The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-07-27
Facing the Focts
With PHILIP PEARL

There used to be a time when the
WPA was just a leaf-ranking and
grassmanicuring enterprise. The pub
lie didn't like it. They considered it
a waste of their money. Demands
grew for useful" projects. These de-
mands were encouraged by Mayors
and local governments. They wanted
new school or new airport or a
new municipal stadium. They could
get these projects financed by the Pub
lie Works Administration but that
agency required municipalities to put
up 45 per cent of the cost. Trying to-
save their own money at the Federal
expense, the municipalities pressed
for the WPA to handle these projects.
Then it wouldn't cost the local gov
ernment anything.
Well, they succeeded. The result
has been the gradual decline and prac-
tical demise Of the Public Works Ad
ministration. Furthermore it has
brought about the transformation of
the WPA from a boon-doggling out
fit to public works agency.
Now the PWA by law and by policy
paid prevailing wages on all it's
projects. When the WPA started &C.
ing in for permanent public works a
prevailing wage provision was also
written into the relief act. Union la
Dor cooperated to the fullest degree
in the WPA program.
Tbo4 ,,.Lo~o H.
when Congress began considering the
new WPA bill for the current fiscal
year. AS usual Congress stalled to the
last minute. Then the House passed
haywire bill eliminating the pre-
vailing wage clause among other
things.
Fearful Of the consequences, the
American Federation of Labor exerted
sii its pressure on the Senate to re-
store the prevailing wage. And the
Senate did so, unanimously.
What Caused the Strikes
The differing House and Senate bills
were sent to conference. The confer
ence committee just a few hours be-
fore the legal deadline reported out
dge-podge bill with the prevail
ing wage clause dropped again. Be-
cause of the emergency and with the
prospect of having to close down the
whole relief program unless new
funds were appropriated Immediately,
both Houses hastily adopted the faulty
measure. 1t became the law when the
President signed it.
What happened? Within few days
union men on WPA started to quit.
They were not ordered out. They just
stopped. Their action was entirely To-
cal and spontaneous in character.
They were just following the tradi-
tional principle that a union man,
holding union card, will not work at
less than union wages for anyone.
These men are not striking against
the Government. They are loyal, law
abiding American workers. They are
fighting for principle that it almost
religion to them. They refuse to
have the wage rates built up by col
lective action through years of strug-
gle and sacrifice destroyed.
Is the attitude of Congress as easily
understandable? Is it in any sense
logical? Let's see.
Under the Walsh-Healey Act, which
is the law of the land, the Government
says it will only purchase goods pro-
duced by labor which is paid prevail
ing wages on its own work?
Under the Davis-Bacon Act, which
is the law of the land, the Government
is committed to the policy of paying
prevailing wages in the construction
Of Federal buildings. How can the
Government then logically contend
that it is wrong to pay prevailing
wages on WPA building projects?
More Questions
These questions and others were
cogently raised at the meeting of
union leaders called by President
Green to consider the grave situation.
Is the Government, asked one speaker,
going to the steel mills and demanding
dollars worth of steel for thirty
five cents? Is it asking the lumber
manufacturers for dollars worth of
lumber for thirty-five cents? Then how
can it reasonably ask the union work
man on WPA to furnish dollars
worth of labor for thirty-fve cents?
Yes, say the WPA Administrators,
but the WPA is not business, it's a
relief program. Is it? That's an i'm
portant point. In actual fact, the
WPA is now largely a public works
program. 1t is constructing projects
costing as much as forty million doll
ars. How can that be called relief?
1t isn't. It's public works. And on
public works, the Government should
and must maintain the prevailing
wage principle.
Why can't Congress be sensible
about this matter? 1t is becoming in
creasingly apparent that the combin-
alton of relief and public works in one
won't mix Then why not sep
arate them? Why not establish a pure
ly relief program on the one hand and
a separate public works program on
the other? Unless this is done, or the
prevailing wage is restored in the
present hybrid WPA program, the