637-B Registry No. 507-11 

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

PROPOSED CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

PUBLISHING-PRINTING 

AND PRINTING SUBDIVISIONS OF 

THE GRAPHIC ARTS INDUSTRY 

AS SUBMITTED ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1933 

u.s. \ 

The Code for the Publishing-Printing 

and Printing Subdivisions of the Graphic Arts Industry 

in its 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 

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

NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION 
A CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION FOR THE PUBLISHINGPRINTING AND PRINTING SUBDIVISIONS OF THE 

GRAPHIC ARTS INDUSTRY 

AS ADOPTED BY THE CONVENTION OF THE PUBLISHING, PRINTING, 

AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES (THE GRAPHIC ARTS INDUSTRY) HELD 

IN CHICAGO, AUGUST 17-18, 1933 

PREAMBLE 

In sympathy with the spirit and purpose of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act and the President's Reemployment Agreement the 

avowed purpose of this code of fair competition is to aid in increasing 

employment and purchasing power. 

The national trade association, as referred to herein, shall mean 

the National Editorial Association and its cooperating state and/or 

regional organizations; all members thereof; all newspapers; and all 

printing plants; either signing this code or being assigned to administration under it. 

Nothing in the adoption or acceptance of this code shall be construed as an abridgement of the freedom of the press as guaranteed 

under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. 

ARTICLE I-DEFINITION 

(a) The Publishing-Printing and Printing subdivisions of the 

Graphic Arts Industry, as covered by this code, shall include all 

printing plants coming within the United States Department of 

Commerce definition as "Industry No. 510, Printing and Publishing, 

Newspapers and Periodicals" wherein there is a newspaper published 

and/or printed; and "Industry No. 508, Printing and Publishing 

Book and Job" that are members of the Association (as defined in 

the Preamble hereof) and all other printing plants signing this code 

or being assigned to administration under it. 

(b) It is to be understood that the act of signing this code by nonmembers (of the Association) publishing and/or printing plants 

makes them subject to administration under this code. 

(c) It is further understood that such publishing and/or printing 

plants not signing this code, but which are assigned to administration 

under it by the National Recovery Administration, shall be subject 

to administration under this code. 

(d) The term "newspaper" as used herein shall be considered as a 

publication engaged in disseminating news matter or matter of reader 

interest and advertising. 

ARTICLE II-EMPLOYMENT 

(a) Pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 7 of the National 

Recovery Act and as long as this code shall be in effect, this code 

shall be subject to the following conditions: 

9471-33 (1) 
2 

1. That employees shall have the right to organize and bargain 

collectively through representatives of their own choosing and shall 

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

or their agents in the designation of such representatives or in selforganization, or in 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. 

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 President. (b) That no employee shall be required to join any organization to 

secure or retain employment, or to secure the benefits of this code, 

and the right of every individual to refrain from joining any organization, and the right of employee and employer to bargain together 

free from interference from any third party is hereby recognized. 

(c) No person under sixteen (16) years of age shall be employed 

except to sell and/or deliver newspapers, during now established 

hours where it does not interfere with school hours, but those from 

14 to 16 may be employed up to three hours between 7 A.M. and 7 

P.M. 

(d) Nothing in this code is to be construed as prevention of the 

selection, retention, or advancement of an employee on the basis of 

individual merit. 

ARTICLE III-WORKING HouRs 

(a) Maximum hours of labor shall be uniform for the whole country 

and shall not be more than forty hours in any one week, for all 

mechanical or shop employees, including any proprietors, members 

of their families, supervisors, and foremen, for the time actually 

engaged in mechanical work. However, when necessary, because of 

an emergency, the character of the work or the inability to obtain 

competent labor, overtime and extra shifts above and beyond such 

limitations shall be permitted, provided that no employee as described 

above will work more than 1,040 hours in any six months. These 

limitations shall not apply to employees engaged in emergency maintenance, or repair work, and an employer in any city, town, or village, 

where there is a shortage of labor of any of the classes mentioned, 

which shortage will create great and unavoidable hardship, may, in a 

petition approved by the Association, obtain a stay of the requirements of these provisions pending investigation by the National 

Recovery Administration, if he agrees to abide by the decision of 

such investigation. 

(b) Maximum working hours for all clerical help shall be uniform 

for the whole country and shall not be more than 48 hours per week, 

exce9t for those employed in a managerial or executi e capacity 

receiving $35.00 per week or more, but newspaper reporters, editorial 

writers, rewrite men, space writers, news-photographers, and all other 

members of the editorial staffs of newspapers, b ing classed as professional persons, shall be exempt from the limitations of the working 

hours imposed by this article. 
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(c) Persons working solely on a commissiOn basis shall not be 

restricted as to their hours of labor nor guaranteed the minimum 

wages provided hereafter in this code. 

