NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

CODE OF FAIR C·O·MPETITION 

FOR THE 

HEBREW AND JEWISH 

RELIGIOUS BOOK INDUSTRY 

AS SUBMITTED ON AUGUST 24, 1933 

REGISTRY No. 1653-03 

The Code for the Hebrew and Jewish Religious Book 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. . - - - - - - - - Price 5 cents 

CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION ADOPTED BY DEALERS 

IN HEBREW AND JEWISH RELIGIOUS BOOKS AND 

ARTICLES 

PREAMBLE 

In attempting to e tablish principles of fair competition within 

thi line of business, without curtailing the number of hour durinowhich tores shall be open, we recognize the fact that the public 

fir t buys the nece sarie of life before it expends any money in the 

purcha e of merchandise sold by us, and we further recognize that 

mo t of the destructive practices which have grown up in competition and which have made business unprofitable and which have 

seriously affected the producing industries and their labor, have 

centered about ignorance of actual operating cost, the fall in the 

general price level, and destructive wage or price cutting. 

In the code which we herewith submit, we have confined ourselves to: 

1. Providing a fair deal for en1ployees througha. The right to organize and bargain collectively; 

b. A minimum wage; 

c. Maximum working hours. 

2. Control of unfair competition. 

3. Regulation of advertising statements. 

4. A practical method of administering this code. 

Nothing in the restraints imposed by this code is of a discriminatory nature. All restraints proposed in this code are to protect the 

consumers, competitors, employees, and others, and are in furtherance of the public interests. 

No provision will stifle the initiative of any business conforming 

to these fair-competition practice . The association which presents thi code imposes no inequitable restrictions on admis ion to 

me1nbership in its organization and is truly representative of the 

entire trade. This code, which it offer , is not designed to promote 

monopolies or to eliminate or oppress small enterpri es and will 

not operate to discriminate against them. 

It is our conviction that this code will tend to effectuate the policy 

of Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act. 

Any book dealer or wholesaler may participate in this code or 

in any revisions or amendments thereto and receive the benefit 

thereof by accepting the proper pro rata share of the co t and reponsibility of creating and admini tering it, by either becoming a 

1nember of the a o iation or by paying a um equal to that paid 

by m mber of the a. sociation. 

PURPO E 

Being in ympathy with the spirit and purpo e of the National 

Indu trial Recovery Act the dealers in Hebrew and Je~Vi h reli8197-33 (1) 
2 

gious books uncl :uti le. desire to pre ent this code to the President, the better to forward the program looking toward the economic 

and bu ine s recoYery of the United States, the nece sity for which 

is state l in Title I , Section 1, of this Act. 

DEFINITIONS 

1. The term "cost price", a herein 1nentione l, is the purchase 

price and does not include carrying charge or overhead expense . 

Overhead expense have been computed by the Code Drafting Committee of this association as being 20% of or in advance of the cost 

price, so that, by wa.y of example, where a minimum profit of 25% 

ha been fixed, 20 % is to be deducted therefrom as and for the overhead expense, leaving a net minimum profit of only 55{ on aid item .. 

2. The term " book dealer " as used herein, include any natural 

person, partnership, association, firm, or corporation regularly and 

not temporarily or easonally, engaged in the retail selling of Hebrew 

and/ or Jewish books, religious articles, synagogue and temple 

vestments. 3. The term "wholesaler" as used herein, include any natural 

person, partnership, association, firm, or corporation engaged in the 

publishing, printing, manufacturing, or importing of H ebrew, Jewish, 

or religious books and/ or articles to be sold to the book dealer as 

heretofore defined. 

ARTICLE I 

A. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 

In conformity with the provision of Section 7 (a) of Title I of 

the N ational Indu trial Recovery Act, the attitude of thi line of business with respect to the labor of employee ·hall be a follow : 

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, r estraint, or coercion of employer of 

labor or their agents in the designation of such representatives or 

any self-organization or any other conserted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or for 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 as isting a labor organizat]on of his own choosing; and . 

:1 . That employ rs . hall cmnply with the maximum hour of 

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

approv c1 or pre cribed by the Presi lent. 

!~. 1\I \ XDH'"·:u WORKING IIO Rfi 

The ret tions behYeen employer and employee in thi bu ine 

are and have been for many years on a mutually atisfa tory basi 

and nothing contained in thi o le hall be con true 1 a requiring 

or cont mplating a change in the e r lation . 

1. The maximum number of working hour for any mploy e in 

this lin of bu ine shall be forty (40) hour p r w k x lu i' e 

of the peak ea onal period from Sept mber 1 t t Oct ber 1 th. 
~· ~ h ull tl er a 11e c1 for aL1c1itional mploy e · m r mrloy hall b m1loy l on anoth r hift. 

