Registry No. 1653-02 

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

PROPOSED CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

ECCLESIASTICAL STATUARY AND 

CHURCH FURNISHINGS INDUSTRY 

AS SUBMITTED ON AUGUST 23, 1933 

WE DO OUR PART 

' • ! 

The Code for the 

Ecclesiastical Statuary and Church Furnishings 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 or Documents, Washington, D.C. - - - - - - - - Price 5 cents 
SUBMITI'ED BY 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS OF ECCLESIASTICAL 

STATUARY AND CHURCH FURNISHINGS 

(II) 
CODE OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS 

OF ECCLESIASTICAL STATUARY AND CHURCH FURNISHINGS 

IN RESPONSE TO THE NATIONAL PROCLAMATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, CALLING UPON ALL INDUSTRIES 

TO FORMULATE CODES OF BUSINESS CONDUCT UNDER THE 

TERMS OF THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY ACT 

,ve, the undersigned, member of the industry known as Manu- fact'll!rers of Eccle.siastical Statuary and Ohur'ch Furrnishing declare that we will adhere to the following conditions and regulations for the operation of our respective busine e . ,v e hereby mutually agree to be bound by the terms of this covenant during the period in which the ational Industrial Recovery 

Act shall remain in force and it is our intent that each and ever37 

tipula.ted trade practice approved herein shall be considered mandatory upon the signatories hereunto. 

SCOPE OF INDUSTRY 

The in lu try herein de cribed as "Manufacturers of Ecclesia tical 

Statuar3r and Church Furnishings " control about 95% of the production of religious art for church and home decoration, such as 

statuary, bas-reliefs, statuary groups and ornamentation, n1odelle l, 

ca t, and lecorated; as well as the creation of altars and other 

church furnishings of both semi-artistic and highly artistic nature. 

Our clientele is distributed among both homes and churches but 

n10st largely among churche and religious institutions, and ship1nents are made for intrastate, interstate, and export trade. The 

commodities produced in this industry are sold by us both at wholesale and retail, stock items being listed in regularly published 

catalogs showing retail prices, while products designed and made 

to order according to special designs are quoted at specially estin1ated prices based upon cost of manufacture. 

A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED BUSINESS 

The manufacture of ecclesiastical statuary and church f_!lrnishings is a highly specialized line of business which requires a rather 

intimate knowledge of the rules, ritual, and articles of faith profes eel by different religious sects who frequently rely solely on the 

reputation and judgment of members of the industry for the authenticity and correctnes of furnishings recommended and installed. 

Trained men are essential to succe sful business practice as contracts are frequently obtainable only by promotional methods based 

on knowledge of religious. traditions and religious psychology. Ex10223-33 (1) 
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tensive changes and improvements in religious structures such as 

are catered to by this industry invariably involve the application 

of creative talent and specialized salesmanship. Not only administrative and selling forces but its industrial workers as well mus.t 

be trained to understand their particular tasks and cannot readily 

be hired already proficient in an open labor market. 

TRADE PRACTICES 

Owing to the fact that a wide difference in quality of workmanship frequently exists between the works of our various concerns, 

depending on the degree of skill of workmen and artists employed 

in this industry, . there are no set standards or well defined retail 

price levels now in vogue, except as maintained by individual manufacturers in catering to their particular trade. 

LABOR 

Labor scales are necessarily dependent upon the skill and talent 

of the workmen or artists employed. The majority of labor engaged 

may be termed unskilled and skilled, operating under the supervision of master artists, the latter commanding: an indeterminate 

maximum wage which is affected primarily by individual reputation 

and artistic ability. 

ARTICLE I-PURPOSE 

This code is set up for tlie purpose of increasing employment, 

establishing fair and adequate wages, effecting necessary reduction 

of hours, improving standards of labor, and eliminating unfair 

trade practices (etc.), to the end of rehabilitating the Ecclesiastical 

Statuary and Church Furnishing Industry and enabling it to do 

its part toward establishing that balance of industries which is 

necessary to the restoration and maintenance of the highest practical 

degree of public welfare. 

It is the declared purpose of the Ecclesiastical Statuary and 

Church Furnishing Industry and adherents to this Code to bring, 

insofar as may be practicable, the rates of wages paid within the 

Ecclesiastical Statuary and Church Furnishing Industry to such 

levels as are necessary for the creation and maintenance of the highest practicable standard of living; to restore the income of enterprises within the industry to levels which will make possible the 

payment of such wages and avoid the further depletion and destruction of capital assets; and from time to time to revise the rates of 

wages in such manner as will ·cu,rrently reflect the equitable adjustment to variations in the cost of living. 

