Registry No. 1741-9-07 

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

PROPOSED CODE OF FAIR C01MPETITION 

FOR THE 

WATER SUPPLY INDUSTRY 

AS SUBMITTED ON AUGUST 31, 1933 

'. ,, 0 :- -~-- - ......... 

The Code for the Water Supply Industry 

in it(present form merely reflects the proposal of the above-mentioned 

industry, and none of the provisions contained therein are 

to be regarded as having received the approval of 

the National Recovery Administration 

as applying to this industry 

UNITED STATES 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON : 1933 

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For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. - - - - - - - - Price 5 cents 

V 
SUBMITTED BY 

WATER SUPPLY UTILITIES, INC~ 

(n) 
CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION FOR THE WATER SUPPLY 

INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 

The Institute of Water Supply Utilities, Inc., which represents 

public utilities providing water-supply service to more than sixty-five 

percent of the population served by private water supply companies 

in the United States, submits, in accordance with the declaration of 

policy contained in Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act 

and the President's appeal to the Nation for agreements on broad 

principles by means of voluntary codes, the following provisions fts a 

code of fair competition for all persons engaged in said industry. 

SECTION I-PURPOSE 

The purpose of this code is to apply generally to the water-supply 

industry the principles of the National Recovery Act, namely, to 

encourage industrial recovery, to reduce and relieve unemployment, 

and to improve the standards of labor. 

To the end that the water-supply industry may do its part in the 

national economic recovery and carry out the purposes set forth, it is 

necessary that this code reflect some of the fundamental natural 

differences between this industry and production and distribution 

industries. These are as follows: 

1. Water-supply properties are noncompetitive public utilities 

engaged in the continuous service of furnishing a vital necessity of 

life under constant and vigilant supervision and regulation by State 

and local authorities; 

2. Such supervision and regulation affect not only rates for 

service but also operating expenses and conditions of service, and 

impose the highest possible standards as to quality and continuity 

of supply; 

3. The adoption of this code by the water-supply industry imposes 

a substantial burden of increased operating expenses, and this 

burden cannot be passed on to the consumer, as is permitted in the 

case of a manufacturing or merchandising industry, except by 

application to the regulatory bodies where permission to increase 

rates would be preceded by long and expensive hearings; 

4. Throughout the period of depression the industry has furnished 

service to thousands of customers who have been and still are unable 

to pay their water bills, and since water is a vital necessity of life the 

companies have felt obligated to carry these accounts and furnish 

this service without compensation. 

5. Wage rates of water-supply industry labor have been reduced 

less than in most other industries, having been decreased an average 

of approximately 10 percent from peak levels of 1929-30. Employment 

in the industry is constant, free from seasonal fluctuation, and in a 

great many -cases employees spend their entire working lives for the 

same waterworks employers. 

9462-33 (1) 
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SECTION II-DEFINITIONS 

The term "water-supply industry" as used herein includes collecting, storing, purifying, pumping, transmitting, and distributing of 

water for domestic, commercial, industrial, and municipal purposes. 

The term "employees" as used herein means all persons employed 

in the conduct of such operations. 

The term "employers" as used herein means all persons, partnerships, associations, and corporations in the water-supply industry by 

whom such employees are employed. 

It is understood that this definition does not include the supplying 

of water by municipal or other governmental agencies. 

The term" effective date" as used herein means the 10th day after 

this code shall have been approved by the President of the United 

States. 

SECTION III-LABOR PROVISIONS 

As required by Section 7 (a) of Title I of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act, the following provisions are incorporated in this agreement: 

(1) That employees shall have the right to organize and bargain 

collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and shall 

be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employers of 

labor, or their agents, in the designation of such representatives or 

in self-organization or in other concerted activities for the purpose of 

collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection; 

(2) That no employee and no one seeking employment shall be 

required as a condition of employment to join any company union 

or to refrain from joining, organizing, or assisting a labor organization 

of his own choosing; and 

(3) That employers shall comply with the maximum hours of labor, 

minimum rates of pay, and other conditions of employment approved 

or prescribed by the Preaident. 

