Approved Code No. 190 Registry No. 409-1-03 

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

PAPER STATIONERY AND TABLET 

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY 

AS APPROVED ON DECEMBER 30, 1933 

BY 

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT 

WE DO OUR PART 

U. 

1. Executive Order 

2. Letter of Transmittal 

3. Code 

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I I r 

UNITED STATES f 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON: 1934 

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

V 
This publication is for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government 

Printing Office, Washington, D.C., ancl by district offices of the Bureau of Foreign 

and Domestic Commerce. 

DISTRICT OFFICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Athrnta, Gu.: 50-! P ost Office Building. 

Birmingham, Ala. : 257 b'ederal Building. 

Boston, .Mass. : 1801 Customhouse. 

Buffalo, .N.Y.: Chamber of Commerce Building. 

Cbarleston, S.C.: Chnmber of Commerce Building. 

Chicago, Ill.: Suite 1706, 201 North Wells Street. 

Cle-veland, Ohio: Chamber of Commerce. 

Dalla s, 'l'ex.: Chamber of Commerce Building. 

Detroit, Mich.: 2213 First National Bank Building. 

H(luston, 'l'ex.: Chamber of Commerce Building. 

Indianapolis, Ind.: Chamber of Commerce Building. 

Ja ckson-ville, Fla.: Chamber of Commerce Building. 

Kuns,1s City, Mo.: 1028 Baltimore Avenue. 

Los Angeles, Calif.: 1163 South Broadway. 

Louisville, Ky.: 408 Federal Building. 

Memphis, Tenn. : 229 Federal Building. 

U innenpolis, Minn.: 213 F ederal Building. 

New Orleans, La.: Room 225-A, Customhouse. 

New York, N.Y.: 734 Customhouse. 

Norfolk, Va.: 406 East Plume Street. 

Philadelphia, Pa.: 933 Commercial Trust Building. Pittsburgh, Pa.: Chamber of Commerce Building 

Portla nd, Oreg.: 215 New Post Office Building. 

St. Louis, Mo.: 506 Olive Street. 

San Francisco, Calif.: 310 Customhouse. 

Seattle, Wa sh.: 809 Federal Building. 
Approved Code NO'. 190 

CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

PAPER STATIONERY AND TABLET 

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY 

As Approved on December 30, 1933 

BY 

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT 

Executive Order 

An application having been duly made, pursuant to and in full 

compliance with the provisions of Title I of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act, approved June 16, 1933, for my approval of a Code 

of Fair Competition for the Paper Stationery and Tablet !1anufacturing Industry, and hearings having been held thereon and the 

Administrator having rendered hi report containing an analysis 

of the said Code of Fair Com.petition together with his recommendations and findings with respect thereto, and the AdJUinistrator having found that the said Code of Fair Competition complies in all 

respects with the pertinent provi iolls of Title I of said Act, and 

that the requirements of clauses (1) and (2) of sub ection (a) of 

Section 3 of the said Act have been met : 

NO,V, THEREFORE, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of 

the United States, pursuant to the authority vested in me by Title 

I of the National Industrial Recovery Act, approved June 16, 1933, 

and otherwise, do adopt and approve the report, recommendations, 

a.nd findings of the Administrator, and do order that the said Code 

of Fair Competition be, and it is hereby, approved. 

Approval recommended: 

HUGH S. JOHNSON, 

Adniinish·ator. 

THE ,Y HITE l-IousE, 

December 30, 1933. 

FRANKLIN D~ ROOSEVELT. 

29~83°-29G- 114-34 (55D) 
THE PRESIDENT) 

The White House. 

DECEMBER 21, 1933. 

Sm: This is a report of the hearing on the Code of Fair Competition for the Paper Stationery and Tablet Manufacturing Industry, 

conducted in Washington on October 5, 1933, in accordance with the 

provisions of Title I of the National Industrial Rccon~ry Act. 

HOURS AND WAGES 

The maximum hours specified by this Code for factory workers 

are forty per week and eight per day, except during specified peak 

months, when eight extra hours per week are permitted if paid for 

as time and one third. Skilled mechanics, not to exceed ten percent 

of the workers in any plant, may work hours in excess of f0rty, 

but not more than forty-eight per week, all hours worked in excess 

of forty per week and eight per day to be paid for as not less than 

time and one third. Other employees are limited to forty hours 

per week avera~ed over a period of thirteen consecutive weeks, but 

not more than torty-eight in any one week. Slightly longer hours 

are provided for watchmen, chauffeurs truckmen, engineers, and 

firemen. 

