Evening star., 1935-03-16
A Free Hand for the President.

In the matter of fixing wages on work.
relief projects by the vote of the SEN
ate, which defeated the McCarran
prevailing wage" amendment to the
relief bill yesterday. The so-called Rus
sell compromise, which was adopted,
it is true, provides that the prevailing
wage must be paid workers on per
manent buildings for the use of any
department of the Government of the
United States or the District o. Co.
lumbia" A very small part of the
$4,000,O0O,000 work-relief fund, how
ever, will find its way into the con-
struction of such buildings. It there
fore remains 10 be seen what the
Chief Executive will do and what the
security wage" which he has sug-
gested will amount to for the workers
on relief projects.
The Russell compromise says that
the President shall use his discretion
in fixing wages upon any project
financed through the work relief fund
1t adds that these wages shall mot
affect adversely or otherwise tend
to decrease the going rates of wages
paid for work of similar nature. :"
This admonition to the President is
interpreted by Senator Wagner of
New York. who shifted his vote from
support of the McCarran amend
ment to support of the President, as
meaning that the President will pay
the prevailing wage. Senator Carter
Glass Of Virginia, on the other hand,
holds that the President is entirely
consistent and will pay the "secur-
ity wage" which has been estimated
by spokesmen for the administration
at an average of $50 month. Mr..
Glass, as chairman of the Appropria-
tions Committee and in charge of
the work relief bill, is in a position
to know what he is talking about.
The possible effect of the payment
of a security wage" to 3500,0O0
workers on relief projects on the wage
scales in private industry has given
organized labor much concern. They
fear that if the lower wages are paid
by the Government the rates of pay
for similar work in private employ
ment will be reduced.
Senator Wagner, who has always
been a staunch friend of labor,
pleaded with the Senate yesterday to
put its trust in President Roosevelt.
Referring to Mr.. Roosevelt, Senator
Wagner said: mo one has excelled
him in steadfast and intelligent devo-
ton to the welfare of the working
people of this country" He urged
the Senate not further to delay the
bill, "a most important feature" of
the Presidents program Either Mr..
Wagner is right and the prevailing
wage will be paid under the operation
OF the work-relief law at the direc-
ton of the President, or Mr.. Glass
Is correct and the President will pay
the security wage. That is a matter
which time will demonstrate. If the
President is going to pay the prevail
ing wage, then why, as Senator Borah
OF Idaho asked during the debate. all
this row over the McCarran amend
ment? The Idaho Senator asked. in
effect, if, after all, the fight was
merely a matter of saving face for
the White House.
The work-relief bill, when it be-
comes law, will be in the nature of an
experiment. There are those who fear
that it will fail to accomplish what
the President hopes it will do; that
a great mass of the unemployed, par
t1cularly in the cities, are not quail
fed for the kind of work which the
highway construction, the soil ero-
sion work, the elimination of grade
crossings and the like will call for.
They fear that in addition to the vast
sum of money required for these
work-relief projects there will still be
needed hundreds of millions of dollars
to continue direct relief to millions