ARTICLE IV-MINIMUM WAGES 

(a) There shall be a standard minimum wage for all mechanical 

or shop labor employed in the industry of forty cents (.40) per hour 

for male labor and thirty cents (.30) per hour for female labor with 

the exception that janitors, apprentices and/or persons learning the 

trade may be employed at a lower wage rate, provided, however, that 

the number of apprentices en1ployed shall not exceed more than one 

apprentice for each five n1echanical employees: or fraction thereof; 

provided further, except with the permission of the Association, that 

a per on or persons employed in the trade as above defined shall receive a compensation at a rate per hour at least equal to the rate per 

hour paid said person or persons, or for said class of work, prevailing 

on July 1, 1933. 

(b) There shall be a standard minimum wage for all clerical help, 

solicitors, salesmen, newspaper reporters, editorial writers, rewrite 

men, news-photographers, and all other members of the· editorial staffs 

of newspapers, except space writers, of not less than $15.00 per week 

in any city of over five hundred thousand (500,000) population, or 

in the immediate trade area of such city; nor less than $14.50 per 

week in any city between two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) and 

five hundred thousand (500,000) population, or in the immediate 

trade area of such city; nor less than $14.00 per week in any city of 

between twenty-five thousand (25,000) and two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) population, or in the immediate trade area of such 

city; nor less than $13.00 per week in any city of between five .thousand (5,000) and twenty-five thousand (25,000) populatiOn, or m the 

immediate trade area of such city; and in towns of less than five 

thousand (5,000) population to increase wages by not less than twenty 

percent (20%), provided that this shall not require wages in excess 

of $12.00 per week; provided, however, that persons learning the 

business or profession, as above set forth, may be employed at a lower 

wage rate than above designated. Population, for the purpose used 

herein, shall be determined by the 1930 Federal census. 

ARTICLE v 

The foregoing requirements as to hours and wages shall be observed 

except in the case of a contract arrived at by collective bargaining in 

effect on or before July 1, 1933, and still remaining in full force and 

effect and which cannot be revised except by mutual consent. 

ARTICLE VI-TRADE PRACTICES 

(a) Each establishment in the publishing and printing industry 

shall maintain and keep in proper order, an approved cost finding 

system, or use an approved price list based on a cost-finding system, 

and accounting methods that will furnish and make available, with 

reasonable accuracy, all necessary information as to the costs of 

production of newspapers and printing. 
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(b) Secret or Unfair Rebates and/or Agreements.-The making or 

offering to make secret or unfair payments or allowances of rebates, 

commissions, credits, unearned discounts; or the extending of special 

favors, services, or privil ges to purchasers of printing or advertising, 

their agents, officers, or representatives in any form whatsoever, shall 

not be permitted, and shall constitute a violation of this code. 

(c) Deception and Fraud.-Deceiving or defrauding customers with 

respect to newspaper circulation, or as to quantity, quality, grade or 

substance of stock, or any other material lement entering into the 

completed printed product shall not be permitted and shall constitute 

a violation of tb.is code. 

(d) Competitive Relationship.-The defamation or damaging of 

competitors by false imputations as to their conduct, ability, credit, 

or service; or the attempt to breach or breaching of existing contracts 

between competitors and their customers, or the obstructing of performances of such contractual relationship by such means, shall not 

be permitted, and shall constitute a violation of this code. The 

wrongful enticing away of employees of competitors, the use of 

unfair subscription or circulation sales and solicitation or advertising 

sales methods; or the pirating of ideas, designs, drawings, sketches, 

copy, etc., known to be the property or product of any competitor 

shall not be permitted and shall constitute a violation of this code. 

(e) Special Gompetition.-No state or any political subdivision 

thereof, church, educational, charitable, welfare, penal, or similar type 

of institution which is publicly endowed or supported in whole or in 

part by contributions, or which is exempt from payment of any local, 

state, or Federal taxes whatsoever, shall sell the product of any printing plant which it may own, or control by tr 1st, or operate, in competition with commercial business enterprises manufacturing printing. 

(f) Bidding.-This industry approves of the one-bid policy under 

competitive bidding; any practice of fictitious bids for the purpose of 

deceiving competitors or purchasers, or any attempt through conni - ance to have all bids rejected to the end that a more advantageous 

position may be secured in the bidding shall constitute a violation of 

this code. 

(g) Official Notice by Publication.-In all states where a rate i.s 

established by law for giving official notice by publication, the price 

charged for all notices required by state and/or Federal laws to be 

published shall not be less than such statutory rate. 

