The Washington times., 1933-09-19
FOES SEEN BACK
Of REPORTS ON
RETIREMENT
NRA Chief Declared Certain
to Stay on Job Until After
Congress ConveneS
BY DUNCAN FORSYTH

GlonaI recovery administrator,
>. probably will remain very much
on the job until after Congress
conveneS in January, despite num-
. erouS rumors of his resignation
and speculation as to his successor.
D.. This appeared today to be a
virtual certainty. The rumors,
i flying thick and fast about the
Commerce Building Of late, appar-
: emily have been inspired in some
degree by certain persons and in
=. terests that would like to see
-. johnson get out, and partly be-
:, = cause he has been working for
+. i, many weeks under a tremendous
= strain and could obviously use
more rest than he is getting.
Explosion" Prevented
T. NRA politics are by no means
showed under, though johnson has
r prevented the widely-predicted ex-
:. plosion forecast when Dudley
: Gates resigned from the organiza-
, ton.
It was obvious at that time
that the success of the NRA CAM
2paign would be endangered if the
capital-labor issue, then about to
break loose, could not be ironed
out somehow. That job was
done, and perhaps the most diff
ficult hurdle in the brief but ex-
r citing career of NRA was sur
mounted for the time being.
However, there is latent hos
tility to johnson in certain quar-
ters, and more or less Sniping has
been directed against him. The
resignation rumorS, in the opin-
- ion Of persons closely in touch
: with NRA internal affairs, are
. part of the campaign.
= Phases Of Job Near End
= In accordance with General
. JohnSon'S forecast some time ago,
the NRA organization seems to
!, be subSiding, so far as mere size
Is concerned. The NRA and Blue
Eagle divisions have nearly COM
pleted their work, and probably
i, will be cleared up, except for
minor matters, by the end Of the
=. year.
-. The "job moratorium" imposed
by an order from General John
son about two weeka ago, Is still
in effect, at least nominally, but
is not universally observed, &C
cording to the best information
obtainable.
It appears, however, that the
number Of new jobs in the or.
gan1zation Is being kept at mini.
mum, and presumably, as the
MIRA and Blue Eagle groups go
out of existence, their employees
will be utilized elsewhere in the
MIRA to the extent that they are
needed. Calls on the reemploy.
ment lists of the Civil Service
Commission have practically
ended, as far as the NRA is con.
cerned.
Unity, Eventual Aim
The new compliance division
designed to make sure that code
provisions are followed out, will
/. in some degree be a merger of the
PRA and Blue Eagle divisions, it
!. is expected.
:. In general, 1t is the policy OF
Administrator johnson, according
!, to those closely in touch with
NRA affairs, to leave matters in
:, such a condition that when he is
succeeded, or when the NRA
: liquidates, the least possible
/ trouble will be experienced.
! Insiders" say that a remark.
:. ably fine job has been done of
!, clearing up loose ends, so that
+ the NRA will practically run itself
! when and if johnson steps down.
s Experienced Clerks Best
No figures are available as to
the number Of civil service status
?, employees in the NRA, but it is
generally admitted that they have
! demonstrated their usefulness and
:: @Competence, and that their knowl.
= edge Of Government procedure
=. and mechanism has been a con
siderable factor in the achieve.
ments of the NRA to date.
Criticisms of the NRA from the
point Of view of personnel have
been confined in the main to
y three points. 1t has been asserted
that the political appointees, rela
lively few in number, have not
been very useful, and that few
selections through personal influ
ence have similarly failed to
"come through"