Evening star., 1933-07-17
DECISION ON WAGE
HEA|S HELD NEAR
Johnson Continues Intensive
Study-Advisory Board
Discusses Plan.

Discusses Plan.
Continued From First Page.)
a lift, the promise OF a real living wage
to workers is near imminent realization.
This is the fruit of intensive work
by johnson and a corps OF aides
told off by President Roosevelt to ad-
minister the industrial control plan Of
the national recovery law, handspring
of his program for restoring prosperity.
Originally, all this day was to bring
was beginning Of operation for the cot
ton textile industry's code. BY it 450, 900
workers were to 60 on the 40-hour week
with all wages increased. in their pres
ent proportion, above minimums of $12
a week in Dixie. $13 elsewhere.
Executive Orders Signed.
But the other textiles, with codes
hastily framed, asked to come under
cotton's labor terms today. The Presi-
dent last night signed executive orders
effecting agreements with each. Esti-
mates of the additional number of
workers involved were indefinite, but
100000 was considered conservative.
Steel proclaimed its raises without
waiting for presidential sanction. The
much smaller cement industry has
asked approval for quick increases and
limited hours. The underwear indus
try, operating hundreds Of knitting mills
with employment rivaling the weavers,
will vote the first of this week on join
ing the cotton procession. Wool men,
with code now awaiting hearing. may
join the speeded movement.
In separate orders, the President
ruled that though the cotton code goes
into full force today, the date promul-
gated, firms which did not sign it may
Immediately seek a hearing If they re-
gard its terms as unjust to them. To
give them time, they were made exempt
for 10 days from the penalties pre-
scribed by law for noncompliance with
the codes terms.
At the same time, at the request of
the industry, Mr.. Roosevelt made the
cotton code effective indefinitely in
stead Of for four months only, and he
accepted the suggestion that his de-
mands for proportionate raises to all
workers now earning above the mini
mum wage level be left to a steering
committee Of the cotton men to work
out.
In the making is a Nation wide or
ganization Of committees and speakers
to carry the cause Of the recovery pro-
gram into every community, drumming
up popular sentiment. Ahead Of this
campaign, still somewhat indefinite,
every effort is being made by Johnson's
organization to bring In voluntary
agreements from every major line Of
business and industry.
If the latter does not complete the
job and bring an avalanche Of in
creased wages and new jobs from end
to end of the country the President
may resort to a public call for CO.
operation simultaneously with the re-
gionalized campaign.
Among the orders approved yester-
DAY by the President, seven in all. was
one confirming the authority of John
son as administrator on a permanent
basis
One Of the changes made in the
Presidents conditions to acceptance OF
higher wage levels. so that 1t now pro-
vides that no worker in the upper
brackets shall get less pay for 40 hours
than he used to get for the longer
work week.
GvAAAS huSlSCu VI SuauBC0
That now is coupled with require
ment that the higher wages shall bear
the same relation to the new minimum
that they did to the old. Also it was
arranged that mill ONCE workers shall
a week over q six-month period, rather
than fiat 40 each week.
George A. Sloan, chairman Of the
industry's Steering Committee. last
night dispatched kilograms to all mills
advising them Of the changes made
in the presidential conditions. In ex-
change for these alterations the in
dustry formally subscribed to the
Roosevelt requirements, giving then,
the same force as the code itself.
This, johnson explained, does not
constitute a precedent under which
presidential alterations would have to
be ratified by industry every time. That
question is not decided and will not
have to be in the case Of cotton.
The industry's leaders, who toiled
through hours Of tedious conferences
before their code was drawn, today took
pride in the fact their industry was
first to put the administrator re-
covery program in effect.
Some one had to pioneer" said
Sloan.
IN formal statement he warned
tha- ut would be fatal mistake to let
speculative profits In the stock and
commodity markets make us return to
the psychology Of 1929" and that "the
real problem Of restoring consumer pur-
chasing power and w1ping out unem-
ployment lies ahead"
Translate Theory Into Action.
Some industry had to translate
theory into action to turn the mere po-
tentialities Of the recovery act for meet
ing dire national emergency into
passed to make it possible to break q
vicious downward spiral in which the
life of the Nation was caught; the vor-
tex Of whirlpool from which no indi-
vidual enterprise, indeed no individual
industry was strong enough to swim
out.
THE pressure OF overcapacity In every
enterprise due to the progressive DROP
in consumption was forcing every in
dividual enterprise to try to get a large
enough share of the wholly inadequate
demand to enable it to hold down over
head. The necessity to keep going
forced successive cuts in prices and
wages in the mad scramble to KEEP
head above water.
mo one could stand out against this
pressure toward a course of action that
was nevertheless collectively disastrous
to the industry and the Nation. Cut
throat prices, cut-throat wages were
eating up working capital. whitening the
whole credit structure of the Nation
laying the blight Of unemployment or
home after home"
Industry Must Work Under Act.
Sloan said the mere passage OF th'
recovery act went far to restore nop'
and confidence, but cautioned:
at isn't enough to have the act. In
dustry must actually work under thu
act to end the emergency"
Sloan paid high tribute to the CO.
operation of stockholders, management