Registry No. 1702-19 

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION 

PROPOSED CODE OF FAffi COMPETITION 

FOR THE 

MOUNTERS AND FINISHERS 

INDUSTRY 

AS SUBMITTED ON AUGUST 28, 1933 

; " 

The Code for the Mounters and Finishers 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, Washingto n, D.C. - - - - - - Price 5 ce n ts 

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CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION SUBMITTED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF MOUNTERS AND FINISHERS, INC. 

ARTICLE I-DESCRIPTION oF THE BusiNEss 

The Association of Mounters and Finishers, Inc., represents that 

branch of the Graphic Arts industry engaged in the business of 

mounting, and/or die cutting and/or easeling and/or finishing of all 

types of mounted cardboard window and other advertising displays. 

ARTICLE II-PURPOSE 

To effectuate the policy of Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act, during the period of emergency, by increasing employment, establishing fair and adequate wages, effecting the necessary 

reduction in hours of employment, improving the standards of labor, 

eliminating competitive practices destructive to the best interests of 

the public, employees, and employers, relieving the disastrous effects 

of overcapacity, restoring the income of the enterprises within the 

industry to levels which will make it possible to pay such prescribed 

and adequate wages and avoid the further depletion and destruction 

of capital assets, the following provisions are established as a code of 

fair competition for the Association of Mounters and Finishers, Inc. 

ARTICLE III-PARTICIPATION 

Membership in the Association of Mounters and Finishers, Inc., 

and participation in this code and any subsequent revision of or addition to, shall be open to any member of the industry. There are no 

initiation or entrance fees and no restrictions on the qualifications for 

membership, other than each member agrees to abide by the provisions of the code, the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association, the code of uniform terms and conditions for quotations and 

sales, and be responsible for his proportionate share of the expense of 

the Association necessary for the administration of the code and any 

other activities which may be agreed upon by a majority vote of the 

membership. 

ARTICLE IV-ADMINISTRATION 

A. The Association of Mounters and Finishers, Inc., is hereby 

designated as the agency for administering and supervising the performance of the provisions of this code by the members of the 

industry. 

B. The administrators of this code shall be the Association of 

Mounters and Finishers, Inc. The Business Manager of the Association shall act as the unrestricted agent of the Association and 

have the right to make such audits of records, collect such reports, 

statistics, and other information as may be necessary to carry out 

the provisions of this code. All such data are to be kept confidential, 

893G-33 (1) 
2 

and they shall not be divulged to any member except in summary 

but shall be given to the President of the United States upon request 

or to support the provisions of this code. The Business Manager of 

the Association shall also n1ake such investigations and shall file 

such complaints as are necessary under the provisions of this code. 

C. The Board of Directors of the Association shall supervise 

the activities of the Association under this act and shall be directly 

responsible for the administration of the provisions of this code. 

The Board of Directors may delegate this authority to either the 

Business Manager of the Association or to an Executive Committee 

of their own choosing. 

D. The Board of Directors or their delegated representatives 

together with such individuals as may be named by the President 

of the United States shall constitute the Planning and Advisory 

Committee of the industry. 

E. Violations by any member of the Association, or by any business 

entity eligible to membership in the Association, of the provisions 

of this code, is and shall be an unfair method of competition, and as 

such, subject to the penalties provided by the Recovery Act. 

For purposes of self-government of conditions not deemed 

to warrant invoking the aid and assistance of the authorities and 

penalties prescribed in the Recovery Act, a majority of the parties 

signatory hereto may from time to time establish taxes and/or 

penalties and provision for the payment thereof, for violation of 

this code. 

In the event the Administrator of this code deems violations to be 

of such moment as to justify the attention of the authorities and 

penalties prescribed in the Recovery Act, the Administrator or 

Business Manager of the Association shall make complaint and invoke 

the aid and assistance of the authorities and penalties prescribed in 

the Recovery Act. 

