Approved Code No. 160 Registry No. 917-09 

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

FUR TRAPPING 

CONTRACTORS INDUSTRY 

AS APPROVED ON DECEMBER 15, 1933 

BY 

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT 

I .., "' . " .,,,. __ _ 

U.S. DEPOS.TOAY 

1. Executive Order 

2. Letter of Transmittal 

3. Code 

UNITED STATES 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON : 1933 

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Approved Code No. 160 

CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

FUR TR.APPING CONTRACTORS INDUSTRY 

As Approved on December 15, 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 Fur Trapping Contractors Industry, 

and hearings have been held thereon and the Administrator having 

rendered his report containing an analysis of the said code of fair 

competition, together with his recommendations and findings with 

respect thereto, and the Administrator having found that the said 

code of fair competition complies in all respects with the pertinent 

provisions of title I of said Act and that the requirements of clauses 

(1) and (2) of subsection (a) of section 3 of said act have been met: 

NOW, THEREFORE, I , Franh:ljn 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, and 

findings of the Administrator and do order that the said code of 

fair competition be and is hereby approved. 

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. 

Approval recommended : 

HUGH S. JOHNSON, 

Administrator. 

THE WHITE HousE, 

Dece1nber 15, 1933. 

27201°-244-160--33 (151) 
DECEMBER 13, 1933. 

The PRESIDENT, 

The TV kite House. 

Sm: This i~ a report of the hearing on the Code of Fair Competition for the Fur Trapping Contractors Industry con lucted in ,vashington on Decem.ber 8th and 9th, 1933, in accordance with the 

provision. of the National Industrial Recovery Act. 

The minimum wages provided in this code are forty cents ( 40¢) 

per hour when the employer furnishes all board, lodging, traps, and 

other paraphernalia and equipment necessary and generally used in 

succes ful trn pping operations, or fifty cents ( 50¢) per hour net. 

On this basis the employee hall provide himself with all necessary 

equipment and his own board and lodging. Apprentice and other 

employees whose primary duty is to prepare and cure pelts shall 

receive not less than fifteen dollars ($15.00) per week. 

Due to the fact that this industry is purely a seasonal one, operating only three months in the year, and during this period weather 

conditions may either lengthen or shorten the number of hours 

worked in any one day, no maximum. hour provisions are contained 

in the Code. 

No person under sixteen (16) year of age hall be employed or 

engaged in this Industry. 

This Industry is a com.paratively new one. Shortly after the War 

there was a land boom in the State of Louisiana which encouraged 

puTchasing of swan1p lands for the oil and mineral rights. Shortly 

thereafter it was realized that the trapping of fur animal , primarily 

the n1u ·krat, had become a genuine source of revenue from these 

holding . 

The owners of the land, most of whom were nonresidents of the 

community then sought a way to control the fur trapping on their 

property and the system of lea ing or licensing land to fur dealing 

les ees wa evolved. Under this system the les ees contracted with 

fur trappers for the privilege of trapping on these lands. 

Due to the lack of organization and the general ignorance of these 

fur trapping contractors many abuses have resulted. In the past 

few years the inequitable contracts and abuses thereof have re ~ultcd 

in numerous injunctions against trespassers, misunderstandings and 

occasional open warfare between lessees and the fur trappers. 

In 192 .approximately 7,500 trappers' licen e were i sued in the 

mu krat breeding e tion of Loui iana. In 1932 it is e timated 

approximately 5,000 fur trapping contractors were engaged in the 

industry. These figure do not include apprentices and helpers, and 

no a curate figure i available on this number. In the opinion of 

the Administrator the Code a it now tand by it a surance of 

a fair contract, wj ll cause the number of fur trapping contractors 

to rea ·h the 1928 figure. In addition, it will greatly increase the 

buyino- power and improve the living standards of' those now 

engaged in the indu try. 

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FINDINGS 

The Administrator finds that: 

(a) The Code, as recommended, complies in all respects with the 

pertinent provisions of Title I of the Act, includinfi, without limitation, subsection (a) of Section 7 and subsection lb) of Section 10 

thereof · and that 

(b) The Trappers Alliance, the applicant group herein, imposes 

no inequitable restri,.,tions on admission to membership and is truly 

representative of the Fur Trapping Contractors Industry; and that 

( c) The Code, as recommended, is not designed to promote monop- olies or to eliminate or oppress small enterprises and will not operate 

to discriminate against them, and will tend to effectuate the policy 

of Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act. 

This Industry has cooperated in a most satisfactory manner with 

the Administration in the preparation of this Code. From evidence 

adduced during this hearing and from recommendations and reports 

of the various Advisory Boards it is believed that this Code, as now 

proposed and revised, represents an effective, practical, equitable 

solution for the problems confronting the Inustry and its approval 

as herewith submitted is recommended. 

