637-A Registry No. 599-2-07 

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

PROP·OSED CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

COMMERCIAL PRINTING 

INDUSTRY 

AS SUBMITTED ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1933 

WE DO OUR PART 

IA " ___ ._ 

U.S. 

The Code for the Commercial Printing 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 

' l, For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. - - - - - - - - P rice 5 cen ts 
SUBMITTED B,Y 

UNITED TYPOTHETAE OF AMERICA 

(II} 
A CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION FOR THE PRINTING 

INDUSTRY 

AS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 

PRINTING INDUSTRY IN CHICAGO, ILL., ON JULY 13 AND 14, 1933 

I. DEFINITION OF THE PRINTING INDUSTRY 

The Printing Industry, as covered by this Code, shall be . understood to include all printing plants and all persons of whatsoever 

character manufacturing and/or selling printing to others and shall 

also include all private printing plants, all printing plants privately 

or publicly endowed or supported, all printing plants operated by 

Federal, State, or Municipal authorities, and those that are subsidiaries of other groups, partnerships, corporations, and associations. 

II. EFFECTIVE DATE 

The effective date of this Code shall be August 31, 1933. If it shall 

not have been apprm ed by the President of the United States on 

or before August 21, 1933, the effective date shall be ten days after 

the date of approval by the President. 

III. PURPOSE 

To effectuate the policy of Title I of the National Industrial 

Recovery Act, during the period of the emergency, by reducing and 

relieving unemployment, improving the standards of labor, eliminating competitive practices destructive of the interests of the public, 

employees and employers, relieving the disastrous effects of overcapacity and otherwise rehabilitating the printing industry; and by 

increasing the consumption of indu trial and agricultural products 

by increasing purchasing power and in other respects, the following provisions are established as a Code of Fair Competition for the 

Printing Industry. 

IV. EMPLOYMENT REGULATIONS 

The Printing Industry as required by Section 7 (a) of Title I, 

of the National Indu trial Recovery Act, subscribes to the following 

provisions which are conditions of this Code: 

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

collectively through representatives of their own choo ing, and hall 

be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employer 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 hour of 

labor, minimum rates of pay, and other conditions of emplovment, 

approved or prescribed by the President." ., 

It is clearly understood that the foregoing paragraphs shall not 

impair in any particular the constitutional rights of the employee 

9470-33 (1) 
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and employer to bargain individually or collectively as may be 

mutually satisfactor.y to them; nor shall it impair the joint right 

of employer and employee to operate an open shop. 

Nothing in this Code is to prevent the selection, retention, and 

advancement of employees on the basis of their individual merit 

without regard to their affiliation or nonaffiliation with any labor 

organization. 

A. Working H ours.-To effectuate the policy of this Code of Fair 

Competition, maximum hours of labor shall be uniform for the 

whole country. Standard working hours shall be 40 hours per week 

for all mechanical employees, including any proprietors, supervisors, 

and foremen when doing mechanical work. ,vhen necessary, overtime and extra shifts shall be permitted, provided that no mechanical 

employee shall work more than the maximum of 40 hours per week 

during the present emergency. It is not the intention of this paragraph to limit the number of days or shifts a plant may operate. 

In case of necessity, arising from an emergency or from the character of the work, or from the inability to obtain competent labor, 

permission may be granted by the Zone Executive Committee, upon 

proper showing being made, to exceed the foregoing limitation, provided such permission shall be ~ranted only upon such conditions 

imposed by the Zone Executive Committee as will make certain that 

no employee will work more than 1,040 hours in any six months. 

B. Minimum W ages.-The minimum hourly wages for employees 

in the Printing Industry shall be 40¢ per hour for men, and 30¢ 

per hour for women except learners and apprentices. 

C. Other TVage and Working Conditions.--Other wage and working conditions and complement of men shall be determined locally 

or regionally so as to establish uniform standards in each competitive 

district. 

D. Em,ployment of Minors.-Employment of minors under 16 

years of age in mechanical production is entirely prohibited. 

V. TRADE PRACTICE RULES 

A. Costs and Accounting.-Every printing house shall maintain 

an approved and adequate Standard Cost Finding System and approved and adequate Standard Accounting Methods, except as provided by Section VI-Paragraphs A, B, and C. The National 

Executive Committee shall promulgate a formula for setting up 

such Cost and Accounting Systems. 

B. Secret Rebates.-The secret payment or allowance of rebates, 

commissions, credits, or unearned discounts, whether in the form of 

money or otherwise, or secretly extending to certain purchasers 

special services or privileges not extended to all purchasers under 

like terms or conditions, constitutes a violation of this Code. 

C. Fraudulent and Deceptive Practices.-:Misleading or deceiving 

customers with respect to the quantity, quality, grade, or substance 

of stock or other elements entering into the completed work, 

constitutes a violation of this Code. 

D. Defarnation of Competitors.-The defamation of competitors 

by falsely imputing to them dishonorable conduct, inability to perform contracts, que tionable credit standing, or by other false tatements or repre entations, or by fal e disparao·ement of the grade or 

quality of their product with the purpose of misleading or deceiving 
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purchaser or of injuriou ly a:ffectin_g the business of such competitors, constitutes a violation of this Code. 

