FORD AND N.R.A.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 225, 23 September 1933, Page 9

FORD AND N.R.A.

A SILENT PROTEST.

jvill not sign code.

Distasteful to His Economic

Theories.

[WILL COMPLY WITH TERMS,

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Received 11 a.m.)

DETROIT, 22. It is understood that Mr. Henry Ford's employees will go on a 32hour week next Monday conforming with the automobile code which, however, permits 35 hours. His schedules hitherto have been 40 hours with a minimum wage of 60 cents an hour.

There has been no move on Mr. Ford's part to sign the code. It is intimated that lie will conform strictly to its requirements, but will register a silent protest against features that are distasteful to his economic theories.

The Northern Coal Control Association and tlio Appalachian Mountains smokeless coal group, representing more than 70 per cent of the country's soft coal tonnage, signed a labour contract last evening with the United Mine Workers of America.

Mr. William Green, president of the [American Federation of Labour, has issued a statement denouncing the critics of the N.R.A. labour clauses. He says the act does not prevent the closed union shop. That is the shop which the union, by agreement between the workers and the employers, gives the workers their freedom to organise. Critics are dismayed because wage earners are "no longer under the necessity of paying tribute to a company. Evidences of N.R.A. Successes. What is described as a highly favourable analysis of wage rate increases and tho working week, indicating the success of the N.R.A., shows that average earnings increased from 42.7 cents an hour in the period June 15 to July 15, to 58.5 cents an hour between July 15 and August 15.

The average hours of work per week dropped from 42.3 to 38.0 in S9 industries.

The codified industries show a striking contrast, the most outstanding being the cotton textiles, in which wages have increased from 23.2 to 3C.1 cents an hour and hours have decreased from 49 to 30.5.

Mr. Roosevelt lias authorised the agricultural adjustment administration to buy upwards of 75,000,000 dollars' worth of surplus food and cloth supplies for distribution among tho unemployed. His action is a direct reply to critics of the American system, who noted the paradox of a wealthy country —with huge surpluses of basic commodities —in which millions of people go hungry and ill-clad.

The President's policy affords adequate assistance to 3,500,000 families on the relief rolls.

CONTROLLED DOLLAR.

Close Study By Roosevelt

Economic Advisers,

SWEDEN'S EXAMPLE

(Received 11 a.m.)

WASHINGTON, September 22.

It is reported that the economic advisers of the Government are giving a close study to the methods of controlling dollar fluctuation. To that end, and so that "constant purchasing povver" and stabilised price levels may he achieved, the subject has been under consideration for weeks, with Sweden's managed currency system as a practical guide, but how Mr. Roosevelt feels toward such an experiment is not yet disclosed.