INDUSTRIAL CODE

Evening Star, Issue 21505, 1 September 1933, Page 9

INDUSTRIAL CODE

ROOSEVELT'S NEW MOVE GREAT ECONOMIC EFFORT WAGE LEVEL FIXED In one of the most remarkable experiments in world history, President Roosevelt has asked all America to join in a common attack on low wages, long hours, and reduced purchasing power. The campaign is to be carried through with the unanimity and fervour of the World War era. The object of the campaign is twofold: to get every emS’oyer in the countr yto agree to orten the working week and to pay a graduated scale of minimum wages to his employees, and to get every consumer to agree to patronise only employers co-operating with the President, says the ‘ Christian Science Monitor.’ Outside of war time, history does not record any economic effort launched on such a scale by a great democracy, and even in war, no such effort to keep wages in balance with production is on record. The programme will mean increased pay for hundreds of thousands of employees throughout the country, and jons for hundreds of thousands of others who are now idle. Mr Roosevelt’s announcement at the end of July will be followed in the succeeding six weeks by the most intense appeal to public opinion since the war. The drive will end on Labour Day, September In Washington it is believed that if the campaign is successful the present 12,000,000 unemployed will be reduced by 6,000,000 by that day.

SCOPE OF THE PLAN. Announcement of the plan came through Brigadier-general Hugh S. Johnson, recovery administrator, who asked employers to agree to seven major points:— 1. To end child labour. 2. To establish a minimum forty-hour week for white-collar workers, and not to cut hours of business below fifty-two linni*Q o wPAk 3. To establish a minimum thirty-five-hour week for factory, mechanical worker, and artisan classes; with the right to work forty hours a week for any six weeks between August 1 and December 31. 4. To work no employee more than eight hours a day. 5. To pay white-collar workers not less than 15dol a week in cities ,of 500,000 or more; 14.50d0l a week in cities between 250,000 and 500,000; not less than ]4dol in cities between 250,000 and 2,500. 6. To pay mechanics, etc., not less than forty cents an hour, unless the hourly rate for such work was less than forty cents on July 15, 1929, in which case the latter rate should be paid, but not less than thirty cents an hour. 7. To keep the same wages for the shorter work week now paid for the longer work week, A printed form containing these provisions, with certain others, has been handed the 5,000,000 employers of the United States by the postman. The employer will be asked to sign it and return it at once. The agreements will be in effect from August 1 to December 31 of this year. APPEAL BY PRESIDENT. Two statements were given out through General Johnson. One was the text of the communication President lloosevelt will send to every employer. The second was a supplemental explanation of the universal code and its objectivo. In stirring phrases, the second calls for a “ truce of selfishness ” and a common effort “ to unite once more to overcome an emergency, and, it may be, to defeat depression.” Explaining that the drive is a “ test of patriotism,” it is stated that no force will be employed, “save conscience and opinion.” A special appeal is made to the women of America who control the bulk of the nation’s buying. They are urged to support those employers “ who do their part to put back breadwinners to work.” Each employer who complies with the President’s request will be entitled to use the official badge of co-operation, which reads: — “Member of N.R.A. Wo do our part.” In the succeeding six weeks that phrase will become the most conspicuous in the nation, if the plans of sponsors of the drive are successful. A pledge for N.R.A. (National Recovery Act) consumers is also offered. The announcement concludes with a declaration against “ ballyhoo,”- and