E. Breach of Oontraot.-Any attempt to avoid contractual obligations or maliciously inducing or attempting to induce the breach 

of existing contracts between competitors and their customers by 

any false or deceptive means whatsoever, or interfering with or obstructing the performance of any such contractual duties or services 

by any such means, with the purpose of unduly hampering, injuring, 

or embarrassing competitors in their business, constitutes a violation 

of this Code. 

F. 001rwnerdal Bribery.-Directly or indirectly to give or permit 

to be given or offer to give money or anything of value to agents, 

employees, or representatives of customers or prospective customers 

or to agents, employees, or representatives of competitors' customers 

or prospective customers, or principals as an inducement to influence 

their employees or principals to purchase or contract to purchase 

printing or other commodities from the maker of such gift or offer, 

or to influence such employees or principals to refrain from dealing 

or contracting to deal with competitors, constitutes a violation of 

this Code. 

G. Oompetit01·s' Employees.-Maliciou ly enticing away the employees of competitor with the purpo e and effect of unduly hampering, injuring, or embarrassing competitors in their business, constitutes a violation of this Code. 

H. Pirating of Designs.-Pirating ideas, designs, drawing , 

sketches, dummies, or copy of any product that has been submitted 

to a prospective customer by a competitor, con titutes a violation 

of this Code. 

I. False R ecor·ds.-Wilfully maintaining an inaccurate, improper, 

or false method of determining cost, constitutes a violation of this 

Code. 

J . Firm, Bidding.-This industry approves the one bid policy on 

competitive bidding, and any practice of fictitious bids for the purpo e of deceiving competitors or purchasers, or any attempt through 

connivance to have all bids rejected to the end that a more aclv::mtageons po ition may be secured in new bidding, con titutes a violation of this Code. 

K. Specification s and Prices.-,vhen an un ucces ful bidder feels 

that the succes ful bid ler has quoted an unfair price, he may demand 

that the successful bid ler shall show the specifications and prices of 

the order to the Zone Committee or its aaent, ,vho shall determine 

whether any infraction of the Code has been committed. The Zone 

qommittee. or its agent hall have authority to obtain from other 

bidders all 1nformat10n they ·hall have concernino· the work and their 

negotiations concerning same. b 

L. General Rules.-The National Executive Committee hall prep~re _general rule to govern the operation of the industry. Each 

ch. tnc~ shall p~epare general trade rule to govern the operation of 

the units therein. All such rules before becomino- effective hall be 

approved by the National Executive Committee t that they may be 

properly coordinate L · 

VI. STABILIZATION OF l\fARKET VALUES 

To enable_ the P~inting In~ustry! which is composed of many mall 

manufactunng units producing printed matter to the pecified or ler 
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of its customers, to protect itself from ignorance and inadequate cost 

knowledge and unfair competition, and to accomplish the purposes 

of the National Recovery Act to maintain fair wages, increase mass 

purchasing power, and contribute to the welfare of Government, no 

printing shall be sold for less than the fair cost of production determined upon the principles of a standard cost accounting system recommended by the National Executive Committee. 

(a) Every printer shall be required to maintain a Standard Cost 

Accounting System, or determine production cost values and individual job costs upon departmental economic hourly cost rates established by the Executive Committee of hi zone, based upon the cost 

records of representative plants kept in conformity with the principles of cost accounting recommended by the National Executive 

Committee, subject to the inspection of an authorized representative 

of the Zone Executive Committee. 

(b) Based upon the records required in Paragraph (a), and/or 

such other data and information deemed acceptable, the Executive 

Committee of a zone may compile and publish, or indorse and apprc:>ve, minimum cost schedules for such classes of printing as may be 

deemed practical. 

( c) The plan of stabilization shall immediately be based upon 

costs and administered under such rules as may be established by the 

Executive Committee of a zone. The plan of stabilization and cost 

schedules in each zone shall be filed with the National Executive Committee, and periodically be compared with the plans of adjacent zones 

through such committee. 

( d) Existing written contracts shall be left to the negotiation of a 

printer and his customer. 

VII. SPECIAL COMPETITION 

No state (including political subdivisions thereof), church, educational, charitable, welfare, penal or similar type of i:r:i.stitution which 

is publicly endowed or supported in whole or in part by contributions, 

or which is exempt from the payment of any local, state, or Federal 

taxes whatsoever, shall sell the product of any printing plant which 

it may own, or control by trust, or operate in competition with commercial business enterprises manufacturing printing. 

VIII. ASSESSMENTS FOR ADMINISTRATION 

All units in the printing industry operating under the provisions 

of this Code shall be required to meet their proportionate share of 

the expense of the administration of the Code both regionally and 

nationally. Failure to promptly meet these obligations hall constitute a violation of this Code. 

IX. MEMBERSHIP 

The associations operating under the provisions of this Code 

shall impose no inequitable restrictions on admission to membership 

therein and shall be truly representative of the Printing Industry. 

