Evening star., 1933-08-28
LABOR THREATENS +.
MOTOR CODE TEST
Spokesman htimates HTiMq
Provisions Will Be Taken
to Court.
CONTINUED From First Page.)

For the first time the American peo-
| pie have q chance to test in business
principle that they long ago proved in
Government. That principle is the
trite old slogan, In union there is
Buy under the Blue Eagle" was the
watchword set by johnson for his vol
shadow" Of boycott. intimidation and
| violence would spoil this whole
endeavor" He added:
But there must not be the slightest
misunderstanding. 1t Is not boycott
| for the people of a distressed country
to say they are going to stick to those
, who do their part to cure a common
evil and to ignore those who refuse to
do so. To do otherwise would be to-
| Illustrate the national purpose. >"
Ford Company Excluded.
When johnson made his address last
| night he had just completed one Of the
NJ r. AS biggest tasks. 1t was the
| automobile code which will be binding
| upon all that industry, except the Ford
company, on September 5. Ford. vlr-
tually the only non-signer, will have
further To-day period to determine his
course.
johnson sent forth his volunteer corps
Will d lCAlAldCA tAldt Joa oAS foeANA1S
| missionaries and neither shoppers nor
! policemen" He added:
For about two weeks we shall con-
| fine all action to an intense effort to
see that the obligations Of the Blue
Eagle are understood by every man who
| flies one In the meantime, We shall
| collect evidence in the few important
! reported cases of big and thoroughly in
| formed employers who seem knowingly
lE,,nr toll np1t
CATION with a deliberate intention OF
| violating it to mislead and defraud their
! employees and their customers.
THE opening gun Of the enforcement
campaign will be a painstaking, falr.
open public hearing Of these cases, and
| If they prove to be what reports 1ndl-
cate. we shall use every lawful and
| proper means to protect the public and
| their competitors against such destruc-
tive. unpatriotic and unfair con-
wherever the Blue Eagle flies we
shall keep his wings clean and his talons
sharp
Achievements Summarized.
Approval of the automobile code MADE
possible this summary OF N. r. A. ac-
| compliShmentS since the law was sieheo
| 10 weeks ago:
Eighteen codes were approved, lncluo-
ing such as steel, oil, automobiles. lum-
| Der and textiles "A codes were belng
whipped into final form; 450 codes
! had been submitted; 225 national indus
| tries and more than 100000 individual
| EMPLOYERS had signed re-employment
agreements.
The auto code as signed by the Pres
ident contained the first declaration IN
any such agreement that the employers
| hox ho riOht to hire frP aDO
promote men, regardless of union ANNA
| tion. After extended wrangling this was
ulalified with the declaration that 1t
! did not in any way modify the promise
also made in the code, at the laws
demand, that the auto employees snall
have the right to organize without re-
straint from their bosses and to par
gain through representatives OF their
owr choosing.
johnson, talking to newsmen, said
any idea that this phraseology was in,
serted to prevent unionizatlon OF tne
plants should be dissipated lmmedi-
ateIv" He said its object was to combat
statements to the effect that no man
| could secure N. r. A. benefits without
| joining union.
Also. he said its inclusion was not
| in any way to be regarded as prece-
dent for other codes, each OF which
would be judged upon the economic FAC
tors of that particular industry.
Rush Feared by Labor Men.
However, in industrial circles. there
was an expectation of regular rush
| to insert the same language in each
! CODE and some talk even OF such IN
dustries as steel and others already un-
der the N R. A. asking for its in
| clusion in their codes.
| William Green. president OF the
f., American Federation of Labor, said the
labor language in the automobile code
/ was not intended to be a precedent ana
added that the Labor Advisory Board
had requested President Roosevelt so TO
specify in his executive order promul-
eating the charter.
Green withheld comment pending
publication of the Chief Executives
order.
| Pledging cooperation with the GOV
ernment in the administration OF tne
new code, Alvan Macauley, president
of the National Automoolle ChamoeI
of Commerce. announced last night that
all members of the chamber have now
telephoned their approval of the agree
ment to Donald Brown, chairman OF
the Code Committee.
Macaulev said that from the outset
= we have made it clear that
we had no desire to qualify or modify
the labor provisions of the national re-
covery act"
"Ail that we have sought has been
clear expression Of our right to MAN.
tain operations for the best interests 0 Oh
our workers and our companies, ne
added.
MisinterpretatiOns Cited.
eve felt this was necessary because
of the misunderstanding and mlsln-
terpretations which have arisen since
the act was passed"
Pointing out the industry has stepped
iup its wages in recent months Wlthout
waiting for a code. Macauley said ef-
forts already had been begun before that
to shape its hours of labor to spread
work
Looking at the code as a whole
leaders in the automobile industry 1eel
that it is distinct contribution 70
the great objective sought by the ad-
ministration-thato OF gettlng men oack
to work" he said.
Macauley. In noting that the code
contains no request for price fixing or
relaxation Of any provisions OF the anu
trust laws, said:
Later, as we study our own trade
practices. if we find conditions exist
ing which could be eliminated in the
interest of keeping prices down to con-
sumers. then we shall ask the Gov
eminent to consider them"
! Advances Held Inevitable.
On possible price advances, the auto
mobile chamber president said:
while all of these efforts necessarily
mean increases in cost, we shall con-
tinue to do all that we can to keep
prices down to the consumer. Price ad-
vances are inevitable, of course, but 1t
is our hope that the increased employ
ment coming from the recovery act will
result in increased purchasing power,
which will enable us to expand produc-