Evening star., 1942-02-20
Prevailing Wage

Of the Northern Virginia Builders
Association, appeared for employ
ers of the area. Two Of them spoke
The sixth builders, representative
was William j. Tobin, jr., secre-
tary Of the. Washington Master
Builders Association, who spoke for
the high union wage. Members of
the association have working agree
ments with the "a" or high-scale
unions. Twelve union men talked,
and their remarks fill vast portion
of recorded proceedings.
IT was shocked at the number Of
union men and the few builders at
tending" commented Colin Nc
Pherson, Arlington, yesterday. "Np
one from Alexandria was there" He
is secretary Of the Northern Vir-
ginia Builders and one of the two
who spoke for the then prevailing"
scale.
Questioned as to why there were
so few builders, William T. Evans,
Labor Department referee at the
hearing, said they encountered great
difficulty in getting the builders in
terested in hearings.
There was no representative pres
ent from either the Alexandria
Housing Authority, vitality interest
ed in the proceedings, or the United
States Housing Authority. Robert
S. Marshall, executive officer of A.
H. A., said a letter arrived the day
after the hearing notifying him that
1t was to be held. He said the
Labor Department apparently con-
sidered only Government construc-
tion in setting the new prevailing
wage. There are, he added, several
privately built dwelling units in his
section which should have been
taken into account.
They are just a bunch of hide
binders, if you ask me-" Mr.. Har-
shall commented.
120 Units Started at Higher Rate.
Before the hearing the A. H. A.
had completed or let contracts for
440 dwelling units in slum clearance
and defense housing projects at the
low or non-union rate. Since then
the A. H. A. has started 120 dwelling
units at the higher wage. Figures,
to be used later, tend to show the
latter units are going to be very much
more costly to the Government than
the earlier jobs. At least one Other
contract for a Government project
was held up by the proceedings, and
will be more expensive than it was
figured earlier.
A contractor who had submitted
a low bid for a small Alexandria
development said he was not asked
to attend the hearing, and did not
know about it until afterward.
When the wage change was made,
contractors were busy making esti-
mates for work on q larger Alexar1-
dria project.
The hearing was opened by re-
marks Of Referee Evans to the effect
that he saw "the unions are very
well represented" He then called
on Howard Sharpe, head of North
ern Virginia builders. Mr.. Sharpe
said he would like to wait and see
what the others had to say.
Mr.. Evans then called on the
union men, and John Locher, secre-
tary of the Building Trades Council
took the floor. Mr.. Locher spoke
at length. Among the projects in
nearby Virginia cited as having
been built at unon rates were the
huge Army cantonments and other
buildings at Fort Belvoir, housing
development for Navy workers
Arlington Cantonment, work at Fort
Myer, the huge War Department
Building, National Airport, foul
experimental houses. two telephone
buildings, soap factory, Red Gross
building, stores and restaurants.
Reminds Of Acts Scope.
At the start and all during the
proceedings Mr.. Evans reminded
that under the Bacon-Davis Act only
projects that are Of comparable
construction to defense housing arr
considered pertinent In determin'