Evening star., 1933-07-16
Johnson Praises
Industry for
Cooperation.
LABOR ASSAILS
UNION CLAUSE
Cotton Code Ready
to Go in Effect.
Others Join.
Nv the Associated Press.

A surge of volunteer effort by
industry, which brought steel
within it's sweep, yesterday edged
scloser to realization President
Roosevelt's desire to increase the
purchasing power of the masses
without delay.
Shortly after the steel industry
had come forward with the draft
of a plan to govern competition
within that business, putting into
immediate effect IS per cent
raises in the wages of tens of
thousands of workers, Hugh S.
Johnson, the recovery admins
traitor, received from underwear
manufacturers a conditional
agreement to abide by the COM
petitive plan of cotton textile
mills until a separate underwear
agreement could be drawn up.
The cotton textile code goes
into effect tomorrow. The under
wear men, who operate large
share of the country's knitting
mills, informed Johnson that sub
ject to ratification by the various
operators, the ban on child labor,
the 4O-hour week and 80-hour
machine week, and the $l2 and
Sl3 minimum wage levels of cot
ton would be assumed by them
pending action on their own
agreement.
Wool Men Favorable.
Already rayon and silk manufacturers
had asked authority to take such action,
and a formal order is due tonight or
tomorrow approving this. WOOL men,
who filed 40-hour code yesterday with
bottom wage levels of $13 in the South
and S14 in the North, were expected 10
come in on the volunteer move.
The cement industry also has taken
voluntary steps to boost wages ana
spread employment by cutting working
hours.
Meanwhile johnson sent q telegram
40 Gov. Ely of Massachusetts, urging
isuspension of his States IS o'clock CLOS
hing law" That act forbids the employ
tment of women after so far as cotton
imilIs are concerned. Under the textile
scode, mills will have to run two Snl1ts'
sworking employees 40 hours week.
JohnSonS message maze no mentloii
of women workers put salo tnat i. II
Massachusetts manufacturers were to
Compete evenly with those OF otner
states the law must be suspended and
that the recovery laws purpose OF re-
ducing unemployment would be aloeo
greatly if penalties and restrictions OF
labor were removed from industries op-
Grating under the Federal codes.
The steel code was brought to him
early in the day by Robert P. Lamont,
president of the Iron and steel lnstl-
tute and one-time Secretary OF Com
merce It was signed, Lamont said. by
companies representing 80 per cent OF
the country's output and more IN
dorsements were to come.
Wage Terms in Effect.
Hardly had the code been filed than
from steel town after steel town flashed
the word that wages were raised 10 per
nounced that minimum levels also
would be attained beginning today.
Thus. the wage terms of the code were
,uut into effect without awaiting the
deliberate process of Government con-
sideration.
johnson gave high praise to the
steel men for bringing in their code
of fair competition, although he pointed
out that he had given no preliminary
sanction to any OF its terms.
In a statement he said:
The American Iron and Steel In
stitute has filed today the code OF fair
competition for this industry. which is
stated to represent the wishes OF sub
stantially the entire industry.
The National Recovery Adminlstra-
tion. in conformity with its established
policy. has given no preliminary sane
ton to any part of this code. But II
is appropriate to express my appre-
ciation of the intensive and contlnu-
Gus work of the executives OF the IN
dustrv in the preparation OF this cooe.
AS I we'll know. they have been
working practically night and day ever
since the passage of the national In
Gustrial recovery act to bring the en-
terprises within this industry into
agreement upon the presentation OF
this code.
Leaders Efforts Hailed.
Recognizing the difficulties involved
In dealing with the problems OF this
major industry, I want to say that not
even in war time have I seen more
wholehearted, patient and persistent ef-
fort on the part of the leaders OF an
industry to solve their internal prop
lems and to bring about solution
which in their judgment would meet
the needs of the present emergency.
Notice of hearing upon this code
will be issued next week providing
ample opportunity for all interested
parties to be represented and heard
In this connection let me point out
that with the codes already filed ano
those certain to be filed within the next
few DAYS codes covering the major m
dustries of the country will be undeI
way in public hearings before the enc
of the month" IA,
The code, however, was quickly criti-
cized by Labor. William Green, presi-
dent of the American Federation OF
Labor, said its wage levels were too low
and the average of 40 working hours
a week was too high. Furthermore, he
said he would oppose a provision by
which steel men proposed to have the
organization of their employees limited
to work councils CT company unions.
The steel code terms will be scrutin-
ized in public at date to be set this
week.
The sction topped q concerted move
,s,oent by rayon and silk Spinning and