Evening star., 1933-12-21
REDUCED CLEANING
PRICES PERMITTED
IN NEW SCHEDULE.
D. C. Scale to Be 20 Per Cent
Lower Than That Fixed
80 Days Ago.
JOHNSON ISSUES ORDER
AFTER HEARING REVIEW
Announcement Is Made of New
Board Created to Keep Tab
of Revised Rates.

Effective tomorrow, Washington clean
ers will be permitted to charge approx
mately 20 per cent less than the scale
of prices posted 80 days ago by the Ma
tional Recovery Administration.
Under the new schedule, cleaners may
collect rs cents instead of 95 cents for
cleaning and pressing mems suits and
women's plain dresses. All other prices
are reduced at about the same scale,
but the higher prices may be retained
BY any cleaner who offers and gives su-
perior service.
The new price scales were ordered
last night by Gen. Hugh S. Johnson,
administrator. after a review of the
hearing held here two weeks ago at
which a generally lower scale of prices
was demanded TO increase the volume
Of buSineS done by the trade. At the
same time. "caSh-and- carry" cleaners
asked for differential giving them a
lower set of prices than the call for
and-deliver" cleaners.
Plan Special Insignia.
Such a differential. specifically. was
not ordered by Gen. johnson, but those
who desire to maintain the higher rates
now in effect will be allowed TO display
a special Blue Eagle insignia indicating
higher quality of work.
The new price scales virtually ended
all opposition to the N. R. A. price fix
ing plan when Isadore Paul of New
York, leader of the organized price
violatorS. informed officials he would
urge all "cash-and-carry' stores COM
ply with the new schedules.
Paul was the leader of the opposition
to the original scales. contending they
were too high and as result reduced
the volume of business to such an ex-
tent that "cash-and-carry" men were
faced with destruction of their business
The new order will affect the entire
country and the 20 per cent reduction
was ordered for all prices. ranging from
the s150 for cleaning and pressing a
woman'S fancy three-piece suit to 10
cents for cleaning and pressing a
mans tie.
johnson also announced price stud :
board had been created to keep tar
on the operation and effect of the new
schedules. The board will be author
lied to hold public hearings in any
locality on petition of so per cent OF
the cleaners in the locality. to deter
mine and recommend whether the
schedules should be modified.
William H. Davis, national compli-
ance director. characterized the new
schedules as having all the elements
of fairness and fiexibility that are nec-
eSsary to give the industry full oppor-
tunity to work itself out of its diff
iculties.''
Will Act on Violations.
"Any member Of the industry VIII.
fails to comply with the minimum
prices promulgated is guilty of viola
ton of the code and of the act" DAVIS
declared, "and will be deprived of tht
right to display the Blue Eagle. u
there is any persistence of violation ol
the code. which is now the law of the
land. the National Compliance Division
VIII transmit the facts in each cast
to the Federal Trade Commission or tt
the Attorney General for action"
In his announcement, Gen. Johnso.
pointed out that while the recent clean
ing price hearings proved the rates
originally approved were reasonable and
fair for "the quality which the public
has the right to expect" they ais:
showed there is some demand fol-
lower quality work.
The new insignia to be allowed clean
ers who maintain the higher prices has
not yet been worked out, but it is ex-
pected to be ready as soon as the
members of the industry draft and ac-
cept a special agreement with the
President under which the higher
standard of work will be performed.