ARTICLE V-LABOR PROVISIONS 

General.- A. As provided in Section 7 (a) of Title 1 of theN ational 

Recovery Act, the following provisions are condition of thi cod : 

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

collectively through representatives of their own cho sing, and hall 

be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employ r of 

labor, or their agents, in the designation of uch r pr entati or 

in self-organization or in other concerted activiti for th purp es 

of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or pr te tion. 

2. That no mployee and no on king mploym n hall b 

r quir d as a condition of mplo m nt t join any omp ny union 

or to r frain from joining, organizino-, or a i ting a lab r oro-anization 

of hi wn hoo ing ; and 

3. That mploy r hall ompl wi h th maximum hour 

minimum rat of pay, and th r nditi n f mpl In n appr 

or pr rib d by th r id n . 

B. I i l arly und r t d ha 

im air in an r parti ular h n i uti nul 

and mpl r t bar ain indi iduall r 

tuall ti f 1. h m · n r d it impair th 

pl r and n1pl T 1 ra L nn p n h I . 
3 

C. 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. 

D. No employer in the industry shall employ any person under the 

age of sixteen (16) years. 

Hours of H ork.-A. It is agreed that the maximum number of work- ing hours for all employees in the industry, including office help, shall 

not be in excess of forty (40) hours in any one week, and that the 

working days in the week shall be limited to five, Monday to Friday, 

inclusive. . No establishment in the industry shall open for the 

transaction of any business or any manufacturing operation on Saturday or Sunday. 

B. Repair crews, machinists, and electricians are excepted from 

this provision when necessary to keep the plant in operation. This 

provision shall not apply to executives, supervising staffs, watchmen, 

or janitors. 

C. When necessary, due to the special character of any mechanical 

work, overtime shall be permitted; but no employees performing 

mechanical operations shall work more than eight hours overtime 

in any one week, and no employee shall work more than 1,040 hours 

in any consecutive 26 weeks, including overtime. Labor Rates.-A. It is agreed that the minimum rates of pay for the 

industry shall be as follows: 

Male Help, forty (40) cents per hour. Female Help, thirty-five (35) cents per hour. 

B. As soon as practicable, a job classification for the industry shall 

be worked out and minimum rates for each job classification shall be 

fixed. 

C. Where work is performed on other than hourly rates, such as 

piecework, etc., it is agreed that such rates shall also be increased 

proportionately so that the same earnings can be secured in the 

forty-hour week as are now secured under the present hours of work 

and that the same minimum rates of pay per hour shall apply to 

this classification of labor as have been established for hourly 

employees. 

D. Hours worked in excess of the maximum of forty (40) in any 

one week by employees who are on hourly rates shall be paid at the 

rate of time and one third. 

E. No home work shall be allowed. All labor shall be performed 

in the member's plant, but no work shall be done in any unsanitary 

buildings or buildings unsafe on account of fire risks. 

ARTICLE VI-PRODUCTION AND CAP A CITY 

A. Until such time as the demand for the products of the industry 

cannot be adequately met by the fullest possible use of the existing 

equipment, and until the code is amended to permit it, none of the 

members of the code shall install any additional equipment except 

as such equipment is needed to replace worn or obsolete equipment. 

Nothing in the foregoing, however, is to be construed as prohibiting 

improvements from being made on present equipment. No member 

may establish a factory branch for the purpose of mounting, die 
4 

cutting, and finishing in any city or within the radius of 100 miles 

of such city where a factory of a present member is now located. 

B. It is recommended that the President of the United States 

require that, prior to the purchase and installation of productive 

machinery by persons (whether individuals, copartnerships, or corporations) not presently engaged in this industry, such persons shall 

be required to secure from the President, certificates that such purchase or installation is consistent with effectuating the policy of the 

National Industrial Recovery Act during the emergency period stated 

therein. 

C. We agree that so long as the industry is operating below 80% 

of capacity (the present level is under 40% of actual capacity), 

that the principle of sharing business equitably between the various 

plants in the industry must be recognized. To carry out this principle we agree that the Business Manager of the Association shall 

have the right to assign to each active factor in the industry a certain 

percentage of the available business to which it is entitled, this percentage giving due consideration to the physical capacity, past performances and any other factors which may be felt to have a bearing 

on the equitableness of each position, recognizing to a reasonable 

extent the greater difficulties met by the smaller plants working on a 

curtailed basis. 