Respectfully, 

H uGH 8. JOHNSON, 

A d1ninistrator. 
CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

FUR TRAPPING CONTRACTORS' INDUSTRY 

ARTICLE I-PURPOSES 

To effectuate the policies of Title I of the National Industrial RecoYery Act, the following provisions shall constitute the Code of Fair -

Competition for the Fur Trapping Contractors' Industry, and shall 

be binding upon every men1ber thereof. 

ARTICLE II-DEFINITIONS 

SECTION 1. The term "industry" as used herein is defined to n1ean 

the trapping by contractors of fur anin1als where the primary catch 

i Southern muskrat and/or preparing the pelts of said animals by 

saiu. contractors. SEc. 2. The term " mYner " as used herein is defined to mi:>an all 

tho e TI"ho own lands from which fur animals are captured. 

SEc. 3. The term "lessee" as used herein is defined to include all 

those who lea. e lands from which fur animals are captured. 

~EC. 4. The term "fur trapping contractor" as used herein is 

defined to include all those who undertake, whether by written or 

oral contract, to perform substan~ially in its entirety, either personally or by direct employment on a wage ba is, the work of trapping 

fur animals. 

SEc. 5. The term" employer" as used herein i defined to mean any 

fur trapping contractor as defined herein. 

SEc. G. The term " employee ., as used herein is defined to mean 

any per ·on employed by a fur trapping contractor. 

SEc. 7. The terms "President", "Act", and "Administrator" as 

u eel h rein shall mean respectiYely the President of the United 

States, Title I of the National Recovery Act, and the Administrator 

of said Act. 

ARTICLE III-LABOR PROVISIONS 

SECTION 1. Collectiv Baro-aining-(a) Employees shall have the 

right to organize and bargain collectively through r epr e entatives of 

th i r own choosing, and shall be free from the interference, re traint, 

or coercion of employers of labor, or their ag nt , in the de ignation 

of su h repr entative. or in elf-organization or in other concerted 

activitie. for th purpose of collectiYe bargaining r other mutual 

aid or prot ction. 

(b) o employee and no one seeking employment shall be reqnired as a condition of employment to join any company union or 

to refrain from joining, oro·anizing, or assi ting a labor oro·anization 

of his ch , ing, and 

(154) 
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( c) Employers shall comply with the maximum hours of labor, 

minimum rates of pay, and other conditions of employment approved 

or prescribed by the President. 

SEc. 2. Minim.,um 1¥ ages.-Each e1111Jloyee engaged as n, fur trapper 

sh all be engaged oa either of the following scales, except as otherwise 

herein provided : 

(a) Forty cents ( 40¢) per hour and the furnishing by his employer of all board, lodging, traps, and other paraphernalia and 

equipment neces ary and generally used in succes;::,ful trapping operations; or 

(b) F ifty cents ( 50¢) per hour net. On this basis the employee 

shall p rovide himself with all necessary equipment and with his own 

board and lodging. 

( c.) Apprentice and othet employees whose primary duty is to pre- p are and cure pelts shall receiYe not less thun fifteen dollars ($15 ) 

per week. 

( cl) These minimum wages are not required to be paid to a furtrapping contractor or to individuals employed us fur trappers on a 

percentage basis. 

SEc. 3. Child Labor.-(a) No person under 16 years of age shall 

be employed or engaged in this industry. 

(b) No person under 18 years of age shall be employed at operations or occupations which are hazardous in nature or dangarous to 

h ealth. The Code Authority shall submit to the Administrator 

within 30 clays after the approval of this Code a list of such occupations or operation . SEc. 4. No provision .in this Code shall supersede any State or 

F ederal 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 instnance, or fire 

protection than are imposed by this Code. 

SEc. 5. All employers shall post complete copies of this Code in 

conspicuous places readily accessible to employees. 

ARTICLE IV-ADMINISTRATION 

SECTION 1. There shall be con titutecl a Code Authority to be selected as follows: Five persons to be selected by a representative 

vote of fur trapping contractors, at least two of whom shall be fur 

trapping contractors. Not more than three m·embers without vote 

may be appointed by the Administrator. 

SEc. 2. Each trade association directly or indirectly participating in the selection or activities of the Code Authority shall (1 ) 

impose no inequitable restrictions on membership, and (2) submit 

to the Administrator true copies of its articles of association, bylaws reo:--ulations, and any amendments when made thereto, together 

with' sucl1 other information as to 1nembership, organization, and activities as the Administrator may deem necessary to effectuate the 

purposes of the Act. 

