Imperial Valley press., 1933-09-13
CHARGE PLOT
To OBSTRUCT.
MINERS CODE
Labor Officials Declare Pow
erful Financial Interests Seek
Coal Surplus.
OTHER PROTESTS FILED
Green Urges 30 Hour Week For
Motion Picture Employees And
Opposes Cuts.
Hy II. 0. THOMPSON
United Press Staff Correspondent


WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. U.P-
Spokesman for organized labor
charged today that powerful finan-
cal interests were obstructing coal
code negotiations in order to pile
up surpluses of low cost coal.
The assertion was made that a
deliberate policy of over production
would result in widespread slacken-
ing of mine activity after the code,
with higher wage rates and bans
on price slashing, goes into opera
ton.
Many of the sales being maue
now to railroad and utilities are
at prices below the cost of produc-
ton. in some cases being as low as
80 cents ton.
Faced with these charges, the NRA
sought to speed up negotiations IN
conferences with two new commit
tees of operations selected after yes
tcrday's public hearings. One COM
n.ittee is working on the code itself,
the other on administration OF the
code.
NRA issued a statement saying
lit has become apparent that var
ious provisions of the code can be
rewritten in a manner to iron OUT
many objections and make the code
satisfactory to a larger percentage
OF the industry.
In connection with the charges OF
the labor leaders, complaints al
ready have been made that the
lumber code has resulted in unem-
ployment rather than re-employ-
ment. This is attributed to thd
frenzied production at low wage
scales before the lumber code be-
came effective. Labor leaders fear
that the same result will be felt
in the coal industry, with almost
complete cessation CT coal orders
after the code is put into operation.
The situation is aggravated by
the highly organized condition of
the industry and the unrest pre-
yailing in the coal fields over the
code delay.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. W.H =
President William Green OF the
American Federation of Labor urged
a 30 hour maximum work week for
all motion picture industry employ
ees at the NRA code hearing TO-DAY.
Numerous other changes in the
rroposed code were demanded by
the labor executive, as the question
of hours and wages dominated ne
gotiations here.
Green commended the industry S
collective bargaining moves between
producers and unions, congratulated
the industry on the wage increases
made possible for workers, but
warned that future industrial peace
depended on prohibition OF wage
reduction for employee groups not
specifically named i'll code proVl-
sionS.
He commended the codes provi-
sion for abolishing showing OF TWO
feature films for one admission
price, saying that such practice en-
couraged monopoly and would force
independent exhibitors out of busi-
ness.
Code makers sought to harmonizc
disputes between independent mo-
ton picture exhibitors and major
companies over film bookings and
release dates.
AS hearings resumed on codes
submitted by producers, distributors
and exhibitors, the independents
owning some 80 per cent OF the
theatres intensified their tight
against block booking of films. They
claimed this system compelled them
to show many films which they dld
not want. They demanded the
right TO select films individually.