Mindful of its responsibility to the consuming public in maintaining continuous and adequate service, the Water Supply Industry, by 

recognizing the right of its employees to organize and bargain collectively, does not grant to them or admit that they have the right 

to undertake any action which would interfere with the continuity of 

water-supply service. 

SECTION IV-CHILD LABOR 

After August 31, 1933, no person under sixteen years of age shall 

be employed, except that persons between fourteen and sixteen years 

of age may be employed for not to exceed three hours a day, and 

those hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., in such work as will not interfere with hours of day school. 

SECTION V-HOURS OF LABOR 

1. No employee shall be permitted to work for two or more employers for longer period of any week than specified herein for a 

single employer. · 2. Exceptions to the standards in respect to maximmn hours of 

labor specified herein are authorized as follows: 
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(a) Executive, administrative, or supervisory employees receiving 

$35.00 per week or more. 

(b) Janitors, watchmen, caretakers, watershed patrolmen, storekeepers, and worker pension employees, and temporary employment 

in case of emergency. 

(c) Employees in small stations where the service does not require 

more than two operators on duty at any one time, which stations arenot part of a waterworks plant having larger stations. 

(d) Employees in plants employing not more than two persons in 

towns of less than 2,500 population, which towns are not part of a 

larger trade area. 

3. Subject to the foregoing exceptions, a maximun1 employment in 

the waterworks industry shall be as follows: 

(a) For all employees, except those referred to in the next subdivision hereof, not more than forty hours in any one week, except 

where, because of exigencies, it may be necessary to work such 

employees more than forty hours per week; but the weekly hours for 

each employee for any six-weeks period shall not exceed an average of 

forty hours per week. 

(b) For employees connected with operation of pump stations and 

purification plants, inspectors, maintenance 1nen, and on-and-off 

men, whose duties must be continuously performed in order to render 

a safe and continuous service to the public, not in excess of fortyeight hours per week. Because of exigencies it may be necessary to 

work such employees more than forty-eight hours per week on occasion, but the weekly hours for each employee for any 6-week period 

shall not exceed an average of forty-eight hours per week. 

SECTION VI-MINIMUM w AGES 

On and after the effective date and to and until the expiration 

date, minimum wages to be paid to any employee who on July 1, 

1933, was paid on a weekly or monthly basis, shall be at the rate of 

not less than-

( a) Fifteen dollars ($15.00) per week in any city of over 500,000 

population or in the immediate trade area of such city; 

(b) Fourteen dollars and fifty cents ($14.50) per week in any city 

of between 250,000 and 500,000 population or in the immediate trade 

area of such city; 

(c) Fourteen dollars ($14.00) per week in any city of between 5,000 

and 250,000 population or in the immediate trade area of such city; 

(d) In towns of less than 2,500 population employers shall increase 

H-ll wages by not less than 20 percent, provided that this shall not 

require wages in excess of $12.00 per week. 

The minimum wages herein provided may be at the rate of $1.00 

per week less in the southern section of the country. The southern 

section of the country is defined as including the following States: 

Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, 

Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, District of Columbia, Tennessee, 

Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. 

On and after the effective date and to and until the expiration 

date, the minimum wages to be paid to any employee who on July 1, 

1933, was employed on an hourly basis shall be at the rate of not less 

than forty cents per hour, unless the hourly rate for the same class of 
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work on July 15, 1929 was less than.forty cents per hour, in which 

latter case the rate of pay shall not be less than the July 15, 1929, 

hourly rate of pay, and in any event, shall not be less than thirty 

cents per hour. The minirnurn wages above provided for shall not 

be applicable in the states in the southern section of the country 

above enumerated. The rninimum wages in such states shall not be 

less than forty cents per hour, unless the prevailing hourly rate for 

the same class of employees on July 15, 1929, as determined by the 

Administrator on statistical evidence, was less than forty cents per 

hour, in which case the rate shall not be less than said prevailing 

hourly rate thus determined plus fifteen percent if said hourly rate 

on July 15, 1929, was less than thirty cents per hour, provided, however, that for wages per hour between twenty cents and twenty-nine 

cents, inclusive, on July 15, 1929, with wages of less than twenty 

cents per hour on that date being considered as twenty cents, the 

percentage of increase shall diminish one and one half percent for 

each cent that wages per hour exceeded twenty cents, in accordance 

with the following schedule: 

