Evening star., 1935-11-13
BUYING OF GERMAN
STEEL PROTESTED
Green Warns lckes. Who
BIames New York Bridge
Authority.
Ry the ASsocieted Press.

man steel for New York's Triborough
Bridge with P. w. A. funds has been
forwarded to Secretary Ickes by Will
liam L. Green. president Of the Amer
ican Fedeation of Labor.
Supplementing similar protest
from officers of the Amalgamated As
sociation of Iron. Steel and Tin Work
ers, Green's letter declared:
Public works relief funds spent
for the purchase OF material manufac-
tured in Germany would serve to cre-
ate employment for German workers
while American working men, who are
thoroughly qualified and are seeking
an opportunity to produce the same
material. are idle.
Points TO "Millions Idle"
american labor contends that p.
w. A. funds appropriated for relief
funds by act of Congress should be
used for the purpose of creating work
opportunities for the millions of
American working men who are idle.
Intense feeling is being aroused
among the working people throughout
the Nation. ."
James A. Emery, general counsel for
the National Association Of Manu-
facturers. said he interpreted newspa-
per accounts of the incident to mean
the Government was using American
funds for the purchase of foreign
goods at a time when all our efforts
are being directed to the relief OF
American citizens
1t was his understanding, Emery
told reporters. that "a general policy
had been pursued by the Government
for nearly four years" under which
Government funds were used for the
purchase of domestically- produced
goods exclusively.
Bridge Authority Blamed.
! At his press conference yesterday,
Ickes placed responsibility for the
/ award of a 100000 steel contract to
Germany on the Bridge Authority.
/ and added:
IF there isn't sufficient protection
! for the steel industry despite the ef-
! forts of the late Senator Dave Reed
of Pennsylvania. who wrote the steel
provisions of the Hawley-Smoot tariff,
! the proper place Is the Tariff Commits
sion"
Ickes commented sarcastically on
/ the strange coincidence" that Ameri-
/ can companies made uniform bids Of
! So per cent above the German price
! for steel in the Morehead City. N. c..
ocean terminal. The purchase for
the Triborough Bridge. also financed
! by P. w. A.. involved difference OF
+ ~ per cent between the German and
/ the lowest American bid. he said.
Only Purchases to Date.
These are the only purchases OF
| foreign steel to date under either the
old or the new P w. A. program. Ickes
said He recalled that on the new
/ $3.50 ,o00,O 900 program P W. A. accept
ance of higher bids by domestic steel
men was tolerance" Of Is per cent
on $4,000 orders-and said this COIN
cided with the Treasury Procurement
Divisions regulations for Federal
construction.
| Asked to account for success OF the
two German bidders, Ickes retorted:
II suppose it is because the bids
for the foreign steel are lower than
for the domestic steel"
! He said cement manufa cturers also
/ had submitted identical bids on P.
! W. A. construction.
! Although declaring 1T would be de-
/ sirable to advise ourselves of all condi-
| tions surrounding the situation and
. II there Is dumping or sub-dividing 3"
/ Ickes said P w. A. is not proper
agency for study of German steel i'm
/ ports. He declined to say whether he
would recommend to President Roose-
welt an increase in the P w. A. differ
| ential to assure use of domestic steel
in new P. w. A. projects.
! The Triborough steel to be used for
| the Queens approach of the bridge has
been purchased by subcontractor.
/ P. w. A officials said there was no
way for the authority or the P. w. A.
to interfere The P. w. A. loan and
grant of s42, 500. 900 contained a clause
saying the lowest bid on materials
must be accepted. although this could
be waived BY consent OF both parties.
Ickes explained this clause was in
serted in accordance with N. r. A.
policies.
Asked If he had received a protest
| from Nathan Burkman, chairman Of
the Bridge Authority, Ickes said he
had not and III should would have
a good laugh"
That is purely within the jurisdic-
tion of the Triborough Bridge Author
ity," he cohtended.
SAYS RULES PERMIT PURCHASE.