Evening star., 1935-02-22
The Prevailing Wage Victory.

AHe MCCarran prevailing wage
amendment to the $4,000, 100000 work
relief bill very properly was voted
into that measure by the Senate yes
terday. The action Of the Senate
was a rebuff for the President. He
has strenuously opposed the payment
Of the prevailing wage scale to work
ers or relief projects and has con-
tended for security wage" lower
than the prevailing wage and esti-
mated by administration officials to
average $50 month. At the same
time the Senate vote was q victory
for the position taken by organized
labor.
Supporters of the payment Of the
prevailing wage scale for work done
on relief projects have insisted that
the adoption by the Government of
$50 month wage scale for 8 800 900
men would inevitably have the effect
of bringing wages in private industry
lower. There is no slightest doubt
that such would be the effect. Op-
ponents of the payment of the pre-
vailing wage have advanced two main
arguments. One was that the Gov
ernment could not afford to pay the
added cost of the prevailing wage.
The other maintained that if the Gov
ernment paid the prevailing wage,
workers would stick to their Govern
ment jobs and would not be willing
to go back to private employment
when it should offer. Neither of these
arguments holds water. The Govern
ment need not be called upon to ap-
propriate more money, since it could
spread the employment of labor lust
as widely by limiting the hours of
work which could be given each man
at the prevailing wage. It is idle to
argue that men who make $50 a
month for three days work a week,
under the prevailing wage plan, would
not go back to private industry when
opportunity was given them to earn
s75 or 500 a month for five and a
half days work each week.
The administration brought all the
influence it could to bear on the SEN
ate. The President adopted the un-
usual course of sending a letter to
Senator Glass at the last moment in
which the President promised nothing
would be done to lower wage scales
in industry. Senator Glass predicted
fatly that the President would veto
the bill if the prevailing wage was
written into that measure. A majority
Of the Senate preferred to use its own
judgment.
Senator Glass, as chairman of the
Appropriations Committee and in
charge of the work relief bill, made a
strong plea to the Senate to defeat
the prevailing wage amendment. And
yet he told the Senate that the whole
theory of the work relief bill had
been opposed by him from the start,
believing that the States could have
met the situation had they been COM
PEELED to do so. And so the fiery Vir-
ginian belabored the administration
at the same time that he came to its
support in its fight against the Nc
CarTan amendment,
The prevailing wage amendment
has still to be acted upon in the
House. There is strong feeling that
If a record vote on the amendment
can be had in that body it will be
adopted. The administration leaders
are relying upon the House, or If not
the House upon the rules of that body
which may be used to prevent a direct
vote on the McCarran amendment.
Should both houses agree to the
amendment and send the bill to the
President, the Chief Executive would
have to decide whether to veto
the measure or permit it to become a
law with or without his signature. It
is a choice that his supporters do not
wish him to be compelled to make.