The Code provides a minimum wage of 38¢ per hour for male, and 

33¢ per hour for female factory workers in the Northern zone, and 

30¢ per hour for all factory workers in the Southern zone. The 

minimum wages for office workers range from $15.00 to $12.00 per 

week, as in the President's Reemployment Agreement. The 1,sual 

provision is made that women doing the same work as men shall 

receive the same pay. The only exemption from the minimum wage 

rate is the handicapped worker, who may be employed at 80% of the 

prescribed wage. 

ECONOMIC EFFECT OF THE CODE 

This inJ.u try converts paper into Yarious forms for writing purposes. There are about 60 firm in the industry, giving employment 

to a.bout 5,500 persons. The capital invested i estimated at 25 

million dollars. The total employed in 1929 was about 7,000. In 

1932 the total dropped to 4,486. Under the President's Reemployment Agreement the number of employees was increa ·ed to the 

present figure. The forty-hour week provided in this Code will 

not substantially increa e employment for this indu try, but in view 

of the fact that the forty-hour week has become the <Yeneral standard 

in approved Codes. a shorter work week would amonnt to a penalty 

of this industry. 

Figures submitted by 34 of the 60 plants engaged in thi industry 

indicatR.i that the prevailing minimum wage rate is 30¢ per hour. 

(560) 
561 

The wage provisions of the Code will result in substantial increases 

in pay rolls and purchasing power. 

FINDINGS 

The Administrator finds that: 

(a) The Code us recommended complies in all re~pects with the 

pertinent provisions of Title I of the Act, including, without limitation, su b:;ection (a) of Section 7 and sub ·ection (b) of Section 10 

thereof; and that 

(b) The applicant group imposes no inequitable restrictions on 

admi~sion to membership therein and is truly representative of the 

Paper Stationery and Tablet l\1anu:facturing Industry; and that 

( c) The Code as recommended is not designed to promote monopo• 

lies or to eliminate or oppress small enterprises and will not operate 

to discriminate against them1 and will tend to effectuate the policy 

of Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act. · 

It is recommended, therefore, that this Code be approved. 

Respectfully submitted. 

HUGH s. JOHNSON' 

Adminisfrator. 
CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

PAPER STATIONERY AND TABLET 

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY 

To effectuate the policies of Title I of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act, the following i hereby established as a Code of Fair 

Competition for the above-named Industry and shall be binding on 

every member thereof. 

ARTICLE I-DEFINITIONS 

The following words are u ed in this Code with the meanings herein set forth : 

"Industry ', the manufacture in the United States of paper stationery, writing tablets. and school paper. 

"Member ' a natural person, partner hip corporation, association. tru t, trustee trustee in bankruptcy, or receiver engaged in such 

Indu try. 

"Act", Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act. 

"Adm mi trator '' the National Indu trial Recovery Administrator. 

ARTICLE II-0RGA1\IZATION AND Aol\HNISTRATION 

1. The members of the Board of Directors of the Paper Stationery 

and Tablet Manufacturers Association, together with such other person or per on a the Administrator may designate are hereby constituted the Code Authority of the Industry. The members of the 

Code Authority designated by the Administrator shall act in an 

a<lYi. ory capacity and shall haYe no vote. 

2. The said A ociation ·hall file with the Administrator certified 

copies of any amendment of its By-Law relating to eligibility or 

admission to membership in such A sociation, or relating to the 

method of election of the members of uch Board of Directors, 

which such Association may hereafter adopt. 

3. The Aclrnini trator may at any time prescribe a different method 

for selecting the Industry members of the Code Authority, and thereafter such member shall be chosen in the manner so pre cribed. 

4. The Code Authority i charged generally with the duty of admini tering this Code under the sanction ancl with the approval of 

the Administrator. All acts. of the Code Authority shall be subject 

to reYiew and to suspen ion modification. or cancellation by the 

Administrator. 

5. The expen. e of aclmini ·tering thi. Code hall be b rne pro rata, 

in accordance with a formula to be adopted by the Code Authority, 

by all members of such Indn -try who accept the benefit of the ervices 

of the Code Authority or otherwi e as. ent to this Code. 

6. The Code Antho.rity ... hall haYe power to investigate alleged violations of this CocJe and ads or cour ·e of con<luct by any member 

(562) 
563 

which are or appear to be contrary to the policy of the Act or which 

tend or may tend to render ineffective this Code and to report the 

same with recommendations to the Administrator. 

