Evening star., 1933-09-24
NEWS CODE FACES
REVISION BY N.RA
A. N. P. A. Proposals Pass
From Public Hearing Into
Conference Stage. &.
By the Associated Press.


The daily newspaper code presented
by the American Newspaper Publishers
Association passed yesterday from the
public hearing to the conference stage
with indications that the N. r. A.
'lld ask number of revisions before
sending the charter to the President for
approval
Lindsay Rogers. deputy administrator
said he had planned no meetings for
this week, but that further negotiations
for an acceptance code likely would be
resumed in New York around October 2
He indicated the publishers would be
asked to remove the code section allow
ing employers to deal with employees
without outside interference That sec
ton. labor Spokesmen charged. consti-
tuted an Interpretation of the collective
bargaining provisions of the recovery
act.
Stands With President.
I'm going to stand on the Presi-
oents position as well as that of the
Recovery Administration, Rogers said
PRESIDENT Roosevelt recently dis
closed that he opposed any further in
terpretatlons of the collective bargain
ing clause. Rogers said the code pro-
vision permitting children to deliver
newspapers would be studied.
Ihat was rather bitterly attacked.
and as is usual in such cases. we will
try to get something on which the pro-
ponents and opponents will agree" he
said
The two-day hearing ended with a
request from Elisha Hanson. general
counsel OF the A. N. P A., that the code
be considered solely from a factuaI
basis
We think our facts will stand
scrutiny" he testified
Lack of Harmony.
Il would like to remind the admin
istrator that many of the suggestions
made here have not been in harmony
when submitted even by the same
group. We have been accused of being
SNUG and hypocritical
While don't want to impute selfish
ness to any individual. I feel sure that
selflshness stands out obviously in some
OF the statements made in this hear
ing
Charles P. Howard, president of the
International typographical Union. one
OF the witnesses asked an absolute ban
against the employment of children
under 1e. proposed a 30-hour week,
shorter hours for reporters and edi-
torial workers. and the provision in
terpreting" bargaining be deleted
The American Newspaper Publishers
Association did not propose a code Of
fair competition until it became neces-
sary to do SO for business reasons he
testified.
Employers Scored.
THE temporary unemployment agree
ment under which the newspapers now
operate provides for a maximum 40
hour week, with the privilege of work.
ing A hours for any six weeks within
slx-month period
And yet leading metropolitan daily
newspapers which display the N. r. A.
emblem prominently on the front page
nave at no time reduced mechanical
forces from 48 hours. as worked pre-
vlous to signing the agreement
Howard said the temporary code had
created only 81 new jobs in printing
trades throughout the country.
Newspaper editors from the sanctum
sanctorum have advised the industries
OF the Nation that it was necessary to
reduce hours and raise wages he testi-
fed
And yet. as applied to their own
industry. they have placed themselves
IN the class with the doctor who re-
fused to take his own medicine or the
baldheaded barber who recommends
hair tonic"
The publishers code, Howard said
read more like bill of exceptions
than a recovery charter.