Evening star., 1933-09-19
n. R. A. PLANS TEST
NSTEEL INDUSTRY
Retail Price Fixing Plan Side
! tracked Temporarily by
Administrators.
(Continued From First Page.)

(Continued From First Page)
this point and what the President ap-
proves was expected to provide an ex-
position of the administrators policy
on price-fixing.
Section Eliminated.
The coal code section eliminated by
the President said in part:
The plain meaning of section IA
can not be changed by any interpre-
tation by anyone. 1t is the fuction
Of the administrator and the courts to
apply and interpret the law in its ad-
miniStration
"The words open shop and closed
shop are not used in the law and can
not be written into the law. These
words have no agreed meaning and will
be erased from the dictionary OF the
N. R. A.
"The law requires in codes and agree
ments that employees shall have the
right to organize and bargain collec-
lively through representatives Of their
own choosing
'This can mean only one thing,
which is that employees can choose any
one they desire to represent them, or
they can choose to represent them
selves. Employers likewise can make
collective bargains with organized en-
ployes, or individual agreements With
those who choose to act individually.
Can't Force Membership.
"The law does not prohibit the ex-
astence of q local labor organization,
which may be called a company union.
- But it does prohibit an employer
from requiring, as condition to en-
ployment, that any employe join q
company union.
Meanwhile, coal operators pro"
keeded with their negotiations with
United Mine Worker officials on ton
mage rates-the minimum amount
each worker must mine to receive the
minimum basic wage set in the bi-
luminous coal code.
Tentative schedules for the low vola-
tile regions of West Virginia were an
nounced as running from 81 cents per
ton upward, with many differentlals
between districts and provision for the
payment of cents per inch per linear
yard for the removal OF draw slate after
the first four inches.
The negotiators were to turn their
attention next to the high volatile fields
Of West Virginia.
Negotiations also were going forward
on the basic daily rates for the Alabama
and Western Kentucky coal fields, not
vet included in the code, with South
Eastern Kentucky operators expressing
vigorous opposition to big differentlal
between their rates and the Alabama
rates, holding that they were In dam
ger of losing Memphis and Chattanooga
markets.
Wage Rates Differ.
N r. A. officials today were negoti-
ating with Alabama operators over
establishment Of a basic wage rate for
their territory but were meeting difh-
culties because of demand from Ten
hessee mine owners that the difterential
In favor of Alabama be kept within 40
cents.
The Tennessee rate is s42O an hour.
while the Alabamans insisted So was
the maximum they could afford.
Pending adjustment of this point,
there vas no move from the Alabam-
ans, one of the few groups which have
failed so far to sign the code, to come
forward voluntarily.
The West Kentucky situation, in
which operators not only have not
Eigned, but have announced an inten-
tion of not dealing with the United
Mine Workers regardless OF the code
declaration that employees may bargain
through whatever representatives they
choose, was in the hands OF Admin
6trator johnson.
Officials refused to comment upon the
Ease beyond the statement already
made, that the code was applicable to
kis faction as well as all others.
No official word was forthcoming on
the Captive" mines, which have not
Ggnified any formal intention Of join
ing the code, but are expected to do so.
Complicated by Strike.
Meanwhile strike OF several thou
tand shoe workers at Brockton, Mass,
and the complaint Of the used-car in
dustry that the code for retailers was
unfair because it empowered the Ma
tional Automobile Dealers Association
70 fix prices and stipulate trade-in al
lowances. added to the difficulties OF
National Recovery administrators.
The Brockton strike was carried out
In spite of tentative agreement be-
tween employees representatives and
Senator Wagner, chairman of the Ma
tional Labor Board, and gave added i'm
bortance to clause in the proposed
shoe code providing that labor con-
tracts existing on June Is be recognized
tor the life Of the agreements. The
contracts between the manufacturers
knd the shoe workers union.
Wagner Disappointed.
Wagner announced last week an
Agreement with leaders Of the shoe
workers union and the Brotherhood OF
Shoe and Allied Craftsmen, with which
. number of members of the former
union affiliated as a result Of the pro-
posed clause whereby all strikers were
to return to their jobs pending deci-
sion by the labor board on the issues
involved. Wagner expressed keen dis
appointment at the strike, but said
nothing further would be done until
after the dispute had been adjudicated.
A ruling on the legality Of the contract
clause in the code Is pending.
With respect to the used-car dealers
complaint it was charged they would
be thrown out Of business by competi-
tors, who would govern prices. Abram
Goodman, representing the National
Used-Car Dealers Board Of Trade OF
New York, said the code was written
for dealers in new cars" without Diff
ferentiating between those who accept
cd trade-ins only as an incidental fea-
ture Of their business.
For those of us who deal entirely
In buying and selling used automobiles
1t would be entirely unfair that these
neW-car dealers fix trade-in allow
ences," he asserted, demanding excep-
ton of used-car dealers from the code.
D. C., DISTILlERY SOUGHT