ARTICLE II-PARTICIPATION 

Participation in this Code, and any subsequent rev1s1on of or 

addition to the Code, shall be extended to any person, partnership, 

or corporation in the Ecclesiastical and Church Furnishing Industry 

who accepts his share of the cost and responsibility, as well as the 
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benefit, of such participation by becoming a member 0£ the ational 

As ociation of Manufacturers of Eccle ia tical Statuary and Church 

Furnishings or any affiliated organization. o initiation or entrance 

fee hall be charged, but there hall be dues levied on the following 

basi : 

Special assessments, amounting to not less than $25.00 per member, 

shall be collected from each member if and when needed, upon notice 

from the duly elected treasurer and consent of half the members. 

No other fees shall be collected unless decided by majority vote 

of the members of this industry. 

ARTICLE III-PowER \ND AnMINISTIUTION 

Thl3 members of the Ecclesiastical Statuary and Church Furnishing Industry shall set up an ExecutiYe Committee for the purpose 

of administering the provisions of the Code, to secure adherence 

thereto, to hear and adjust complaints, to consider proposals for 

amendments thereof and exceptions thereto, and otherwise to carry 

out within the industry the purposes of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act as set forth in this Code. 

ARTICLE IV-LABOR CooE 

The Labor Code of the Ecclesiastical Statuary and Church Furnishing Industry shall provide as follows: 

(a) 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. 

(b) No employee in the Ecclesiastical Statuary and Church Furnisl~ing Industry, and no one seeking employment therein, shall be 

required as a condition of employment to join any company union 

or to refrain from joining, organizing or assistino- a labor organization of his own choo ing. 

( c) Employers of labor in the Ecclesiastical Statuary and Church 

Furnishing Industry agree to comply (as far as they are able) with 

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

( cl) Specifically, to the end that a uniform practice of sound business procedure may be maintained, unfair competition eliminated 

and the purchasing power of labor upheld, we propo e individually 

and collectively to abide by an under tanding that in the Ecclesiu tical Statuary and Church Furnishing Industry, the minimum 

cale of wages for industrial employees shall be: 

Per hour 

For Unskilled Labor ------------------------------------------------- $0. 35 

For Skilled LaborModellers and Sculptors__________________________________________ . 80 

Model Makers___________________________________________________ . 60 

Casters, Plaster------------------------------------------------- . 50 

" , Cement -----------------------------· ________________ . 55 

Fini hers--~----------------------------------------------------- .55 Decorators______________________________________________________ . 5·5 
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( e) M awirnu1n Hours .-Under the terms of the National Ind ustrial Recovery Act, we ao-ree to a maximum 40-hour week for industrial employees, no worker to be employed longer than 8 hours 

per day, except that during the period of 60 days preceding Easter 

or Christmas, when seasonal deliveries are demanded and duly 

irained labor is not available, we shall be free to operate on a 50-hour 

weekly basis, with a maximum 10-hour daily limit per worker. It 

is agreed that this paragraph establishes a guaranteed minimum 

rate of pay regardless of whether the employee is compensated on 

the basi of a time rate or on a piecework performance. 

( f) Office Employees. ,v e agree to pay office employee , including 

all clerical help, a minimum wage of $15.00 per week, each week to 

contain a maximum of 40 hours; and hall refu e to employ any 

person under 16 years of age. 

ARTICLE V-COST CODE 

It shall be an unfair n1ethod of competition for any manufacturer 

i o ell at prices obviously less than cost of production. In event of 

complaint on this charge, the concern against whom charge is made 

shall designate three members of the industry to act as judges. The 

judges will report their findings to the Executive Committee for 

action. 

ARTICLE VI-INDUSTRY REGULATIONS 

A. Trade practices.-Ratified and adopted by the members of the 

Ecclesiastical .Rtatuary and Church Furnishing Industry, the following rules in tr.ade practice shall be considered as part of the Code. 

1. The basis for the sale of standard items at mininium retail 

prices shall be the printed price list or catalog in use by indiYidual 

members on July 1st, 1933. Each member shall u e hi o,-vn catalog 

to establish the minimum retail list price at which he shall sell the 

produ '.t of hi~ own 1na.nufacture. No discounts, rebates or reduct.ions shall be made fr01n these catalog prices to the retail trade and 

no special inducements in the form of Q..Onations, gift , or premiums 

shall be offered to prospective custon1ers as an incentive to obtain 

their business. The term" retail trade" shall be understood to cover 

all sales 1nade direct to clergy, religious, and lay persons other than 

dealers. 

It is further agreed that to the wholesale trade the maximum tra l 

di ·count from above-mentioned printed catalog prices hall not 

exceed the discounts in effect on July 1, 1933. 

2. No contract, either for special or catalog product , in any quantity, shall be taken at prices which compel manufacturers to bargain 

with employees for production· at lower than their regular wages. 

3. All prices to the trade, wholesale or retail, shall be quoted f.o.b. 

factory or point of shipment. Under no -circumstances will the 

1nanufacturer agree to absorb the freight or express charges. 