SEc. 3. In order that the Code Authority shall at all times be truly 

represent ative of the Industry and i? _other respects comJ?lY with 

the provisions of the Act, the Adnumstrator ~ay prescribe such 

hearings as he may deem proper ; and thereafter if he shall find that 
156 

the Code Authority is not truly representative or does not in other 

re pects comply with the provi ions of the Act, he may require an 

appropriate modification of the membership thereof and/or of the 

method of selection of the Code Authority. 

SEc. 4. ~fembers of the Industry sliall be entitled to participate 

in and share the benefits of the activities of the Code Authority and 

to participate in the selection of the members thereof by as en ting 

to and complying with the requirements of this Code and sustaining 

their rea onable share of the expen es of its administration. Such 

rea onable share of the expenses of administration shall be deter- mined by the Code Authority ubject to review by the Administrator, on the basis of volume of busine s and/or such other factors 

a may be deemed equitable. 

SEc. 5. othing contained in this Code shall constitute the member of the Code Authority partners for any purpose. or shall 

any member of the Code Authority be liable in any manner to anyone 

for any act of any other member, officer, agent, or employee of the 

Code Authority. Nor hall any member of the Code Authority, exer- cising rea on.able diligence in the conduct of his duties hereunder, 

ne liable to anyone for any action or omi ion to act under this 

Code, except for his own willful misfeasance or nonfeasance. 

EC. 6. Powers and Duties.-The Code Authority shall have the 

following further powers and dutie , the exercise of which shall be 

reported to the Admini trator and hall be ubject to his right, on 

review, to disapprove or modify any action taken by the Code 

Authority. . (a) To insure the execution of the provisions of this Code and 

proYi le for the compliance of the indu try with the provisions of the 

Act. 

(b) To adopt bylaw and rule and regulation for its procedure 

and for the administration and enforcement of this Code. 

( c) To obtain from members of the Industry such information and 

reports as are required for the admini tration of the Code and to 

provide for submission by memhers of such information and reports 

as the Admini trator may deem nece ~ary for the purpo es recited in 

Section 3 (a) of the Act which information and r eport shall be ubn1itted by members to such admini trati, e and/or GoYernment agencie as the Administrator may designate; provided that nothing in 

thi Code ·hall relieve any member of the Industry of any exi ting 

obligations to furnish reports to any Governmen agenc3. No individual reports shall be di clo eel to any other member of the Indu try or any other party except to uch governmental ao-encies as 

may be directed by the Admini trator. 

( cl) To u e uch trade a ociation und other agencie a it deems 

proper for the arrying out of any of it a tivitie proYidecl for 

her in· provided that nothino- herein shall relieYe the Code Authority 

of its dutie or re pon ibilitie un 1 r tbi od and that uch trade 

a ociation and agenci . hall at all time be ubject to and comply 

with the provi ion her of. · 

( ) To mak recommend.ntion to the dmini trator for the coordination of the a ]mini. tration of thi. Co le with . uch other codes 

if any a · may be r lat cl t the Indu ry. 
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(f ) To secure from. members of the Industry an equitable and pro- portionate payment of the reasonable expenses of maintaining the 

Code Authority and its activities. 

(g) To cooperate with the Admini trator in regulating the use of 

any N.R.A. insignia solely by those membern of the Industry who 

have assented to, and are complying with this Code. 

(h) To recommend to the Adm.ini trator further fair-trade prac- tice provisions to govern members of the Industry in their relations 

with each other or with other trades and to recommend to the Admin- istrator measures for industrial planning, including tabilization of 

employment. 

( i) To support and aid in the enforcement of all State and Federal 

conservation law . 

SEc. 7. Branches or subdivisions of the Industry, including product 

divisions and/ or geographical sections of the Industry, may, when 

approved by the Pre ident or his authorized representative, e tablish 

their own planning and fair-practice agenci s, which hall be elf- governing in re pect to conditions or problem · relating exclusively 

to said branche or subdivisions, providina that no action of any 

,such agency , hall be inconsistent with the purposes and provisions 

of thi Code or the Act; and provided further that no supplemental 

agreements, recommendations, or provisions shall be submitted to 

the Pre ident by the Code Authority or planning and. fair-practice 

agency without fir t having been approved by duly r,ecorded votes 

of branches or subdivisions concerned. The niethod in votina in 

each branch or subdivision shall be fair ancl equitable and subject 

to the approval of the Administrator. Members of each branch or 

subdivision shall bear their proportionate share of the expenses of 

maintenance of such branch or ubdivision. Application for the 

establi ·hment of any planning and fair-practice agency, and any 

recommendations or reports by such agency when established, , hall 

be tran mitted promptly to the President or his authcrizec1 representative through the Code Authority. 