ARTICLE III-HoURs OF LABOR 

1. Employees in the Industry shall not be required or permitted 

to work hours in excess of the lin1its prescribed in the following 

schedule: 

SCHEDULE OF WORKING HOURS 

(a) Watchmen: Eight (8) hours in any one day and fifty-six (56) 

hours in any one week. 

(b) Chauffeurs, truck.men, engineers, and firemen: One hundred 

sixty-eight (168) hours in any period of four (4) consecutive weoks, 

but not more than ten (10) hours in any one day and forty-eight 

(48) hours in any one week. 

( c) All other laborers, m chanical workers, or artisans employed 

in any plant, mill, or factory, or on work connected with the operation of such plant, mill, or factory: Forty ( 40) hours in any one 

week and eight (8) hours in any one day; provided, however, 

First, that when necessary to avoid reduction of employment of 

other workers or the undue reduction of :production, skilled workers, 

to the extent of not more than ten (10%) percent of the total number of workers in any one plant, may work hours in excess of such 

limitations, but not more than forty-eight ( 48) hours in any one 

week, all such time worked in excess of eight (8) hours in one day 

and/or forty (40) hours in one week, to be paid for at not less than 

time and one third ; and 

Second, that during the months of September, October, November~ 

and December workers engaged in the manufacture of papeterie, and 

during the months of July, August, September, and October workers 

engaged in the manufacture of tablets and school paper, may work 

an average of forty (40) hours per week, but not more than fortyeight (48) hours in any one week or eight (8) hours in any one day. 

( d) Executives and their personal secretaries and other employees 

engaged in a supervisory capacity receiving $35.00 or more per week 

and outside salesmen: No limitation. 

( e) All other employees: An a-verage of forty ( 40) hours per week 

in any period of thirteen (13) consecutive week , but not more than 

forty-eight (48) hours in any one week. 

2. No limitation contained in said schedule shall a:pply to employees of any class when engaged in emergency repairs or emergency maintenance work occasioned by breakdowns or involving protection of life or property. 

3. No employee shall be permitted to work for two or more members of the industry an aggregate n nmber of hours in excess of the 

number prescribed in said chedule. 

4. No member shall operate his plant on Sundays. Female employees of the class described in subdivi ion ( c) of Section 1 of this 

Article shall not be permitted to work between the hours of 7: 00 p.m. 

and 7 : 00 a.m. 
ARTICLE IV-"\V AGES 

1. The minimum rate of ·\Yage of any laborer, mechanical worker 

or artisan employed in any plant, mill, or factory or on work connected with the operation of any . ·uch plant, mill, or factory shall 

be as follows : 

(a) Northern Zone (which shall consist of all territory in the 

United States, except the States named in subdivision (b)) : 

J\1ale: Thirty-eight (38) cents per hour. 

Female: Thirty-three (33) cents per hour. 

(b) Southern zone ( which shall constitute the States of Virginia, 

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

Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, J\Iis issippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, 

Oklahoma, and Texas) : 

Thirty (30) cents per hour. 

2. Pieceworkers shall be paid at rates which will yield a worker 

for an hour's work not less than the minimum rate above prescribed. 

3. The minimum rates of wages for all other employees except 

commission salesmen shall be as follows: 

Not less than fifteen ($15) dollars per week in any city of over 

500,000 population, nor less than fourteen dollars and fifty cents 

($14.50) per week in any city between 250,000 and 500,000 population, nor less than fourteen ($14) dollars per week in any city between 2,500 and 250,000 population, nor less than twelve ($12) dollars per week in towns of less than 2,500 population. 

4. Female employees performing substantially the same work 

under the same conditions as male employees shall receive the same 

rate of pay as male employees. The Code Authority shall within 

90 days after the effective date of this Code file with the Administrator a description of all occupations in the Industry in which 

both ni.en and women are employed. 

5. The wage rates of all employees receiving more than the minimum rates herein prescribed shall be reviewed and such adjustments, if any, made therein as are equitable in the light of all the 

circumstances, and within sixty (60) days after the effective date 

hereof, the Code Authority shall report to the Administrator the 

action taken by all members of the Industry under this Section. 

6. A person whose earning capacity is limited because of age or 

physical or mental handicap may be employed on light work at 

a wage of not less than 80% of the minimum prescribed by this 

Code, provided the State Authority designated by the United State 

Department of Labor shall have issued a certificate authorizing his 

employment on such basis. Each member shall file with the Code 

Authority a list of all such persons employed by him. The provision of this Section requiring a certificate of authority shall not 

become effective until sixty days after the effective date of this Code. 

