RIFT APPEARS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 291, 4 September 1933, Page 9

RIFT APPEARS

U.S. National Recovery SOFT COAL INDUSTRY Negotiations at Standstill PROBLEM OF MR. FORD Must Make Decision on Tuesday By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received September 3, 7.25 p.m.) Washington, September 2. 1 A new riR in the soft coal industry as well as the reticence of Mr. Henry Ford have disturbed the first week-end rest of the National Recovery Act administration. , Conferences on labour contracts between the Appalachian! bituminous coal employers and the United Mineworkers of America are at so complete a standstill that the advice of General Hugh Johnson, the administrator, was again sought by the disputants. In the case of Mr. Ford, the officials are simply awaiting a word from the manufacturer, who has till Tuesday to accept the automobile code or do business without the Blue Eagle. v Both problems are paralleled by two events hailed as recovery achievements. The twelve-bllliou-dpUar oil industry’s code became effective to-day, and the American Federation of Labour attributed to the Recovery Act programme a five-billion-dollar incicase in purchasing power, an amount sufficient to raise retail prices 17 per cent.

CHILD LABOUR Practical Abolition Washington, September 1. Child labour is a matter of history in hundreds of thousands of business establishments. Every signer of President Roosevelt’s re-employment agreement, estimated by the N.R.A. officials as around a million, is pledged not to employ children under sixteen years. Other hundreds, functioning under codes and modified agreements, . are similarly pledged, though in some instances they are allowed to employ children of fourteen to sixteen outside school hours. 7 Just' how many children are affected is not estimated, but the 1939 census figures showed 197,621 between ten and fifteen years were, gainfully employed outside agriculture. Prominent among N.RJL. difficulties is Labour’s persistent criticism of the language of the codes permitting the hiring and firing on a merit basis. NEW ZEALAND EXAMPLE Mr. Nash and Australian Laws . (Received September 8, 7.15 p.m.) .Saskatoon (Saskatchewan), September 2. The National Recovery Act codes introduced in the United States are similar to those that have been operating in New Zealand for more than thirty • years, Mr. Walter Nash, the New Zealand Labour M.P., informed the Canadian Club to-day. He said codes were pf.little value unless they were made compulsory l in all industry. Any steps which tended to lift the purchasing power of the mass of the people and make for an even spread in the distribution of wealth, were beneficial. BRITISH TRADES UNIONS Desire to Follow Roosevelt (Received September 3, 7.10 p.m.) London, September 2. The Trades Union Council has decided to propose a motion at the forthcoming conference urging the Government to follow President Roosevelt’s plan to shorten hours, increase wages, and finance public works, in order to reduce unemployment and save industry. _ COMMERCIAL TREATIES / President May Seek Powers (Received September 3, 7 p.m.) r> Washington, September 2. The Government is considering asking the next session of Congress for authority to negotiate commercial treaties, embodying reciprocal tariff concessions, particularly with Canada and Latin America countries.