Evening star., 1934-05-06
CARPENTER UNION
AGENT TO RESUME
K|CK-bACK EXPOSE
Contractors Firm on Pay
Scale on Eve of Effort to
Settle Strike.
CAYA TO TAKE STAND
FOR WALSH PROBE
Affidavits Claim so Per Cent of
Wages Turned Back by Work
ers to Companies.

Preliminary hearings on the kick
back racket" will be resumed tomor-
row by Chairman David I. Walsh and
the Senate Committee on Education
and Labor.
Negotiations also are expected to
get under way tomorrow looking to-
ward settlement of the strike of 1000
carpenters, which has held up con-
struction on public and private work
throughout the city.
Albert Caya, business agent of the
carpenters union, will be the first
witness before the Senate Committee
as Senator Walsh launches into evi-
dence for the committee to decide
whether to report out a resolution
which would authorize an extensive
inquiry of the ''kick-back racket" by
the Senate. Other labor leaders will
be ready to testify.
Tells of Underpaying.
Caya was on the stand when the
committee adjourned Friday. He had
Just launched into charges against
several contractors for underpaying
carpenters by various means. He was
discussing conditions at the City Post
Ottlce addition, and had named the B
w. Construction Co. and told of or
ganlZatlon Of some carpenters into a
partnership to beat down the wage
scale. 1t is Caya who has been lead
ing the movement among local car
penters not only for an increase in
wages from 81 an hour, eight-hour
day. to $l.3712 an hour. six-hour day,
but also for restitution of the so-called
wage grab" resulting. he charges.
from the use of the Illegal" So wage
scale during the past year.
Senator Walsh expects to call his
committee into executive session some
time tomorrow to consider whether
the evidence collected so far would
justify the committee in recommends
ing to the Senate passage of the
Walsh-Davis resolution. There were
indications last night that the COM
mittee, in all likelihood, will report
out the resolution favorably, and that
1t might pass the Senate. In case it
does Senator Walsh may appoint a
subcommittee to conduct the irvesti-
cation, going fully into charges of
labor leaders and calling on Govern
ment inspectors and contractors IN
testify.
"Millions" Involved.
Testimony of witnesses Friday indi-
Gated that millions" of dollars had
been taken illegally from the pockets
OF labor by certain contractors in
Washington, who had forced their
workmen to pay back to the con.
tractor part of his wages. In some
instances this "kick-back" to the con-
tractor reached as high as so per cent
OF the wages. according to some affi-
daVlts presented to the committee.
The labor leaders were specific in
making their charges against certain
contractors, whom they named.
John Locher, secretary of the WASH
ington Building Trades Council, told
the committee his organization had
investigated at least Is construction
Jobs in Washington on which kick
backs had been forced by contractors.
Colyin to Negotiate.
The carpenters strike. which has
already delayed construction of MANY
Federal buildings, will receive atten-
ton from several sources, beginning
tomorrow.
Howard T. Colvin. conciliator of
the Cancellation Service, Department
OF Labor, who took prominent part
in settlement of both the bakers
strike. and the ice cream workers
strike last week, will take up the mat
te- of the carpenters strike tomorrow.
w. T. Allen of Philadelphia. a
member of the general executive
board Of the second district, Interna-
tional Union of Carpenters. will be
here tomorrow to confer with the Dis
trict Council of Carpenters on its
labor troubles A meeting of the Dis
trict Council has been set for tomor-
row night. at Carpenters Hall. Indi-
cations last night were that the car
penters are standing firm on their de-
mands for an increase from the 81
an hour for day of eight hours. to
S1.3712 an hour for six-hour day
This would give the carpenters an in
crease from So a day to $8.25 a day
for two hours less work a day.
Contractors Firm.
Contractors last night apparently
were standing firm in their position
to offer no more than $1.10 an hour
on the basis Of an eight-hour day,
making a total daily wage of So 80
Contractors also take the position that
the So wage scale during the past year
was legal, and had been properly ne
gotiated. and lily signed by official
representatives of both labor and con-
tractors.