Evening star., 1934-07-06
District Heads Also Adopt
Policy Calling for Revoca-
ton of Contracts.
CAPT. HOWARD F. CLARK
NAMED TO HEAD GROUP
Inspectors Will See That Contrac-
tors Post Pay Schedules and
Make Proper Payments.

Moving to stamp out the practice
among contractors Of forcing employees
to "kick-back" portions Of their
wages in violation of the Bacon-Davis
law, the District Commissioners today
adopted a policy calling for revoca-
ton of contracts in cases where such
guilt is proved and created a Wage
Compliance Board to maintain close
check over wages.
The Wage Board, consisting of Dis
trict officials closely identified with
the District construction programs, is
directed to see that pay schedules are
posted by contractors, to check pay
offs, to verify individual payments
and, where possible, to obtain a GER
tif1cate signed by the contractor and
agreed to by the craftsmen that
proper payment has been made each
pay day.
GotwaIs Makes Motion.
The steps we're taken by the city
heads upon motion by Maj. John G.
Gotwals, Engineer Commissioner.
Several days ago Corporation Coun-
sci E. Barrett Prettyman laid before
the Commissioners a recommendation
that contracts be revoked summarily
in cases where there is proof that con-
tractors on District projects have vio-
lated the prevailing wage" law and
by one scheme or another have paid
their workment less than is required
for the type of work they have per-
formed.
The matter arose as a result of the
recent investigation by Senate COM
mittee, headed by Senator Walsh of
Massachusetts,, into the use of the
"kick-back" in Government construc-
ton operations of the District and
Federal establishments.
Capt. Clark Heads Board.
The Wage Compliance Board will
be headed by Capt. Howard F. Clark.
Assistant Engineer Commissioner, and
will include Roland NJ. Brennan, chief
clerk of the engineer department, and
Representatives of the department of
sanitary engineering, the department
of highways, the municipal architects
office and the corporation counsels
office.
Maj. Gotwals explained that on
projects here financed out of public
works money, ample numbers of in
spectors will be available to provide
a close check of actual pay-offs. The
Wage Compliance Board was set up
to assure sufficient supply of in
vestigators on other District contract
work.
Maj. Gotwals did not wish to leave
this investigation work entirely to the
District inspectors, fearing that if they
spent too much time on that phase of
the work they might not spot sub
stitutions of materials in the con-
struction work which might work
harm in another direction. Where
necessary, qualified employees of vari-
GUS engineer divisions may be drawn
in to check on pay-offs. .
G0tWalS statement.
In his recommendation to the Com
missioners, Maj. Gotwals said:
"Our experience in enforcing the
Bacon-Davis law, as well as the re-
quirementS of the national recovery
act, leads now to special action toward
the uniform enforcement in all de-
partments of the wage provisions. The
breaches arising are known as "kick-
back" underpayment or improper
classiflcations on the work. The OBJ
jective is to discover, correct and
prevent all of these practices.
Proved breaches of these wage
requirements should lead to cancel
lation of the contract of the general
contractor or the subcontractor, and
If at all possible under the law, con-
tractors or subcontractors failing
to maintain the prevailing wage or
other wage requirements should be re-
fused acceptance as responsible bid
ders or as subcontractors.
"The Wage Compliance Board will
supervise, through the departments,
methods of enforcing out wage rate
provisions, see that pay schedules are
prominently posted by contractors,
check pay-offs, verify individual pay
ments, and, if possible, obtain for
each pay-off a certificate Of the con-
tractor agreed to by the craftsmen
that the proper payment has been
made.
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