'. _._ ll book l al r. · hall b op n from . A.:M. to 9 P.M:. fr m 

unday t 'I hur day in lu ·i , fr m 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. on Fri ays 

bet we n Octob r 1 t and April 30th, an l from 9 A.M. t 7 P.M. 

on Fri la. , betw n Mar h 1 t and pt mber 30th, xc pt that 

durino· the a onal p ak I rio l from ptemb r 1 t t 0 t ber 

1 th all book deal r hall clo e their place of busin not later 

than 11 P.M. from un lay to Thur day , inclu ive. 

4. ll book deal r hall have their place of bu ine s lo 1 ach 

aturda. and all J ewi h holidays. 

!5 . No minor under the age of 16 shall be employed, ex ept that 

minor b tween the age of 1± and 1G may b employed for running 

n·and and makino deliveri s betw en th hour of 7 a.m. an 1 7 

p.m., provide 1 that the said hour do not inter£ re with their atten dan at day ch ol. 

C. MINIM £ COMPENSATION 

The minimum compensation for all employee wherever employed 

in thi line hall be $15.00 per week. l'hi doe not in lude errand 

boy u ed olely for the purpo e of making deliveries and running 

errancL. 

ARTICLE II 

A. NFAIR COl\IPETITION 

1. It , hall be unfair competition for anyone to ell, offer to ell 

or adverti e, in an. form to the public at retail any Hebrew or 

Jewish religion text or school books, either dome tic or imported, 

at le than the cost price to the book dealer plus 25 t in. ure 

that labor co t hall at lea t be partially covere 1. 

2. It hall be unfair competition for anyone to ell, offer to sell 

or aclverti e in any form to the public at retail any H ebrew J ewi h, 

or appurtenant literature at le than the cost price to the book eller 

plu 30 

. It hall be unfair competition for anyone to ell, off r for ale 

or a 1verti e, in any manner to the public at retail any Hebrew calen lar., o-reeting card , noveltie , and allie 1 article , ex eptino· yna-

~ gu m talware which i hereinafter r ferre 1 to, at le than the 

o. t pric to the book dealer plu 40 , inasmuch a.· the. e item. are 

, oll either rarel , infrequentl. , and/ or ea onally. 

4. Since th price for phylacterie and door croll . commonly 

kn wn a 'tfilin" and 'mezuza ", re pectiv ly, fluctuate, it hall be 

unfair mr etition for anyon to ell. off r to elL or aclverti e in any 

mann r, to the publi at retail a et of any unpoli heel ph} lacterie 

at l : than 2.00 poli heel phylacterie at le. than 3.00 and door . r ll: at le . than 1 each. 

5. It ·hall be unfair competition for an on to ell. offer to , elL 

or adverti e in any manner to the public at retail any prayer hawL, 

mbroidered arti le exceptino- altar drape or curtain better known 

a p rocha en and kull cap at le than the co t pri e to the 

b k dealer plu 40rc. 
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6. It shall be an act of unfair competition for anyone to sell, offer 

to sell, or advertise in any manner to the public at retail, synagogue 

metal ornaments and " porochasen " at less than the cost price plus 

25%. 

7. In order to promote better relations between the wholesaler and 

book dealer, it will be deemed an act of unfair competition for any 

wholesaler to advertise in any form to the public at retail any products without inserting a clause therein that this product is obtainable 

also at the store of any retail dealer in Hebrew and Jewish religious 

books and articles. 

8. In order to protect the whole aler from unfair competition, and 

the consumer from being sold inferior goods, it shall be deemed an 

act of unfair competition for any book dealer to buy the merchandise of any individual importer and/ or 1nanufacturer not regularly 

and solely engaged in the business of importing and/ or manufacturing such merchandise. It is deemed proper that such importers 

and/ or manufacturers sell their wares to the wholesalers only, who 

are, at the time of the drafting of this code: 

Wholesalers of books, articles, and novelties, both domestic & 

i1nported: 

I. M. ALTER. 

BEHRMAN's JEWISH BooK HousE. 

BLOCH PuBLISHING CoMPANY. 

DEPARTMENT OF SY AGOGUE & ScHOOL ExTENSION. 

HEBREW PuBLISHING CoMPANY. 

HALPERIN's IMPORTED BooKs. 

JEwisH P uBLICATIONs SociETY. 

Z. ScHARFSTEIN. 

STAR P uBLISHING CoMPANY. 

H ebrew p1•ayer sh(l}wls, silverwm·e, e1nb1'oidery, phylacteries, and 

door scrolls: 

J. LEVINE. 

K. PASTON. 

SHECHTER & CHERNOWSKY. 

