Evening star., 1933-09-27
Johnson Expected to Act Fa.
yorabIy Against truth
less" Competition.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
PRESS EASIER CREDIT
Effort Is Being Made to Boost Farm
Prices and Assist N. r. A.
Industries.
BY the Associated Press.


N. r. AS retail trade code plans
assumed big proportions in the Fed
eral recovery drive today upon indica-
tions that some ban on extreme price
cutting would be approved.
Both the master retail code and the
retail druggist recommendations con-
tain important price provisions The
retailers would prohibit sales below a
price representing wholesale cost plus
10 per cent; the druggist would bar
sales of trade-marked goods at q dis
count of more than 81 per cent below
the makers fixed price.
Final approval still must be obtained
from Hugh S. johnson, but friends of
the plan recalled the general once told
the retailers publicly that ruthless
competition and price cutting does not
assist prosperity"
johnson Carries On.
Johnson's continued absence from his
Office because of an infection did not
interrupt his studies of the retail char
tiers and other N R. A. developments,
including soft coal His aides expressed
confidence that before the coal code
becomes effective Monday, its applica-
tion to captive" mines will be settled
and basic wage rates for Alabama and
west Kentucky districts fixed.
Coincident with President Roosevelt S
departure for his Hyde Park home. ad-
yocates of currency imitation were urged
by Senator Thomas, Democrat, of Okla
nome, to stand back long enough to per-
init full trial of Mr.. Roosevelt's credit
expassion program.
While Thomas personally predicted
failure Of the credit efforts, a number
OF Government agencies were doing
their utmost to create easier credit with
the desire Of boosting farm prices and
assisting N. r. A. industries.
One, the Public Works Administra-
ton, found actual outlays of cash pro-
crossing so slowly, however, that some
omc1als felt Mr.. Roosevelt would have
10 MAKE personal demand fer speed.
More than billion and a half dol
lars OF public works funds have been
allocated but less than 500 000. 600
spent.
Codes Approved.
Codes were approved yesterday for the
lime, building supplies, optical manu-
featuring, textile machinery manufac-
turing. electric battery manufacturers.
advertising specialties, womens belt
manufacturing and the knitting, braid
ing and wire covering machinery man
ufacturing industries.
Despite the vehement protests in some
sections to the provisions against price
regulations contained in retail charters,
n t1,o
one-half of l per cent of the express
sions received voiced opposition
Hundreds of letters and kilograms
have reached the administration since
it made the code public last week. Most
Of them indorsed the price provisions.
Favorable Attitude.
A compilation prepared by Arthur D.
Whiteside, the deputy who handled the
retail codes, said 62.5 per cent of the
letters and kilograms received had ap-
proved the general code in its present
form and over 80 per cent of the 62.5
per cent specifically indorsed the stop
loss feature.
approximately 20S per cent objected
to the provision reducing the working
hours of maintenance and delivery en-
ployes to 40 hours weekly; 1875 objected
to the elimination of prison-made goods
from retail stores; 3.3 per cent opposed
the provisions banning the use of COM
pany store script; o. per cent protested
against elimination of the provision
prohibiting merchandise lotteries. and
o. per cent objected to the stop-loss
provision.
On the drug code. the analysis said
90 per cent Endorsed the code as now
written and only 65 per cent protested
against the price-control clause. The
remaining objections were reported
about evenly divided between protests
against the maximum hour provisions
for pharmacists and miscellaneous COM
plants.