4. The maximum cash discount to be offered either to wholesale or 

retail trade for prompt payment of bills shall not exceed 3%. Uniform terrris of 3% discount on bill~ paid by the 10th of the month 

following date of invoice, or 30 days net shall be observed. 
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5. On staple item con isting of tatuettes there hall be a minimum. 

price, according to size and decoration of article old, o that the 

pernicious practice of elling below co t may be elimjnated. The 

agree l upon minimum manufacturer list price on decorated 

statuette purchased loose in quantities shall be: 

Each 

Size 6'' or thereabout----------------------------------------------- $0.50 Size 8'' or thereabouts______________ ___ ___ ___ _________ ____ __ ___ ______ . 80 

Size 12'' or thereabout---------------------------------------------- 1. 25 'ize 16'' or th reabouts ______ ___ ____________ ______ _________ __ ________ 2.00 

Size 21" or thereahouts__________ __ _____________________ __ ________ ___ 3. 00 

Size 2-1" or thereal,out ---- ------------------------------------------ 5. 00 

The price to be figured as f.o.b. factory ·ubj ct to trade discounts already e. tablished. 

B. nfair 001npetition.-The members of the industry declare 

themselve unequi-\'ocally oppo eel to unfair trade practice an l ubmit below act of competition forbidden under thi Code. 

1. It hall be unfair to olicit order for work of high quality 

with intent of ub~tituting imilar appearing but in fact inferior 

qualit:5 . 2. No member of the industry hall appeal to the trade with offers 

to duplicate the work of competitor mentioned by name at their 

established price le ·s a ub tantial di count. 

3. No member hall solicit bu ine by a1 proaching pro ·pective 

purcha ers of church furni hing , urging them to obtain design and 

quotations from a competitor, that they in turn may work from aid 

de~io·n. at previou ly agreed upon lower price . 

-:I:. It hall be the duty of members to li courage the pra tice of 

dealer who, intent upon large profit , force manufacturer into ruinon competition by compelling one to bi l against another for yearly 

upplie using the argument that increased volume justifies sales at 

co t. 

5. :i\Ianufacturer operating under thi code will r efuse trade di -

counts to church goods dealers or broker · who offer concessions or 

reductions from e tabli heel price , thu in effect undersellino- the 

producer of the goods sold. 

C. Oode of Horior.-1. We agree to maintain a Code of Honor, 

re pecting the right of competitor who have created product · of 

original design, an l will not deliberately copy uch ,, ork for catalocr 

illu tration purpo es. 

2. The avowed policy of this Code to stop all unfair trade practices shall include unfair advertising such a copying ompetitors' 

cata log and trade literature with intent of mi leading recipient and 

causing him to believe that identically the arne product may be 

bought at both high and low prices. 

ARTICLE VII-MAXIMUM SELLING PRICES 

So far as it is practicable we agree not to increase the price of any 

merchandise sold after the date hereof over the price of July 1, 1933, 

by more than is made necessary by actual increase in production, 

replacement, or invoice costs of merchandise since July 1, 1933, or 
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3 1262 08728 6067 

by taxes or other costs re ulting from action taken pursuant to the 

agricultural adjustment act, and in setting such price increases, to 

give full weight to probable increase in sales volume and to refrain 

from taking profiteering advantage of the consuming public. 

ARTICLE VIII-CONSTITUTION AL RIGHTS 

We subscribe to the terms and conditions of this Code, individually 

and collectively, with stipulations submitted below: 

(a) It is clearly understood that nothing in this Code shall impair 

in any particular the Constitutional rights of the employer to pro- tect his business and property from the unlawful activities of others. (b) It is clearly understood that nothing in this Code shall impair in any particular the Constitutional rights of the employee and 

employer to bargain individually or collectively as may be mutually 

satisfactory to them; nor impair the joint right of employee and 

employer to operate an open shop. 

( c) Nothing in this Code is to impair the Constitutional rights 

of employers to freedom in selection, retention, and advancement of 

employees. 

( d) Nothing in this Code shall authorize any change in the maximum hours of labor, minimum rates of pay, or other conditions of 

employment specified in this Code, without the agreement of a truly 

representative association of the trade or industry, or subdivision 

thereof, to which this Code applies. 

Signed by following manufacturers of ecclesiastical statuary and 

church furnishings: 

Daprato Statuary Company, Chicago, Illinois; T . M. 

O'Connell & Company, Philadelphia, Pa.; St. Paul 

Statuary Company, St. Paul, Minn.; Kaletta Statu- ary Company, St. Louis, Mo.; Catholic Statuary 

Company, Chicago, Illinois; European Statuary & 

Art Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; American Altar & Statuary Co., Chicago, Ill.; Modern Tuscany Art Company, Philadelphia, Pa.; Bernardini Statuary Com- pany, New York, N.Y.; A. Paladini & Company, 

New York, N.Y.; Berni Company, J ersey City, N.J. ; 

A. P. Nardini, Boston, Mass.; J oseph Sibbel Studio, 

New York, N.Y.; Biagiotti & Company, New York, 

N.Y.; A. Da Prato Company, Boston, Mass. 

Dated, August 15, 1933. 

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