Evening star., 1933-11-29
BY RALPH w. PAGE.

BY RALPH w. PAGE.
SAN FRANCISCO. November az
The rush for codes in California under
the State law has swamped the Office Of
the corporation commission. This Is
explained not only by the fact that the
idea Is familiar on the Pacific, but be-
cause the trades are finding that the
blanket N. r. A. code does not always
At their peculiar problems.
The blanket has pretty well served
its purpose. The people that will be
employed have been employed, the wage
and hour adjustments made Business
leaders say it Is now an old story. The
populace still parades. In San Fran
cisco the other day, IL turned out at
night. night. $4,000 strong, and carried sd on
Cnant 6Vl tells about his delivery p0yj
who comes at 10 and leaves at 6. with
fHn @ him: :> he 11 runs asf us' 'h n
The general code has to be credited
with goodwill and unemployment
campaign that worked and stuck in all
the neighborhoods Of the State. A
survey in the Monterey and Carmeg
community showed $50 people en-
ployed and a strike settled
Banks Increasing Loans.
The banks, liquid so long, are begin
ming in q timid way to function. They
have increased their loans over the last
statement period. Deposits are climb
ing steadily.
The elaborate business review made
by the State Chamber of Commerce re-
veals progress in practically all lines
Building permits for 81 cities during
October show gain of 1913 per cent
over September. This does not include
the many Federal projects. One hum
dred and sixty building and construc-
ton firms have ga per cent more
employees than a year ago. Shipments
Of forest products are As per cent above
q year ago. Production Of cement Is
20 per cent greater than for the first
nine months last year. Factory pay
rolls Of 1893 firms show an increase OF
24.6 per cent in number Of persons en-
ployed and 151 per cent In wages paid.
ployment situation" says the chamber,
'is that most of the major groups of
manufacturing industries showed in
creases after allowing for normally ex-
pected seasonal changes"
Watch Shipping Figures.
Another barometer closely watched
on the Golden Gate is shipping figures.
The Marine Service Bureau announces
that the employment Of longshoremen
on the wharves reached 10000 in Octo-
Der, a new high-water mark since 1929,
and 1922 more than September. Car
goes handled increased In tonnage to
1,455, 900 tons from 1,408,000 in Sep
tember and 1851 900 last year.
Eighty million dollars are going into
builders and workers pockets from
bridges over San Francisco Bay. Six
teen million dollars more are building
roads Twenty million more were voted
in November to match Federal money
for municipal Improvements In San
Francisco Besides these expenditures
the P. w. A. is granting Sacramento
S11 100000 for a water supply and ST.
5000 for river flood control. The ALL
American Canal will flood Southern
California with water, and, some ex-
pect, with rooney.
To these facts and prospects must be
added sl70000000 to dam, water and
electrify the whole Sacramento and
San Joaquin Valleys. This calls for a
bond issue to be voted December and
Is near to the heart of the Governor,
but poison to the power companies.
Statements of Leaders.
But there Is another side. Typical
statements made to the writer by con-
servative leaders follow:
Leading banker Business is GER
tainly on the upgrade. But this is IN
spite of and not because of this Gov
ernment interference"
Pioneer builder of Los Angeles: 'The
attempt to make employers distribute
income by increasing their pay rolls In
consideration of less working hours is
Salx Iokl M ~
nature does not change overnight ma
ated by self interest. The result Is
that most Of them spend their time
PVrPwe 0f the agreements they have
signed"
chabeq OF of re & these ns Fsd
eral and State bond issues may, indeed.
bring on temporary relief and activity.
But the day of reckoning will come.
What we want Is renewal OF private
business by private initiative"
Recently the State Chamber of Com
merce held a meeting in Los Angeles
called the Statewide Recovery Confer
ence. 1t was attended by the principal
business men from every county, repre-
senting every industry In the State. To
advise them were assembled officials
from all branches Of the local and Fed
eral Government, including the new au-
thorities under the recovery acts.
Criticism and complaint were con-
brains, initiative, daring and master
technique Of the whole coast were
modified to create a constructive pro-
gram for every business.
The performance Of the agricultural
section was typical Before 1t was
through, 1t had concrete plans, par
ticipated in by the active operators in
all branches Of horticulture and farm
ing, working with the personnel OF the
agricultural administration to increase
prices through controlled marketing, to
obtain maximum credit through Fed
eral agencies, and to provide them
selves, If possible, with contented la
Dor crews.
On the other hand, the feeling in
regard to the N. r. A. in employe cir
cleS has undergone q reaction. Ques-
tions put to hundreds Of workers dur
ing trip t:,t length of the State
showed that they were becoming in
creasingly disillusioned in their expec-
tation that employers would respond
to the program. Detailed accounts OF
methods practiced to defeat the code
were many. One man said he worked
steadily four hours over the limit. But
in every single instance they expressed
faith in the President.
No account of the new era in Cal
ifornia can overlook the success Of the
Civilian Conservation Corps. This
Winter there are 80 regular G. c. G.
establishments and 10 additional camps
under the direct supervision OF the
United States Forest Service. The
opinion of M. B. Pratt, State forester,
represents the feeling throughout the
mountains.