ARTICLE Y-GENEUAL LAnOR PnonsroNs 

1. No person under sixteen (16) years of age shall be employe l 

in the Industry. No person under eighteen (18) years of age shall 

be employed at operation or occupations " ·hich are hazardous in 

nature or dangerous to health. The Code Authority shall submit 
565 

to the Administrator within sixty (60) days afte: the effective date 

of this Code a list of such operations or occupations. In any State 

an employer shall be deemed to have complied with this provision 

as to age if he shall have on file a certificate or permit duly signed 

by the authority in such State empowered to issue employment or 

age certificates or permits, showing that the employee is of the 

required age. 

2. 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. 

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. Employers shall comply with the maximum hours 

of labor, minimum rates of pay, and other conditions of employment approved or prescribed by the President. 

3. No provision in this Code shall supersede any State or Federal 

law which imposes on employers more stringent requirements as to 

age of employees, wages, hours of work, or as to safety, health, 

sanitary or general working conditions, or ins~rance,, or fire protection 

than are imposed by this Code. 

4. No employer shall reclassify employees or duties of occupations 

performed or engage in any other subterfuge for the purpose of 

defeating the purposes or provisions of the Act or of tl11s Code. 

5. All employers shall post complete copies of this Code in conspicuous places accessible to employees. 

6. Every employer shall make reasonable provisions for the 

safety and health of his employees at the place and during the hours 

of their employment. Standards for safety and health shall be submitted by the Code Authority to the Administrator within ix (6) 

months after the effective date of this Code. 

7. No provision in this Code shall supersede provisions as to hours, 

wages, and conditions of employment which are established for specific projects by competent governmental authority acting in accordance with law, or to terms of employment which are establislwd by 

labor agreements now in force, where either the wages are higher or 

the hours of labor are shorter, or both than are those set forth in this 

Code. 

8. The Code Authority shall make a study of conditions in the 

indu try to determine the feasibility of the adoption of a shorter 

working week and shall, within three (3) months after the effective 

date of this Code, make a report of its findings to the Administrator. 

The Code Authority shall also submit to the Administrator within 

six (6) months after the effective date of this Code, a plan for the 

stabilization and regularization of employment. 

ARTICLE VI-AccouNnxa-SELLIN'G 

1. The Code Authority shall, as soon as practicable, formulate a 

standard method of accounting and cosbng for the industry and 
566 

submit the same to the Administrator. ,vhen it shall have been 

approved by the Administrator, every n1ember shall use an accounting and costing system which conforms to the principles of, and is 

at least as detailed and complete as, such standard method. 

2. Each member shall, on or before 30 days after the effective 

date of this Code, file with the Code Authority complete schedules 

in such form as the Code Authority shall prescribe of prices and 

terms and conditions of sale for domestic consumption ( including 

all differentials, discounts, trade allowances, and special charges) of 

all products offered for sale by such member, and shall so file all 

subsequent changes therein or revisions thereof at least five days 

prior to the effective time of any such changes or revisions. vVhen 

any member shall file any such schedule or any revision thereof, any 

other member may also file a revision of his own schedule to become 

effective as of the same time as such first mentioned schedule. The 

Code Authority shall, upon request, furnish any person concerned, 

whether or not a member of the Industry, a copy of all such schedules and 0£ all changes and revisions thereof. 

3. No such schedule of prices and terms and conditions of sale 

filed by any member, or in effect, at any time in any quarter of 

any calendar year shall be such as to permit the sale of any product 

at less than the lower of the following: 

(a) The cost of such product to such member during the last 

period of twelve consecutive months ending not less than thirty (30) 

days prior to the date of filing, which cost shall be determined pursuant to the method of accounting and costing prescribed by the 

Code Authority under this Article as soon as that method is prescribed and theretofore pursuant to the method employed by such 

member subject to such preliminary rules as the Code Authority 

shall from time to time prescribe. 

(b) The lowest price scheduled for such product under the provisions of this Article by any other member and then in effect. 

Each schedule filed under this Article shall state whether the 

prices, terms, and conditions therein specified are justified under subdivision (a) or under subdivision (b) of this Section, and in the case 

of justification under subdivision (b) shall identify the schedule or 

schedules of the other member or members of the industry justifying 

such prices, terms, and conditions. A schedule justified upon the 

basis of the schedule or schedules of another member or members 

shall become void forthwith upon the cancellation or revision upward 

of such justifying schedule or schedules. 

4. The Code Authority shall have power on its own initiative, or 

on the complaint of any member, to investigate any price for any 

product shown in any schedule filed hereunder, and for such purpose 

to reqnire the member who filed such schedule to furni h such information concerning the cost of manufacturing such product as the 

Code Authority ·hall deem necessary or proper for such purpose. 

