at the Sl.lO rate re-
quired under the P w. A.. but that
after a ruling was received that SITS
was the prevailing rate, the firm ac-
cepted it and paid it. He declared
that after December 9, the men were
paid Sl75 an hour. and submitted
the pay rolls to support his testimony.
John Locher. of the Washington
Building Trades Council told Of steps
he took in presenting disputes regard
ing the Job to the P. w. A. Comph-
ance Board.