Evening star., 1933-08-24
PARLEY TO SPEED
COAL CODE CALLED
Operators and Labor Chiefs
Summoned in Effort for
Final Action.

By the Associated Press.
Closely following declaration BAN
ming anti-union qualifications in codes
of competition. Hugh S. johnson sum-
moned to Recovery Administration
headquarters today spokesmen for coal
mine operators and labor, in an effort
to clinch a final agreement on a btu
minous CODE
The labor men. led by John Lewis
United Mine Workers president. were
first to arrive and sat for more than an
hour in an ante-room until operators
were heard from.
Charles O'Neill OF New York, r. E.
Taggart of Philadelphia, John D. A.
Morrow of Pittsburgh and James D.
Francis Of Huntington, W. Va. were the
operators.
Informed that both labor and indus
trial leaders were pleased with the in
depreciation he issued last night, which
stated explicitly that although no open
shop clause could be written into any
company union as such, johnson in
remaining points at issue.
Prospects Improve.
The first was wages, the union de-
manding a basic S5-a-day rate, the
non union operators. 1884. There were
signs. however, that a compromise on
this point was not distant.
Settlement of the automobile CODE
which now contains an open-shop
clause coming under the ban expressed
in Johnson's statement. was held IN
abeyance Spokesman for the industry
said they were not yet clear as to the
meaning of this statement and intended
to obtain an audience with johnson
fo- definite clarification. However
officials did not believe a settlement
would be long delayed.
Prospects were described as improved
for presentation Of both agreements to
President Roosevelt for signature by the
end of the week.
Today's hearing on code for retail
trade developed testimony concerning
unfair practices which various factions
wished to have banned by code declara-
ton.
Thirty witnesses had applied for time
to discuss this angle, and it did not
appear likely the hearing could be
finished before proceedings begin to-
morrow on the separate code for re-
tail drug stores.
Conflict Arises.
Conflict between the big New York
department stores arose at the hearing
today. with one group demanding price
and advertising regulation and another
opposing it.
Percy S. Straus, president OF r. H.
Macy g. Co., assailed proposal to write
into the code a provision to regulate
prices.
B. H. Namm. representing IA other
large New York department stores. de-
manded the price-fixing clause as
means of preventing stores from aover.
tising that they generally unoersoio
Straus said that "if retail groups can
fix prices at net invoice cost, plus ~
per cent, then they may logically raise
the margin to Is per cent, 70 per cent
or even higher percentages
"The adoption of such a principle. y
he said. will not increase consumption
nor build purchasing power; 1t Will
choke the free flow OF commerce and
shrink volume. Price e-fixing agreems snts
between manufacturers and retailers
have heretofore been held illegal"
Seek to Wind Up Hearing.
Officials holding the wonen's dress
industry code hearing sought to wind
it up today to avoid taking recess
over the week end.
Besides adjustment Of wage terms in
the coal code, which is to be drafted
virtually anew by johnson, because OF
the inability of groups within the in
dustry to compose differences on their
own. outstanding issues were the union
demand for Incorporation Of provision
for the "check-off" system-by which
union dues are deducted from pay enve-
lopes at the paymaSter'S window-ano
compromise Of differences on hours
The miners asked 30hour week.
5 days Of hours. The predominant
non-umion operators wanted q 40-hour
week with the s-hour day. The ofii-
cials believed this question would not
take long to settle once the other
points were out of the way. The
check-off question, however. involved
determined opposition, with non-union
operators frankly refusing to counte-
nance it in the code and the union
representatives insisting it was es-
sential.
The recovery unit virtually had COM
pleted plans for the Nationwide big
push to clinch results next week IN
the Blue Eagle Unemployment cam
paign, designed to make new Jobs Tor
i've or SIX million men and women.
It also had set for hearing within
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