D. If any member finds itself unwilling to accept the percentage of 

business which has been assigned to it by the Business Manager; 

the question at issue shall be referred to a Board of Arbitration, one 

member of which shall be appointed by the Board of Directors, one 

member by the company which finds itself unwilling to accept the 

position assigned by the Business Manager, and the third member 

appointed by the two arbitrators provided for above. The findings 

of this Arbitration Board shall be final and binding upon both parties. 

E. Each member of the Association agrees to limit its sales and 

production to its own relative position as determined by the principles 

outlined above. 

ARTICLE VII-TRADE PRACTICES 
5 

C. It shall be an unfair method of competition for any person in 

this industry to sell his products below actual cost. In the absence 

of correct and reliable information as to costs each person shall consider as his cost the cost found by the Business Manager to represent 

average industry costs and published as such. All concerns in the 

industry shall furnish to the Business Manager in confidence all 

essential information which may be required pertaining to the determination of their costs according to a formula to be furnished by him; 

and such information shall be subject to verification. 

The quotation by any manufacturer of any price lower or higher 

than the price based upon actual costs, or the sale of any commodity 

at a price lower or higher than that based upon actual costs shall 

constitute an unfair trade practice. 

D. To secure the effective general distribution of business in accordance with the principles outlined in Article VI, Section B, it is 

agreed that in the event that any member becomes materially out 

of line with his recognized position in the industry that the Board 

of Directors, through the Business Manager, may direct a course of 

procedure to be followed by such companies in order to bring about 

an equitable distribution of the available business, and it is agreed 

that this course of action will be followed by each member so affected. 

E. It is agreed that each member of the industry will submit to 

the Business Manager at the end of each year a balance sheet and 

profit and loss statement, certified by an officer of the company, so 

that a combined balance sheet and profit and loss statement of the 

industry may be submitted to the President of the United States, as 

a check on the prices received and a.s an indication of the industry 

to be reasonable in its purpose. 

F. Any secret rebate or credit, extra cash discount, the shipping of 

a greater quantity of product than is billed, or any other secret 

practice which tends to lower the recognized price on the part of any 

manufacturer or his agent is hereby condemned and shall constitute 

an unfair trade practice. 

G. It is agreed that the wilful interference by any person, firm, 

corporation, or association, by any means or device whatsoever, with 

any existing contract or order between a seller and a purchaser, in or 

about the production, manufacture, transportation, purchase or sale 

of any product handled by the industry, or the performance of any 

contractual duty or service connected therewith, such interference 

being for the purpose or with the effect of dissipating, destroying, or 

appropriating, in whole or in part, the patronage, property, or business 

of another engaged in such industry is condemned as an unfair trade 

practice. 

H. The circularization of threats of suit for infringement of patents 

or trade marks among customers of a competitor, not made in good 

faith and for the purpose of harassing and intimidating customers, 

is condemned as an unfair trade practice. 

I. It is agreed that no member of this code shall at any time use 

any methods or means of enticing employees from the employment 

of any other member of this code and before hiring any employees 

who have previously been in the employ of another member, the company about to employ such a person will invite a full exchange of 

facts concerning such person about to be employed from the members 

in whose employ such a person may have been. 
6 

J. All patents or patents applied for, of design or construction, now existing or hereafter applied for, shall be filed in the business 

office of the Association and shall be available for reference to any 

member of the Association. It shall be construed that the filing of 

such patent is notification of the existence of such patent or design. 

Permission for use of such a patent may be open to any member in 

the industry on application to the owner thereof and upon agreement 

with the said owner upon terms or payment of royalties. The use 

of such patents or patents applied for by any member without con- forming to this procedure shall constitute an unfair trade practice. 

K. The attached specific conditions and terms of quotations and 

sales, set forth in Appendix A shall constitute provisions of this code. 