Wages per Increase Wa~es per under hour under hour, July proposed proposed 15, 1929 schedule schedule (cents) (percent) (cents) 

2Q 15 23 

21 131⁄2 24 

22 12 24.5 

23 101⁄2 24. 5 

24 9 26 

25 71⁄2 27 

26 6 27.5 

27 41⁄2 28 

28 3 29 

29 l1⁄2 29.5 

30 0 I 30 

Learners may be paid not less than eighty percent of the minimum 

wage rates above provided, but the total number of learners shall 

not exceed five percent of the total number of employees employed 

by a.ny employer subject to this code. 

SECTION VII-SUBSTITUTION 

Sections V and VI of this Code are in substitution for paragraphs 

2 and 7, inclusive, of the President's reemployment agreement. 

SECTION VIII-ADMINISTRATION 

The Institute of 1lv ater Supply Utilities is hereby designated the 

agency for administering, supervising, and promoting the performance 

of the provisions of this code by the members of the water supply 

industry. The Institute of Water Supply Utilities shall appoint a 

Recovery Executive Conunittee to exercise such functions on behalf 

of the Institute of Water Supply Utilities and the facilities and departments of the Institute of Water Supply Utilities shall be available 

to make the administration effective and efficient. 

In order to keep the President of the United States and the Administrator informed as to the observance or nonobservance of this 
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code, each employer shall prepare and file with the statistical department of the Institute of Water Supply Utilities at such times and 

in such manner as may be prescribed, statistics covering the number of 

persons employed, wage rates, earnings, hours of work and such other 

data or information as the Recovery Executive Committee may from 

time to time require. 

SECTION IX-DATA CONFIDENTIAL 

Except as otherwise provided in the National Recovery Act, all 

statistical data filed in accordance with the provisions of Article VI 

shall be confidential and shall not be revealed except for the purpose 

of administering or enforcing the provisions of this code. 

SECTION X-PARTICIPATION IN CODE 

Any employer may participate in this code and in any rev1s10ns 

or additjons thereto by signifying his intention and accepting the 

proper pro rata share of the cost and responsibility of creating and administering it, either by becoming a member of the Institute of WaterSupply Utilities or by paying to it an amount equal to the charges 

from time to time provided to be paid by a member in like situation 

of the Institute of Water Supply Utilities. 

SECTION X-PRESIDENTIAL POWER 

As required by Section 10 (b) of Title I of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act the following provision is contained in this code: 

The President may from time to time cancel or modify any order, 

approval, license, rule, or regulation issued under this title. 

SECTION XI-RESERVATION 

By presenting this code those assenting hereto are not consenting 

to any modifications thereof and each reserves the right to object 

individually or jointly to any modified code. 

SECTION XII-AMENDMENTS 

It is contemplated that supplementary provisions or amendments of this code applicable to the water-supply industry may from 

time to time be submitted on behalf of the industry for the approval 

of the President. 

SECTION XIII-EXECUTION 

This code may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of 

which shall be deemed to be an original. 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 

II I II IIIIII Ill Ill lllll lllll II IIIIII II IIIIII II 1111111111111111111 

6 3 1262 08585 3058 

SECTION XIV-WHEN AND How LoNG EFFECTIVE 

The undersigned by their signatures assent to the provisions of 

this code, and this code shall become effective ten days after the 

approval hereto by the President of the United States, and shall con- tinue in force until June 16, 1935, or at such earlier date when the 

emergency shall be declared to be ended pursuant to subdivision (c) 

of Section 2 of the ational Industrial Recovery Act. 

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