If the Code Authority, after such inYestigation shall determine that 

such price Yiolute the provision.· hereof, the Code Authority ·hall 

so notify such mernb~r. and thereupon such price shall become void 

and of no effect. All such decisions bY the Coe.le .Authority shall be 

filed with the .A<lministrator. · ~ 
567 

5. Except in fulfillment of bona fide contracts existing on the 

effectiYe date of this Code, no member shall sell any products of the 

Industry for domestic consumption at a price or prices lower than 

or upon terms or conditions more favorable than stated in his price 

schedules then on file; provided, however, that discontinued lines 

or damaged goods or seconds or distress merchandise required to be 

sold to liquidate a defunct business, may be disposed of in such 

manner and on uch terms and conditions as the Code Authority 

may approve. 

6. The Code Authority may suspend for any period of time, and 

from time to time, all or any of the provisions of Sections 2, 3 4, 

and 5 hereof as to any specified product or products of the Industry. 

ARTICLE VII-REPORTS AND STATISTICS 

1. Each member shall prepare and file with the ExecutiYe Secretary of the Code Authority at such times and in such manner as it 

may pre cribe, such stati -tics, data and information relating to plant 

capacity, volume of production, volume of sales iP unit ancl dollars, 

orders receiYed, unfilled orders, stocks on hand, inventory, both raw 

a.n<l finished, number of employees, wage rates, employee earnings, 

hours of work, and other matters, as the Code Authorit3 or the Administrator may from time to time require. Any or all information 

so furni heel by any member shall be subject to checking for the purpose of verification by an examination of the books and accounts and 

records of such m"mber by any disinterested accountant or accountants or other qualified person or persons designated by the Code 

Authority. 

2. Except as otherwise provided in the Act, or in this Code, all 

statistics, data, and information filed or required in accordance with 

the provisions of this Code ·hall be confic1ential and the tatistics, 

data, and information of one member shall not be revealed to another 

member. No such data or information shall be publi heel except in 

combination with other similar data and in such a manner as to aYoi<l 

the disclosure of confidential information. The Code Authority shall 

arrange in such manner as it may determine for the publication cur- rently to members, totals of orders received, unfilled orders, shipments, stocks of finished goods on hand, and production. 

3. The Code Authority shall make such reports to the Administrator as he may from time to time require. 

4. In addition to information required to be submitted to the Code 

Authority there shall be furnished to GoYernment Agencies such 

statistical information as the Admini trator may deem nece ·sary for 

the purposes recited in Section 3 (a) of the Act. 

ARTIOLE VIII-RECOMl\fENDATION 

1. The Code Authority may, from time to time, present to the 

Administrator recommendations ba sed on conditions in the Industry 

which will tend to effectuate the operation of this Code and the 

policy of the Act, and in partirular along the following lines: 
11I111111111[11\ 1!11\m\!111111\1!11 ~\\ ll\\11\\IM 1111 Ill I I 

3 1262 088 50 5515 

568 

(a) For the establishment of rules of fair trade practice for the 

Industry and for the codification of its trade customs, and the 

enfor cement thereof. 

(b) For r estrictions on the creation of new facilities for the manufacture of any pr oduct of the industry or on the acquisition by any 

1nember of new equipment for such manufacture. 

( c) For the establishment of plans to bring about a reasonable 

balance between the production and consumption of the products of 

the industry. 

Such recommendations, when approved by the Administrator, sha.11 

have the same force and effect as the provisions of this Code. 

ARTICLE IX-GENERAL PROVISIONS 

1. If any member is also a member of another industry, the provisions of this Code shall apply to and affect only that part of his 

business which is included in this industry. 

2. Any work or process incidental to, and carried on by a member 

at his plant as a part of the manufacture of any product of the 

industry, shall be regarded as a part of this industry. 

3. Such of the provisions of this Code as are not required to be 

included therein by the Act may, with the approval of the P resident 

of the United States, be modified or eliminated as changes in circumstances or experience may indicate. 

4. This Code and all the provisions thereof are expressly made 

subject to the right of the President, in accordance with the provi• 

sions of Section 10 (b) of the Act from time to time to cancel or 

modify any order, approval, license, rule, or regulation issued under 

Title I of said Act, and specifically, but without limitation, to the 

right of the President to cancel or modify his approval of such code 

or any conditions imposed by him upon his approval thereof. 

5. This Code shall become effective on the second Monday after 

the date upon which it shall be approved by the P resident of the 

United States. 

Approved Code No. 190. 

R egistry No. 409-1-03. 

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