Evening star., 1933-10-27
CITIZENS WILL ACT
AS CODE AGENTS
Private EnforcerS Who Make
80 Complaints Are Assured
of Secrecy.

Individual citizens. working under
district managers of the Department of
Commerce. will become the enforcement
agents Of all codes approved under the
national recovery act, and citizens max
ing complaints and filing charges will
be assured Of secrecy and protection in
dealing with alleged violators.
Elaborate instructions drawn up by
Gen. Hugh S. johnson and approved by
Secretary of Commerce Roper, have
been sent to the district managers OF
the department. and to the regional
compliance boards where they have been
established.
Forms for making formal complaints
also are being prepared and as soon as
they can be distributed, will be available
to the public at post Offices
In Washington, the use of the De-
partmert of Commerce agents will not
be necessary since the Capital has its
own compliance board, which will con-
tmue to function in receiving COM
plants and wherever possible forcing
compliance with the code.
Weekly Reports Required.
The tive dozen or more Department
OF Commerce managers are to be fur
nished with list of agencies for in
dustrial self-sovernment.' code authori-
ties or trade associations to which spe-
cif1c types of complaints Dlay be for
Wardeo. If the case is of a type for
which he he's no authority to refer to
an industrial agency, he will introm by
letter the party complained against of
the charges. and if not then satisfied
of compliance, by personal interview
In either case, he will write the COM
plainant what he has done. If case
Is referred to an industrial agency, it
will be accompanied by a time limit
notice, and upon expiration of time
without result, the regional director will
take personal charge.
When a regional director fails to
achieve results in case, after due
notice to the party complained against,
he will refer the whole file to John
son, who for the time being viii serve
as national compliance director
johnson will turn it over to the re-
sponsible divisional administra ator' of
N R. A.
If the complaint is against a steel
mill or an automobile plant it will 90
to K. M Simpson; if a retail store.
bank or textile mill, to Arthur D.
Whiteside, and so on. The latter may
turn it over to the code authority for
whichever trade or industry is in
volved. and get it settled that way. or
may recommend that Johnson take
further action.
Possible Action Outlined.
The latter may then try to settle 1t
by correspondence, possibly asking for
a sworn certificate of compliance, but
if he regards negotiation useless he
will take it up with the National Com
pliance Board, composed of himself
and representatives of labor and in
dustrial advisory boards.
This board in turn may try again
for adjustment, decide that the par
ticular code requirement violated is un-
fair and should be amended, or an ex-
ceptior made in the individual case;
call a public hearing on the case in
Washington or locally; remove the re-
spondents Blue Eagle. or refer the
whole thing either to the Federal Trade
Commission or the Attorney General.
The Trade Commissions course in
wolves further investigation, issuance OF
a cease and desist order if the COM
plant is sustained, and prosecution for
contempt if the order is disregarded.
The Attorney General may sue in
Federal court to invoke the fines and
jail sentences provided by the industrial
law. seek injunction proceedings or take
anv other course provided by law.
The complaints should, If possible, be
sworn to before a notary or witnessed
by at least one person familiar with the
facts Anonymous complaints are left
to the district director obviously
crank" complaints will be rejected and
returned to the complainant as will
those whose recited facts do not con-
stitute violations of the code.