Evening star., 1942-03-04
Long Hearing
Threatens on
Prevailing Pay
Builders and Unions
Clash in Session;
Next Due Friday

Inc LABOR department nearing 10
determine wages to he paid here
in the Government huge defense
housing program was adjourned late
yesterday until Friday amid claims
of union leaders that it will require
from four to six weeks to hear testi-
mony which I'VE will present in our
fight for existence"
An all-day session to find what
wage prevails in Washington for
construction comparable to that
which the Government will erect in
its housing program was interrupted
constantly by argument and
wranglings between union leaders
and private builders. The situation
was complicated by the admission
of Ben Grodsky, Labor Department
referee, that the language OF the
Bacon-Davis ACT is vague" in its
definition of the types Of con-
struction to be considered In arrlV-
ing at the prevailing" wage.
The final union outburst, a threat
to halt Federal construction, in
cluding the War Department build
ing in Arlington, and bring in the
workers to testify as to what they
are being paid, was occasioned by
what was called irrelevant evl-
dence as to wages paid on the
Carlyn, higher rent, privately built
apartment house on Rock Creek
Park. The unions contenoed that
admission of wage evidence on that
apartment was not pertinent, or
mo more so than wages paid for
Army barracks, the War Depart
ment or any other monumental
Government Office structure.
Private Residences Cited.
Private builders sought to show
that a majority of residential con-
struction in the Washington area
is built by labor paid considerably
under the A. F. of L. union scale.
The unions. represented IN debate
chiefly by John Locher and c. F.
Prener, secretary and president OF
the Washington Building Trades
Council, and Frank r. Howard, bus
mess agent for the carpenters
union, argued that most building OF
a character similar to defense nous
ing is done by union labor.
Mr.. Locher named numerous Gov
ernment housing projects in and
around the city which he said we're
puilt at sthe hlgh uuinn scale. The
builders gepresented by James
Wilkes. counsel for the Washington
Home Hui16efE Asseciatio lpre-
scented many private projects built
far under the union scale. In his
summary of union housing jobs MI.
Locher mentioned only one private
project as being erected at union
rates. the $1,000 900 development OF
the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.,
which is just being started in Alex
andria
Rufus S. Lusk. real estate statis-
tician. appearing for the builders.
introduced a survey purportlng 70
show that 40 per cent OF private
housing operations in the area in the
last 13 months was erected by labor
receiving under the union scale.
His survey included more than
s4o 900 900 in construction, repre-
senting 8,788 family dwelling units.
Mr.. Lusk said he had actual wage
rates on only s18800,000 worth Of
that work.
Testimony Supported.
Following his testimony. frequent
" interrupted by union leaders, the
builders summoned witnesses to cor
roborate facts in the Lusk survey.
These were builders whose projects
we're included in the survey. and all
of their testimony tended to uphold
its findings. Mr.. Lusk said that pri-
vate builders last year built more
than 10000 dwelling units.
Though Mr.. Lichers citation OF
union built housing gave no overall
tabulation of the number of dwelling
units. a union spokesman said later
that the number erected in the past
year and those just getting under
way approximate $4,000 This fig
ure, he said, includes the Metro
politan Life project. neighboring
DEVELOPMENT of Defense Homes
Corp. R. F. c. subsidiary, OF similar
size, and the Friendship project,
also of D. H. c., all Of which are
lust being started.
When the hearing began, Mr..
Grodsky said that only projects
comparable to Government low-cost
housing would be considered. Maui
rice v. Brooks, counsel for the Dis
trict Alley Dwelling Authority. the
first witness. stated his organization
would build 4500 temporary housing
units and number of permanent
DEVELOPMENTS. The permanent hous-
ing would be in two and three story
"walkup" buildings. He did not
know how much, if any, of the hous-
ing under the pending $4,000, 900
Lanham bill A. D. A. would be called
upon to build.
Indianhead Project Cited.
Mr.. Iocher then testified that
union COIlIIdCGOlo . lldh CiSNISN 49,"
all of the temporary or demountable
housing built in this section. He
cited projects at Indianhead and
Piney Point, down the Potomac, and
70-unit project at nearby Forest
Glen. Md. The builders introduced
no evidence bearing directly on the
temporary housing issue.
Seeking to clarity the situation,
MIR. Grodsky announced that only
two and three story apartments
would be considered In arriving at
the prevailing" scale for permanent
Government housing. Testimony
proceeded along that line until late
in the day. Mr.. Wilkes, counsel for
the builders, pointed out that the
Lanham bill does not specify the
type of housing to be built under it.
nor does it limit the height of the
buildings 1t was at this point that
union representatives threatened to
bring in workers from the War De-
partment and other projects TO tell
what they are being paid.
E~L Ckakee. nsae