The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-08-19
GIANT INDUSTRY IS
FIRST OF LEADERS
T0F|LE AGREEMENT
President Expected to Proclaim
Charter Fixing Hours and
Wages
OTHERS HEAD TOWARD FOLD
Coal, Oil and Automobile Men
Continue Conferences on
Their Pacts

Washington, Aug. 19.-(P)-Steel
led Americas four biggest industries
toward blue eagle membership Sat-
urday.
On President Roosevelt's desk.
needing only his formal approval, was
4 dramatically obtained wage-and
hour fixing code for giant steel. He
and national recovery administration
officials were hopeful that this would
break the jam that also held coal and
oil outside the recovery fold and
speed the pending trade plan for au-
tomobile makers.
Presidential approval and procla-
nation of the steel agreement was
virtually certain. At midnight Fri
Gay, after his spokesman concluded
six hours of plain talk with steel's
representatives, the agreement was
read to the president over the tele-
phone. Roosevelt, who had expressed
a desire for action on steel, coal and
oil before nightfall Saturday, ap-
proved the compromise.
Text Held Secret
The text of the revised code itself
was not made public Immediately.
hence 1t could not be ascertained who
had yielded on what. But the code
still contained provision giving en-
ployes right to organize In any man
rer they choose, and without re-
straint. This, though, had not been
a recent point of controversy.
Putting oils completed code In the
presidents hands was regarded only
as matter of time measured by the
necessity of minor revisions In the
bulky text. The chief executive him.
self will direct the federal group adj
ministering affairs for this industry.
Recovery officials reflected on the
head-on clash between the automobile
industry and labor over open-shop
language contained in the code rec
commended by a big section of the
business In which Henry Ford, how
ever, did not Join.
Siding with labor was the conten-
ton of Donald Richberg, recovery
counsel, that words to continue the
open shop policy" must not be written
into the automobile charter.
All the hustle conceded with q
packing of luggage a block away at
the white house for President Roose-
velt's departure for Hyde Park Sat-
urday night. His train time was the
deadline set for steel, oil and coal.
Lumber Code Ready
The code of fair competition for
the lumber producing industry Sat
urday went to the white house as
Hugh S. johnson, NRA adninistra-
tor, pressed forward the work of get
ting final drafts Of codes for steel and
oil on Roosevelt's desk.
The lumber code as finally signed
by johnson, and approved by the la
Dor and industrial advisory boards Of
the NRA, provided 40-hour week
throughout the industry except in
seasonal periods when climatic con-
The lowest minimum wage was %
cents. For the south, the minimum
wage was fixed at the July Is, 1929.
maximum plus Is per cent. For the
Pacific northwest 42h cent maxi
mum wage was reported to have been
included.
Johnson, meanwhile, approved sub
stitute presidential agreements for
the American stockyards industry, the
steel warehouse industry and the
transit industry.
Public hearings on the code SUBJ
mitted by the transit industry have
been scheduled to begin Aug. 20, but
meanwhile the electric railways and
subsidiary bus lines will operate un-
der a 40-hour week for general en-
ployes, a 44-hour week for general
shop employees and 48-hour week for
trainmen, bus operators, ticket agents,
car house and garage employees, main
tenance, track, line, power house and
sub-station attendants.
The highest minimum rates Of pay
yet proposed were provided for Satur-
day in a code for the aviation indus
try on which Administrator Hugh s.
johnson set hearings for next Thurs
day.
The wage provision called for at
! least $3.50 a month for 10 hours
maximum flying for pilots, with q
minimum of $3.50 and $50 flying hours
for co-pilots.