ARTICLE VIII-PENALTIES AND DAMAGES 
7 

E. Anything in the Code to the contrary notwithstanding, the 

Board of Directors of the Association by the affirmative vote of five 

out of si."lC of the Board may waive any liability for liquidated damages 

imposed by or pursuant to any provisions of the Code for any violations of any provisions thereof. If in its discretion it shall decide 

that such violation was innocently made, then the collection of such 

damages will not to any material extent tend to effectuate the policy 

of Title I of theN ational Industrial Recovery Act. 

ARTICLE IX-GENERAL 

A. No provision in this code shall be interpreted or applied in such 

a manner as toa. Promote monopolies. 

b. Promote or encourage unfair competition. 

c. Eliminate or oppress small enterprise. 

d. Discriminate against small enterprise. 

B. The President of the United States may from time to time 

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

under this title; and each agreement, code of fair competition, or 

license approved, prescribed, or issued under this title shall contain 

an express provision to that effect. 

C. Amendments to this code may be proposed by any member of 

the Association, and such amendments when adopted by a majority 

vote of the Association shall become effective if, and when, approved 

thereafter by the President of the United States. 

D. This code shall become effective on September 1st, 1933, or if 

it has not been approved by that date, it will become effective five 

(5) days after it has been approved by the President of the United 

States. 
APPENDIX A OF THE GENERAL CODE 

UNIFORM CoNDITIONs AND GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS oF QuoTATIONS AND SALES 

CONDITIONS 

1. Owing to uncertain market conditions this quotation is made subject to 

immediate acceptance. In accepting this quotation you shall give us a written 

order showing specifications and price. 

2. All prices are based upon continuous and uninterrupted production and 

delivery of the entire order, unless quotation states otherwise. 

3. We assume that shipment is to be made to one point in packing units convenient to us. An extra charge will be made for split shipments and special 

packings unless so covered in our quotation. 

4. Instructions for immediate shipment are to be given us on all merchandise. 

Unless otherwise agreed in the quotation, it is understood that all merchandise will 

be shipped within 45 days from receipt of prints, otherwise we will place in a 

public warehouse at your risk and expense any merchandi e left on hand after 

that time, and such merchandise will be packed bulk in ca e and billed for uch 

packing, unless other definite packing instructions are provided. 

5. The percentage of overrun must be specified in your written order and our 

obligation is limited to the amount specified. 

6. We reserve the right to a 5 percent spoilage on your prints on runs of 1,000 

sheets or more, 10 percent on smaller quantities. 

7. All prints are to be delivered, f.o.b. our factory, not later than 60 days after 

placing your order. We assume it to be satisfactory to you to place in immectiate 

production ALL prints or other materials when received by us. 

8. Any material furnished by you, other than actual prints, will be accepted by 

us only at such times as we specify. 

9. All materials furnished by you are held at your risk, and we assume no 

responsibility for loss or damage by fire, water, or any cau e beyond our control. 

10. Mounting of varnished sheets involves an additional charge. 

11. Should you specify finished samples for your approval, it is understood 

that we will be required to furnish no more than three, one of which is to be 

returned to us with your O.K. thereon. 

12. All dies are to be furnished by us and remain our exclu ive property. At 

our discretion dies will be destroyed after six month ' time. 

13. Terms are net cash, no discount. 

14. All merchandise is sold f.o.b. our city or cars. 

15. All charges for prepaid transportation items will be payable upon pre entation of our invoice. 

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS 

A. For best mounting results we require the use of 0 to 90 lb. if coated pap rand 70 to 80 lb. if offset or machine-finish paper, ba is 25 x 3 grain all one way. 

B. When received by us, prints mu t be flat, free from wrinkle and fold , and the ink mu t be thoroughly dry and firm. All print ar to bed livered in 

cases or on skids properly protected with content pr p rly marked. C. Due to the impossibility of manufacturing mounting board to exact caliper, 

a variation of 5% in thickne s must be allowed. 

D. We require that you confer with us regarding layout and all olh r dela1·zs _ Advance planning will insure economy, prompt ertJice, and ali factory re ull . 

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