THE “BLUE EAGLE”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 260, 16 October 1933, Page 10

THE “BLUE EAGLE”

ENFORCEMENT PROBLEM CODE VIOLATORS WHO HOLD EMBLEMS. N.R.A. QUANDARI. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. WASHINGTON, October 13. General Johnson in a press interview to-day admitted that the N.R.A. faced a serious enforcement problem as regards the recalling of Blue Eagle emblems from alleged code violator*. He referred to the right of the Preddent to take such steps under the agreements signed, but admitted that he did not know if such action could be enforced in the Courts. He deprecated the possibility that those losing

emblems, with their names published, might have grounds for a libel suit against the Government, and indicated that more withdrawals would follow proper complaints.

Meanwhile, according to reports from New Rochelle, New York, one loser of the Blue Eagle emblem reported that increased business had resulted. The proprietors of a beauty saloon there were asked to give up their Blue Eagle on charges of paying their employees less than the minimum wage specified in the code. They did so, after which their business was immediately stimulated. They announced that they would cut prices and wages and hire more operators in direct contradiction of the N.R.A. policy. General Johnson to-day indicated that the Administration considers the dispute with the captive coal mines closed. He declares that the executives’ acceptance of the check-off was satisfactory. Miners still refusing to refnrn would be considered code violators.

Under the Presidential influence a provision was written into the revised motion picture code late on Friday by Mr Sol Rosenblatt, N.R.A. deputy. Administrator, calling for the assessment of fines of up to 10,000 dollars against producers found to have hired talent at unreasonably high salaries. The revision followed the disclosure that White House is opposed to the payment to film people of salaries five and six times as large as the President'*.

The originally-proposed code contained nothing which could be Interpreted as an attempt to fix a maximum. It did, however, provide for checks on competitive bidding for stars’ services, a practice generally helf accountable for the size of some Hollywood salaries. The purpose of the new provision is described as intended to “avoid the payment of sums unreasonably in excess of the fair value of personal services, which results in unfair and destructive competition.”

STABILISATION OF DOLLAR. ABSURD TO ATTEMPT IT YET NEW YORK,-October 15 A despatch from Washington state* that it is learned to-night from n high authority that the Government considers that prices are not yet high enough to warrant stabilisation of the dollar and that it “would be absurd to attempt in the present circumstances t* stabilise the dollar against foreign exchange. ’ ’ The correspondent adds that the President plan* to provide dollars of constant purchasing power, but must await a higher price level. The Government’s re-financing programme regarding the calling of part of the fourth Liberty Loan raised the dollar on Saturday to an indicated gold value of 69.13 cents. Sterling broke 13 7/8 cents to 4.535, with the result that home security and commodity prices were sharply down.