the request that “ calm composure and fair play ” be coupled with the mood of vigour and determination in which “ this great national covenant ” should be carried out. THE FULL CODE. The full statement embodying the President’s Code (authorised by section V. of National Industrial Recovery Act) gives it as follows: ( During the period of the President’s emergency re-employment drive, that is to say, from August 1 to December 31, 1933, or to an earlier date of approval of a code of fair competition to which ho is subject, the undersigned hereby do agree jvith the President as follows: (1) After August 31, 1933, not to employ any person under sixteen years of age, except that persons between fourteen and sixteen may be employed (but not in manufacturing or mechanical industries) for not to exceed three hours per day and those hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. in such work as will not interfere with hours of day school. (2) Not to work any accounting, clerical, banking, office, service, or sales employees (except outside salesmen) in any store, office, department, or public utility, or on any automotive or horse-drawn passenger, express, delivery, or freight service, or in any other place or manner, for more than forty hours in any one week, and not to reduce the hours of any store or service operation to below fifty-two hours in any one week, unless such hours were less than fifty-two hours per week before July 1, 1933, and in the latter case not to reduce such hours at all. (3) Not to employ any factory or mechanical worker or artisan more than a maximum week for thirty-five hours until December Si, 1933, but with the right to work a maximum week of forty hours for any six weeks within this period! and not to employ any worker more than eight hours in any one day. MANY EXCEPTIONS. (4) The maximum hours fixed in the foregoing paragraphs (2) and (3) shall not apply to employees in establishments employing not more than two persons in towns of less than 2,500 population, which towns are not part of a larger trade area; nor to registered pharmacists or other professional persons employed in their professions; nor to employees in a managerial or authoritative capacity, who now receive more than thirty-five dollars per week; nor to employees of emergency maintenance and repair work; nor to very special cases where restrictions of hours of highly skilled workers on continuous processes would unavoidably reduce production, but in any such special case at least time and one-third shall bo paid for hours worked m excess of the maximum. Population for the purposes of' this agreement shall he determined by reference to the 1930 federal census. (5) Not to pay any of the classes of employees mentioned in paragraph (2) less than 15 dollars per week in any city of over 500,000 population or in the immediate trade urea of such city, nor less than 14.50 dollars per week in any city of between 250,000 and 500,000 population, or in the immediate trade area of such city; nor less than 14 dollars per week in any city of between 2,500 and 250,000 population or in the immediate trade area of such city; and in towns of less than 2,500 population to increase all wages by not less than 20 per cent., provided that this shall not require wages in excess of 12 dollars per week. HOURLY RATES. (6) Not to pay any employee of the classes mentioned in paragraph (3) less than 40 cents per hour unless the hourly rate for the same class of work on July 15, 1929, was Jess than 40 cents per hour, in which latter case not to pay less than the hourly rate on July 15, 1929, and in no event less than 30 cents per hour. It is agreed that this paragraph establishes a guaranteed minimum rate of pay, regardless of whether the employee is compensated on the basis of a time rate or on a piecework performance. (7) Not to reduce the compensation

for employment now in excess of the minimum wages hereby’ agreed to (notwithstanding that the hours worked in such employment may bo hereby reduced) and to increase the pay for such employment by an equitable readjustment of all pay schedules. (8) Not to use any subterfuge to frustrate the spirit and, intent of this agreement which is, among other things, to increase employment by a universal covenant to remove obstructions to commerce, and to shorten hours and to raise wages for the shorter week to a living basis. (9) Not to increase the price of any merchandise sold after the date hereof over the price on July 1, 1933, by more than is made necessary by actual increases in production, replacement, or invoice costs of merchandise since July 1, 1933, or by taxes or other costs resulting from action taken pursuant to the Agricultural Adjustment Act, and, in setting such price increases, to give full weight to probable increases in sales volume and to refrain from taking profiteering advantage of the consuming public. (10) To support and patronise establishments, which also have signed this agreement and are listed as members of N.R.A. (National Recovery Administration). CO-OPERATION ON CODES. (11) To co-operate to the fullest extent in having a code of fair competition submitted by his industry at the earliest possible date and in any event before September 1, 1933. (12) Where, before June 16, 1933, the undersigned had contracted to purchase goods at a fixed price for delivery during the period of this agreement, the undersigned will make an appropriate adjustment of said fixed price to meet any increase in cost caused by the seller having signed this President’s re-employment agreement or having become bound by any code of fair competition approved by the President. (13) This agreement shall cease upon approval by the President of a code to which the undersigned is subject; or, if the N.R.A. so elects, upon submission of a code to which the undersigned is subject and substitution of any of its provisions for any of the terms of this agreement. (14) It is agreed that any person who wishes to do his part in the President’s re-employment drive by signing this agreement, but who asserts that some particular provision hereof, because of peculiar circumstances, will create great and unavoidable hardship, may obtain the benefits hereof by signing this agreement and putting it into effect and then, iu a petition aproved by a, representative trade association of his industry, or other representative organisation, designated by N.R.A., may apply for a stay of such provision pending a summary investigation by N.R.A. if he agrees in such application to abide by the decision of such investigation. This agreement is entered into pursuant to section V (a) of the National Industrial Recovery Act.