ARTICLE V-FAIR TRADE Pn--\CTIC'ES 

SECTION 1. No fur trapping contractor shall enter into any con- tract involving the work of trapping fur animals on a percentage 

basis, by or through which, directly or in lirectly, he shall receive, 

or retain, less than 70 percent of his catch. Provided, however , that 

if the other party to the contract provides without co t to the contractor equipment, lodging. mecli al treatment, or as istants to aid 

in the fulfillment 0£ the contract, the fur-trapping contractor may 

agree to receive less than 70 percent of his catch , but such contract 

shall be subject to the approval of the Code Authority, which ap- .proval or disapproval shall be ubject to review by the Aclmini trator. 

SEc. 2. No fur-trapping contractor shall enter into any contract involving the work of trapping fur animals which does not provi<le 

that the division of aid catch shall be 111ade by either of the 

following methods: 

(a) A~ll furs skins, or pelt trapped by the fur-trapping contractor shall be graded promptly by the fur-trapping contractor, 

and division shall be made by the proper owner or lessee or agent 

thereof, or 
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(b) All :furs, skins, or pelts shall be graded by the proper owner 

or le see, or agent thereof, and division shall be made by the :furtrapping contractor. (c) Such divi ion by whomcoever effected shall be made on the 

same percentage basi for each respective grade. 

SEC. 3. No :fur-trapping contractor shall enter into any contract 

involving the work o:f trapping :fur animals which does not contain 

a provi ion whereby the contractor retains the right to sell his percentage of the catch in the open market or at public auction or 

otherwise. 

SEc. 4. No fur-trapping contractor shall publish or circulate unju tified or unwarranted threats of legal proceedings which tend to 

have the effect of haras. ing or intimidating competitors. Failure to 

prosecute in due course shall be prima :facie evidence that any such 

threat i unwarranted or unjustified. .. 

SEc. 5. No :fur-trapping contractor shall join or participate with 

another contractor who with such contractors constitute a ubstantial 

number of members of the industry, or who together control a substantial percentage of the industry, in any tran action known in law 

as a blacklist, including any practice or device ( such as a whitelist) 

which accompli hes the purpose of a blackli t. 

SEC. 6. No fur-trapping contractor shall enter into any contract by 

or through which he hall agree to run more than 250 traps per day. 

SEc. 7. All contract :form entered into or to be entered into by any 

member of the fur-trapping industry shall be approved by the ode 

Authority, subject to review by the Administrator, at the request of 

any party at interest. 

SEc. 8. It shall be the duty of the Code Authority to u e its be t 

e:ff orts to provide measure I reventing poaching, trespas ing or bootlegging of pelts, and poaching, trespassing, and bootlegging of pelts 

i hereby declared detrimental and injurious to the :fur-trapping industry o·enerally. Furthermore, each contractor a senting to this 

ode expresc.:ly agree that in so doing he pledges himself directly to 

ail in every way po sibl to st amp out from the industry the e illegal 

practices. 

SEc. 9. Any fur trapping contra ·tor, who prior to the effective 

date of this Code, entered into a contract, the provi ions o:f which are 

not in conformity with the provi ion hereof, shall make a bona 

file effort to arrive at an equitable adjustment of th terms an 1 

conditions fixed by aid ontra t; and in the event uch effort fails 

to result in a mutually sati fa tory aclju -tment, eith r party to aid 

contract may refer the sam for adju tment to the Co le Authority 

of the indu try which said Code Authority with the aid an l a si -

tance of the Admini trator or hi · properly designate l agent or 

agent ·hall endeavor to arriv at an qnitable a lju tment thereof. 

ARTI LE VI-GENERAL 

SE TION 1. Thi Code an l all the provi ·i ns thereof are expre ly 

ma 1 snbjec to the rjrrht of th Pr id nt, in ac or Ian e with the 

provi ion of ub tion (b) of e tion 10 of the A t. from time to 

tim to ·ancel r moclif) any order, a ppr Yal, licen e; rule, or regulation i ued und r aid Act. -
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SEC. 2. This Code, except as to provisions required by the Act, 

may be modified on the basis of experience or changes in circumstances, such modifications to be based upon application to the 

Administrator and such notice and hearing as he shall specify, and 

to become effective on approval of the President. . SEc. 3. No provision of this Code shall be so applied as to permit 

monopolies or monopolistic practices, or to eliminate, oppress or discriminate against small enterprises. 

ARTICLE VII- EFFECTIVE DATE 

This Code shall become effective five days after its approval by the 

President. 

Approved Code No. 160. 

Registry No. 917-09. 

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