Evening star., 1935-08-11
SSEESP. WA.
FAVOROVER W.P.A.
Some Cities Reject Hopkins
Plan, He Says, Desiring
Prevailing Wage.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Championing an expanded public
works program. Secretary Ickes yes
terday asserted that many Western
cities had rejected more liberal terms
from Harry L. Hopkins Works Prog
ress Administration because they pre-
ferred to pay prevailing wages.
His statement conceded with ad-
ministration plans for showdown to-
morrow in relief-strike- threatened
New York City over the wage sched-
ules fixed by Hopkins for all the rest
of the work-relief program except
highway construction.
Although Ickes did not mention the
widespread labor protests against the
$l9-to-$94 w. P. A. monthly wage
schedule, it was interpreted by some
here as an argument for an expanded
P. w. A. program. The Public Works
Administration was given jurisdiction
over most construction projects cost
ing $25.000 or more, but scores of
heavy building allotments have been
assigned to Hopkins organization.
Wages Are Contrasted.
Attacks on the Hopkins schedule
had emphasized the contrast with the
wages paid on public works projects,
which were from 40 cents to so cents
an hour for unskilled labor and ST. to
$l.20 for skilled or higher, to match
the union scale where it prevailed.
Hopkins retorted, however, that as
sured employment, with no deductions
for time out because of bad weather,
actually would leave little difference
between P. w. A. and security"
wages. Some reductions too, were
predicted after Ickes' recent order di-
recting local governments to fix the
scale on their projects. although he
authorized State P. w. A. directors to
require the union scale in communi-
ties where it was customary for public
construction.
Declaring tour of P. w. A. officials
had revealed that the West has pre-
pared balanced program of useful,
permanent public works projects which
it prizes sufficiently to meet SIS per
cent of the cost locally to match the
Federal grant of As per cent" Ickes
added this comment from Col Horatio
B. Hackett, assistant P. w. A ad-
ministrator:
"A number of communities were so
desirous of paying the prevailing wage
that they made financial sacrifices in
coming to P. w. A., which permits the
prevailing wage on construction prof.
ectS, rather than seeking to qualify
projects as relief work with the Gov
ernment bearing larger percentage
Of the financial burden"
5000 Applications Received.
Ickes announced simultaneously
that 5000 applications for new prof.
ects, involving a total expenditure of
S667 .648.000, had been submitted to
P. w. A. State directors and that 563,
totaling SLOT 468, 900, had been sent
to Washington for final action Six
teen States visited by Hacketts party, /
he added, have filed 1,031 appiica- /
tions and from two to four times as
many more applications will be filed
in the Western States within the next /
six weeks"
Although officials here insisted there
would be no compromise with work.
relief strikers in New York City, it was /
assumed that Hopkins and President .
Roosevelt were canvassing the situa- /
ton during their week end cruise on |
Chesapeake Bay.
Officials predicted there would be /
little encouragement of the strike |
movement from State and city officials, |
because the burden of continuing the |
dole would then be local responsible
ity. Already local governments had
agreed to put up 100000 900 to help |
provide materials on Work Progress |
Administration projects. and to pro-
vide for 100000 destitute unemploy- |
ables, while similar sum will be re-
quired to match Federal donations on
public works projects.
Youth Committee Taken Over.
In another quarter, Aubrey Williams, /
director of the S5O,OO0,OOO National |
Youth Administration, announced he
had taken over a committee which be-
gan its study of problems in apprentice |
training IN connection with N. r. A. |
He added the Youth Administration
would pay its operating expenses of |
$4,000 year. Committee members |
are:
Mrs Clara NJ Boyer, assistant direc-
tor, Division of Labor Standards, De-
partment of Labor, chairman; William
F. Patterson, executive secretary;
Frank Cushman, chief of trade and
industrial education service, Division
of Vocational Education, Office of Ed
ucation; DR.. L. c. Marshall, executive |
secretary of the National Industrial |
Recovery Board; C. r. Dooley, man
ager, industrial relations department,
Standard Oil Co. of New York; John P.
Frey, president, metal trades depart
ment. American Federation of Labor,
and DR.. Mary Hayes of the National
Youth Administration.