Evening star., 1933-09-05
JOHNSON URGES.
/. BUYING CAMPAIGN
Tells Chicago Audience Gov.
ernment Will Launch Drive
About September 20.
BY the Associated Press.

the greatest Labor day throngs In Chi
cago's history yesterday heard Gen.
Hugh S. johnson, national recovery
administrator, appeal for Nationwide
consumers buying campaign.
Addressing throng Of quarter of
a million persons through system Of
loud speakers that carried his message
to every corner of the Worlds Fair
grounds, Gen. johnson reaSSured his
listeners that Federally-directed ma
tional campaign would start about Sep
tember 20 to influence citizens to buy
freely.
I'VE shall begin a campaign" he
said, "to try to convince the people of
the need to buy freely-not as patrio-
money"
With labor working shorter hours,
receiving more money, commodities ad-
rancing in price and industrial costs
mounting, the general said, there was
bound to be an increase in the price
to the consumer soon.
May Enforce Fair Prices.
But the President. who sponsored
this recovery program. is not going to
see it run away with prof1teering,"
Johnson said. He indicated that the
dinary powers, if necessary, to enforce
fair prices.
The speaker failed to mention by
name any of the large manufacturers
who so far have failed to join the N. r.
A. forces.
He emphasized strongly, however,
that the law has talonS and that the
codes will be enforced.
We welcome opinions Of persons
who do not wish to comply with the
law" the general said, but 1t must be
remembered that ultimate decision rests
with the President Of the United
States"
For violators. we can take away the
Blue Eagle and If that's not enough
there are plenty Of penalties" john
son said. THE public cannot tolerate
Refuses Specific Claims.
johnson refused in his address to
make specific claims as to the success
of the recovery campaign so far.
mo one" he said, "can say that it
will fail. There are faults and errors
but the fact remains that prac-
tically every employer in the country
Is under the Blue Eagle, that people
have gone back to work in vast swarms
and that those who had work are get
ting better pay"
There was no employer, he added,
under the Blue Eagle, who had not
signed up voluntarily. He denied that
the Government was using a boycott
campaign to force manufacturers and
employers into line.
Il may 60 a step further and say
although this Labor Day was the first
objective, We shall not stop. You can
not stop a movement like this-you
must carry it on to a conclusion. It
is unfair to the loyal and patriotic men
who have put up the Blue Eagle to
permit any competitor to refuse to
put him up"
johnson said that specific figures on
Unemployment since conception Of the
recovery code were not available, but
added that a quick census was planned
little later by individual reports to
determine the number who had re-
turned to work under codes and agree
ments with the President.
Emphasizes Labor's Rights.
johnson spoke under auspices Of the
Illinois State Federation Of Labor. To
labor he emphasized that the right to
organize and bargain would not be vio-
lated. johnson said that while employ
ers are not compelled to agree to any
scale of wages demanded by workers,
the employers had the obligation not to
attempt to interfere with free organ
iZation
IF an employer should make con-
tract with a particular organization to
employ only members of that organ
ization." he said. especially If that or
ganization did not have 100 per cent
membership among his employees, that
would in effect be a contract to inter-
fere with his workers freedom Of choice
of their representatives or with their
right to bargain individually and would
amount to employer coercion on these
matters which is contrary to law"
There are men-honest. sincere and
unselfish men-who believe that Presi-
dent Roosevelt's recovery program Is
wrong. They say that the normal busi-
ness pact is such a delicate mesh OF
vested rights and established standards
that If you so much as touch one web
YOU may upset conditions you never
dreamed about. 1t is true" johnson
said, "that economic laws are natural
laws, like the law Of gravitation. and
can no more be repealed by Congress
than can the multiplication table: but
lust because the law of gravitation
says that because you Jump out Of
balloon you are going to get bump.
that doesn't mean that you can't use
parachute" Economic laws, he added,
can be guided and harnessed.