FEARS FLOUTED

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1934, Page 7

FEARS FLOUTED

OPERATION OF THE N.R.A.

NECESSITY TO AMERICA NEXT MOVE BY PRESIDENT INCREASE IN WAGES RATE SHORTER WORKING HOURS By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright Rec. 7.25 p.m. Washington, March 5. Addressing several thousand members of the National Recovery Act code authorities assembled for a three-day review of their activities. President Roosevelt to-day proclaimed the necessity of the N.R.A. for economic rehabilitation, and at the same time flouted the fears that it was the forerunner of Fascism or Communism. “Every examination I make leads me to the inescapable conclusion that we must now consider immediate co-opera-tion to secure an increase in wages and the shortening of hours,” proceeded Mr. Roosevelt. “We must set up every safeguard against the erasing of small operators from the economic scene. “The first task in industry to-day is to create consuming power. It is the immediate task of industry to re-employ more people at purchasing wages, and to do it now. I am a little amused at those few who proclaim tearfully either that we are now committed to Communism, Collectivism or a Fascism dictatorship.” . . The Supreme Court decision upholding the right of New York State to fix minimum milk prices is interpreted here as an indication of the constitutionality of similar Federal price-fixing under the N.R.A. . , General Hugh Johnson, N.R.A. administrator, to-night tentatively proposed to industrial members of several hundred code authorities that working hours in all codes should be reduced by 10 per cent., and that this be accompanied by a 10 per cent, increase m wages.