M. WoLoziN. 

S. YARASLAWITZ. 

Pal stinian products & i11&po1·tations: 

PALES TINE FooD & NovELTY Co. 

PALESTINE IMPORTING Co. 

M. GELFAND. 

J. VVEISBERG. 

The term "wholesaler " as us~d in this clause shall also apply to 

any book dealer who is today the sole American agent, representative, manufacturer, producer, or any particular or individual book 

or article. 

The above clause "8 " does not apply to individual, old se ondhand, and/ or rare books and article from 1 riYate c llection · and 

libraries. 

9. Should any book dealer or wholesal r ell, offer for ·ale, or 

a ~Yerti e in any manner to the public at retail an~' article whi h is 

rare, lamage l, or in any way pecial, at a reduced or a pecial price, 

it shall be an act of unfair competition for uch book c1 al r or 
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'" h l aler not to b r a 1y and ,,·illing to ll and r fu to · ll ·u h 

article to any oth r book d aler at hi or h r r que t at a li.· ount 

:from uch r 1uc l r pe ial al or aclv rti ed pric of ~0 1£ . 

10. It shall be deemed an act of unfair competition for any wh lesaler to sell, offer to sell, or advertise to any peddler, jobber, xton, school, synagogue, congreD"ation, temple group, a sociation, individual, partnership, or corporation, other than book dealer r gularly engaged in thjs line of busines , any merchandi e u ed in thi. 

line at any price or rate lower than the co t price to the book d aler 

plu the percentages of profit fixed by and under thi code. 

11. It shall be unfair practice for whole aler to discrim.inate in 

price between book dealers by paying or allowing or giving rebate , 

refunds, premiums, commissions, discounts, prize , special prices or 

privileges. 

ARTICLE III 

ADMINISTRATION OF FAIR COMPETITION 

A. To a sist in carrying out the provisions of the National Industrial Recovery Act and of this code, and the rules and regulation 

made pursuant thereto, and for the formulation of such other further or amendatory code provisions as may be neces ary to in ure 

fair competition, and effectuate the provisions of the code, the Executive Committee of this association or any such successor committee 

or committees as may hereafter be constituted by the action of the 

association, is set up as a Fair Competition Board for the e purpo e . 

B. Such board may, from time to time present to the National 

Recovery Administration's recommendations, based on condition 

in this line of business as they may develop from time to time, which 

will tend to effectuate the provisions of the code and the policy 

of the National Industrial Recovery Act. 

1. Should this code or any part thereof be broken or evaded in 

any manner or form b} any wholesaler or book dealer, uch whole aler 

or book dealer shall be compelled to attend a hearing before the 

Fair Competition Board, and if found guilty of such act, shall in 

addition to any fine or penalty impo ed through the National In iustrial Recovery Administration, not be traded or dealt with in any 

way by either wholesalers or book dealers, and shall pay a fine of 

not more than $500.00 to this association. 

2. Should any book dealer advertise or offer in any manner a 

premium, present, gift, prize, gratuity, rebate or any other inducement to any consumer for the purpose of evading in any manner 

the letter or spirit of this code he shall be compelled to attend 

a hearing before the Fair Competition Board, and if found guilty 

of such shall in addition to any fine or penalty which may be impo eel thr ugh the National Indn trial ~· overy A lmini tration, 

uot be traded or dealt with in any way by either whole alers or book 

c1 aler. , an l ,'hall 1 ay a fine of n t more than .)00.00 to thi 

a ociation. 

3. Should any book dealer or whole aler sell offer to ell or 

a ,~ rti e in an manner any religious article which under the J ewi h 

Law and cu tom i not ' ko her ' he hall be compelled to attend 

a hearing before the Fair Competition Board and if found ~ui lty 

of uch act, pay a fine of not more than 1 000.00 to thi ~ a ociation. 
6 II I II 11\llli\i'il\i~llil\i( il ill\ II \111 ~ ~llil lifllll IIIII I I 

3 1262 08855 5536 

ARTICLE IV 

CHANGE OR MODIFICATION 

For the purpose of effectuating the provisions of Title I of the 

National Industrial Recovery Act, supplements to this code or additional codes not inconsistent herewith, may from tim.1e to time be 

subm_itted for the approval of the President, and the President may, 

from time to time, cancel or modify any order, approval, rule, or 

regulation issued hereunder. 

ARTICLE v 

This code shall be effective on the 1st Sunday after it shall have 

been approved by the President and shall continue in force until 

the President shall, by proclamation, or the Congress shall, by joint 

resolution, declare that the emergency recognized by Title I of t his 

Act has ended. 

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