ARTICLE VII-STABILIZATION OF PRICES 

The stabilization of prices hall immediately be based upon cost 

and no bid shall be submitted or price quoted, or printed matter or 

service sold or rendered, by any person or concern in th se subdi i ions 

of this indu try for I ss than the cost of produ tion as s t forth in 

Article VI, ection (a), hereof, plus the cost of all materials and outside purchas s required to produce such printed matt r or render such 

service, plus a reasonable profit; provid d, howe er, this provision 

shall not apply to newspapers or other p riodicals with a bona fid 

paid circulation list, sold and/or delivered by the pu lisher. 
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ARTICLE VIII -ADMINISTRATION 

(a) Tbis code for these subdivisions of the graphic-arts industry 

shall be administered by the National Editorial Association. 

(b) The Constitution and By-Laws of the National Editorial 

Association shall be used as the basis and authority for the administration of this code, with the further provision that state, regional, 

and/or local administration under this code shall be carried on through 

state, regional, and/or local organizations now cooperating and/or 

affiliated, or to be affiliated, with the National Editorial Association; 

provided that the governing body of the National Editorial Association be augmented, for the purpose of administering this code only, 

by at least four members of the Newspaper Association Managers, 

Inc., one of whom shall be from the Pacific Slope, one from the Middlewest, one from the South, and one from the East. The selection of 

the representatives from the Newspaper Association Managers, Inc., 

and the allocation of the section from which each shall be selected shall 

be made by Newspaper Association Managers, Inc.; provided further, 

that no member of Newspaper Association Managers, Inc., shall be 

eligible to membership on this administering body who resides in a 

state in which there resides a regular member of the Board of Directors 

of the National Editorial Association. 

(c) The right to establish and enforce state, regional, and/or local 

rules of administration under this code shall remain with the respective 

state, regional, and local cooperating and/or affiliated organizations, 

subject to the approval of the National Editorial Association. 

(d) The right of appeal directly to the National Recovery Administration by individual members or others coming under the provisions 

of this code is recognized. 

(e) The National Editorial Association, its committee, committees, 

agent, or agents, shall have the right to require reports for statistical 

purposes from individual publishers, corporations, and/or establishments, groups, and/or organizations coming under the administration of this code. 

(f) The National Editorial Association shall assess and collect 

from all the individual publishers, corporations, and/or establishments, coming under this code, the proportionate funds necessary 

to defray the actual costs of the administration of this code, as provided in the National Industrial Recovery Act. 

(g) The penalty for the violation of any of the provisions of this 

code shall be as provided in the National Industrial Recovery Act, 

and in addition thereto the cost of investigation may be added. 

ARTICLE IX-AMENDMENTS 

(a) This code is to be subject to amendments as experience with its 

operation develops the necessity therefor, subject to the approval 

of the President. 

(b) The President may, from time to time, cancel any order, 

approval, rule, or regulation, issued under Title I of the National 

Industrial Recovery Act. 

(c) If any provision of this code is declared invalid or unenforceable, 

the remaining provisions shall nevertheless continue in full force and 

effect the same as if they had been separately presented for approval 

and approved by the President. 
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ARTICLE X 

This code is not designed to promote monopoly and shall not be 

interpreted or administered so as to eliminate or oppress small 

enterprises or to discriminate against them. 

ARTICLE XI 

This code shall be effective the second 1tfonday after its approval 

by the President. 

M embership of the National Editorial Association and its cooperating State and 

regional associations 

State 

Total 

newspapers 

Number 

Number M b members members em ers of National 

of State Na~io~al Editorial 

and region- EdJto~!al Association 

a! associa- As~oCla- State and 

tions twn regional 

associations 
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NuMBER OF LocALITIES IN WHICH NEWSPAPERS ARE PuBLISHED 

Number of cities and towns in which newspapers are published: 

New England States __________________________________________ _ New York State _____________________________________________ _ 

Middle Atlantic States ________________________________________ _ Southern States ______________________________________________ _ 

Middle Western States ________________________________________ _ Western States ______________________________________________ _ 

Pacific Coast States __________________________________________ _ 

413 

490 

665 

2, 114 

1, 959 

3, 113 

942 

Total------------------------------------------------------ ~ 696 

Number of metropolitan areas shown by United States Department of 

Commerce under Industry 510, Newspapers and Periodicals__________ 29 

Number of cities and towns outside metropolitan areas in which the 

12,000 publisher-printer establishments covered by this code are located_ 9, 667 

Because the vast majority of publisher-printers have local competition in 

the form of the smaller job printer, and as similar information to the 

above concerning these job printers is that they are located in at least 

(smaller cities and towns)---------------------------------------- 8, 000 

Source: N. W. Ayer Directory and United States Department of Commerce. 

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