X. MoNoPoLms 

No provision in this Code shall be interpreted or applied in such 

a manner as to promote monopolies, permit or encourage unfair 

competition, eliminate or oppress small enterpri es, or to discriminate against them. 
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XI. PRESIDENTIAL POWERS 

The President of the United States may :from time to time cancel 

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

with respect to this Code. 

The President may impose any conditions he deems necessary for 

the protection of consumers, competitors, employees, and others in 

furtherance of the public interest. 

XII. AMENDMENTS 

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

included therein by the National Industrial Recovery Act may, with 

the approval of the President, be modified or eliminated if it appears 

that the public needs are not being served thereby and as changes 

in circumstances or experience may indicate. They shall remain in 

~dfect unless and until so modified or eliminated or until the expiration of the Act. It is contemplated that from time to time additional provisions to this Code or supplementary Codes will be submitted by the National Executive Committee through the United 

Typothetre of America for the approval of the President to prevent 

unfair competition in price and other unfair and destructive competitive practices and to effectuate the other purposes and policies of 

Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act and which shall not 

conflict with the provisions hereof. 

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. 

XIII. Ao:;,nNISTRATION _

At a conference held in Chicago, Illinois, July 13 and 14, to which 

the United Typothetae of America, the National Trade Association 

of the general commercial printing industry, had invited representatives of the independent local and regional printing organizations 

of the United States, and whi-ch was attended by representatives of 

approximately seventy five printers associations of all classes, the 

United Typothetae of America was and is designated as the instrument of cooperation in effecting the purposes of the Code and in 

coordinating the efforts of the various trade associations, of the 

industry, and of the Government, in achieving the objectives of the 

National Industrial Recovery Act. 

A. National Ad1ninist1·ation.-The conference also divided the 

country into seventeen industrial zones, and elected a National Exec• 

utive Committee, consisting of 36 members, from these zones for 

the purpose of administering the Code nationally. The basis of 

representation agreed upon was that each zone should have at least 

one representative, and additional representatives on the basis of 

each $55,000,000 o:f printing sales in the year 1929. 

The National Executive Committee has the power to rezone thr 

country if necessity therefor should be revealed, but the number of 

its members shall always be twice the number of zones plus two. 

The National Executive Committee was authorized to appoint 

from within its membership or from without, a committee of three 

to be known as the National Control Committee, whose power and 

authority shall be delegated by the National Executive Committee. 
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3 1262 08515 2105 

A Finance and Budget Committee was appointed by the National 

Executive Committee, and will establish the amount of money to 

be provided by each zone as its proportion of this budget on the 

basis of the annual mechanical pay roll of the zones without maximum limitations. The same basis of dues assessment for national 

administration is to be applied everywhere. Each zone shall def.ermine for itself the amount of money required for local administration of the Code on the same basis and the local association shall 

be constituted the agent of the zone in collecting and disbursing all 

money. 

B. Local and Regional Adrninistration.-The Local printers associations now in existence within each of the seventeen zones, and 

any new associations that may be formed, shall execute local administration of the Code for all printers in the locality now embraced 

by them. By agreement of the local associations affected each zone 

may be subdivided territorially or by trade divisions in order to 

complete the most practical method of administering the code within 

the zone. Such local associations shall establish an organization 

basis for the administration of the zone and determine the method 

of selection of an executive committee which shall administer the 

affairs of the zone under the National Executive Committee and the 

Federal Administrator. 

When a local association has been recognized by the Zone Executive Committee as the administrative unit for the territory assigned 

it, all individual plants within that territory, in relation to questions 

governed by the Code, shall be subject to its jurisdiction, and neither 

the Zone Executive Committee nor the National Executive Committee shall recognize the appeal of such individual plants unless the 

subject of the appeal has been submitted for consideration and action 

by the local organization. 

The autonomy of present printers' association or of new associations is guaranteed. 

XIV. J\1ETHOD OF CoDE ENFORCEMENT LocALLY AND REGIONALLY 

Upon the local associations within each zone will fall the main 

responsibility of carrying out the provisions of the Code and seeing 

that they are not violated. Subject to the approval of the Zone 

Executive Committee, each local association shall draw up such rules 

and regulations and effect such organization that complaints may 

be heard, investigations conducted, penalties inflicted, and the legal 

procedure, provided in Section 3 ( c) of the Act, be invoked. In 

order to avoid burdening the courts, each local association shall endeavor to have all printers within its jurisdiction bind themselves 

to an arbitration agreement whereby they will agree to abide by the 

decision of a local arbitration board set up within the local association to settle all complaints of or disputes among local printers. In 

certain specified cases appeal f~om these. decisions should be permitted to go to the Zone Executive Committee, and then to the National Executive Committee, and even to the Federal Administrator. 

All printers not voluntarily s1;1bjecting tl:iems~lves to such arbitration agreements shall be dealt with as provided 1n the Act. 

All local enforcement machinery shall be subject to change due to 

procedure which may be established by the Federal Administrator 

or the National Executive Committee. 

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