NATIONAL RECOVERY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22063, 20 September 1933, Page 7

NATIONAL RECOVERY

THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT SIGNING OF COAL CODE (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) WASHINGTON, September 18. (Received Sept. 19, at 11.55 p.m.) The protracted negotiations in the N.R.A. coal code were definitely completed to-day as President Roosevelt signed the instrument after eliminating a highly controversial section which attempted to interpret a labour clause of the Recovery Act. This is regarded as a victory for the Labour leaders. President - Roosevelt held that the original law covered the matter. General Johnson and others within the N.R.A. organisation hailed the signing of the code as the most significant development so far. Some viewed it as a possible prelude to direct Governmental control. The section of the code providing that the Government must be supplied with such statistical information from operators as price scales, sales volume, wages, etc., makes possible comprehensive protection for customers. The strike situation is generally unchanged, but it is hoped that the signing of the coal code will settle the labour troubles in that industry. Meanwhile the Arbitration Board has announced the settlement of a few small strikes, while others have developed. Some 8000 shoe workers at Brockton, Massachusetts, walked out, rejecting a plea to withhold action pending N.R.A. intervention. The operators’ proposal for ending the New Jersey silk strike has been submitted to the authorities. It agrees to take back the workers with the exception of 15 alleged “trouble making Communists.” No decision has yet been reached. The administration fears that the price-fixing provision for petroleum might have to be invoked, but the epidemic of price cutting wars is on the wane. Perhaps the moat outspoken objection to the N.R.A. and the entire Roosevelt recovery programme so far is contained in the seventy-fifth birthday interview of Mr George Wickersham, a former Republican Attorney-general in the Taft administration, who denounced tlm movement as leading the State to socialism, undermining the constitution, and likely greatly to increase the cost of Government for the average person to the benefit of special interests.