The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-09-21
HEATED FIGHT
IS SEQUEL TO
PRICE RULING
Protests From Merchants
Throughout Nation Pour
Into Capital
TRADING In PRISON
PRODUCTS is BARRED
By ARTHUR F. DEGREVE
United Press Staff Correspondent

! WASHINGTON, Sept. ri (UP)
A heated battle broke over
price control provisions of the
retail codes last night a few
hours after agreements designed
to protect the consumer against
sharply increased living costs and
the merchant agains tthe preda-
tory competition had been made
public by the NRA.
Protests from merchants thru
out the nation poured into the
capital last night. Although re-
covery officials emphasized the
codes were not to be considered
as attempts at price fixing, many
retailers disagreed.
Each milestone on the trail
Of price fixing attempts has
pointed toward monopoly and has
marked a disservice to the con-
sumer," warned Paul Hillister,
executive vice president of R.
H. Macy G. Co., New York.
The consumers advisory board,
an agency set up to protect the
buying public under the recovery
act. fought in vain to eliminate
the price control sections of the
codes on the ground that they
would in effect underwrite man
ufacturing costs.
The board has submitted a pro-
test to be considered by Admin
istrator Hugh S. Johnson before
he sends the codes to the White
House.
Another storm ragged over a
section of the code preventing
merchants from advertising a po-
Icy OF underselling competitors.
"The retail CODE" wired Mil
ton T. Garvin, president of T.
Garvin & Co.. Lancaster. Pa,
SHOULD not permit price fixing
or minimum price restrictions or
prevent advertising statements
which justify lower prices based
or truth and business policy"
AS these objections rolled into
Washington, recovery authorities
sought to explain that the codes
represent only an effort to check
ruthless price cutting and other
abuses damaging both consumer
and merchant. and at the same
time to restrict price increases
unjustified by higher operation
costs.
Two separate codes, directly
involving more than 100000
employees, the effects of which
will be felt by millions of other
persons, were made public. One
included department, furniture
and hardware stores. mail order
houses and others. The other
governs only the drug trade.
Their provisions are similar.
As revised, the general code
prohibits the sale of merchandise
below the wholesale delivered
price plus 10 per cent. A few
exceptions are permitted.
Druggists are prohibited from
selling standard trade marked
drug products whose retail prices
are advertised to the public or
indicated on the goods, at a dis
count greater than 81 per cent
from such declared prices.
Here again some exceptions
are made. In both codes except
ions deal chiefly with perishable
merchandise which must be sold
promptly to forestall loss, dis
continued lines of merchandise,
'etc.
Employment of children under
the age of 16. except those of
ID and Is who may be employed
three hours a day for six days a
week or for one day a week of
not more than eight hours, is
prohibited.
Transactions in prison made
products are barred. Present
contracts for such goods. how
ever, may be fulfilled.
Employers are permitted to
keep their stores going from So
to So hours a week, with a maxi
mum ten hour day and 48 hour
week for employees.
Minimum wages are fixed on
a basis of population. They range
in the north from $14 a week in
cities of over 100000 population
to $40 week in towns or will
ages with less than $500 popu-
lation.
A southern differential of 81
less a week is authorized.
The codes contain no modifl-
cation of section IA of the ro-
covery act, giving employees the
right to bargain collectively with
employers.
A national retail economies
board will be formed to watch
the effect of the codes on the
business life of the nation.
So0O MALARIA CASES