Evening star., 1933-07-29
WAGE REDUCTIONS
TO Be PREVENTED
Employment Plan Is Not a
"Share.t the. Work" Scheme,
Officials Declare.
Continued. From First Page.)

should be written into the steel code.
The interpretations Of the voluntary
! agreement were issued last night by
Thomas s. Hammond, executive direc-
tor Of the Unemployment drive, and
Donald Richberg, general counsel OF the
administration.
They provided specifically that an
individual employer who believes the
agreement will cause him hardship may
obtain stay of particular provision
by submitting a petition, approved by
the trade association Of his industry, II
he has one, otherwise by the Chamber
of Commerce or other designed repre-
sentative Of the N. r. A. together
with his signed agreement, and prom
! ise to abide by N. r. AS flnal decision
Pay Can't BE Reduced.
AS to wages above prescribed min
imum levels. the ruling was that the
rates Of pay, whether by the hour
| day. week or month, shall in no case
be reduced. either to make up increases
In the minimum pay group or to extend
the pay roll.
1t was added that q factory worker
now employed 40 hours q week would
have to have his pay rate increased
only one-Seventh to make as much
money in IS hours, while one now en-
SoSCo w 1lOuIS WOtUt HCCu ANc-
seventhS raise. which might prove too
great a burden on the employer
Both Richberg and Hammond said
the Presidents agreement was not in
tended to disturb contractural agree
mentS between labor and employers,
but that unless these contracts were
altered SO as to conform to the maxi
mum hour provisions the employer
could not display the Blue Eagle"
insignia of the N r. A.
Il can state 1t as my own personal
view that I don't think the purpose of
this agreement is to interfere with con-
tracts entered into by the honest ex-
ercise Of collective bargaining" Rich
berg said.
Tt is not contrary to the spirit Of
the national industrial recovery act to
support and maintain the principle Of
collective bargaining. Nevertheless, un-
der the strict letter Of this agreement
an employer must comply with the
hour limits set. As to wages, that is q
matter for equitable readjustment.' "
Time to Be Allowed.
Hammond emphasized that there was
period Of time which all large con-
Germs would need to make the changes
necessary to comply with the agree
should be put on employers while they
are making an honest effort to conf
ply.
Clause seven Of the agreement had
been the one that many business firms
had sought to have clarified. The sec
tion provides that there shall be no
decrease in wages that are now above
the minimum. even though the hours of
work are curtailed. and that readjust-
ments shall be made in these higher
schedules
Richberg said there might even be
some pay cuts in instances where high
salaries are now figured on q basis of
long hours and 1t was necessary to
bring the hour scale into conformance
with the maximum set by President
Roosevelt.
The National Recovery Admins
tration will. through local agencies
observe carefully the manner in which
employers comply with their agreement
to make equitable readjustments," the
statement said. "and will take from
time to time and announces from Wash
ington such action as may be necessary
to correct clear cases Of unfairness and
to aid Conscientious employers in carry
ing out in good faith the terms Of the
agreement.
When an employer signs an agree
ment and certifies his compliance and
also Joins in the submission Of q code
Of fair competition before September /.
1888 his determination of what are
equitable readiustments' should be &C
cepted, at least prior to September l..
as q prima facie compliance with his
agreement
ANY attempt to define . national
standard would be productive Of wide
spread injustice" the statement added.
Many Sign Agreements.
The reports to the administration
yesterday showed number Of large
firms accepting the Presidents agree
ments The Department Of Commerce
representative in San Francisco tele-
graphed that 2,520 agreements were
signed there and in Oakland up to
noon. Supplementing the $3.50 signed
on Thursday.
From ST. Louis, T. L. Gaukel, the
district manager. reported that 1888
agreements had been filed up to noon
in the State, with one Arm Of $50 en-
ployes. and others Of above 100.
Postmaster Kiely Of New York City
telegraphed that delivery Of the agree
ments had started yesterday.
tificates on Monday" Kiely said
To President Roosevelt came a tele-
gram from Roger Babson, the economist,
that his organization was adopting the
general code for shorter working hours
and higher wages 100 per cent"
Other Codes Filed.
In addition to the automobile and
coo1 codoS ourearoapfe from tuyn other
groups were presented yesterday, these
were for legitimate theaters. Southwest
ern bituminous coal operators and re-
tail stores.
The representatives Of the dramatic
and musical comedy stage sought to
bring dramatists, chorus girls, musi-
clans, stage hands and others connec-
ted with the theater under one general
CODE
Representatives Of six retail dealers
organizations introduced newly draft
ed composite code intended to cover
all retail stores.
The spokesmen represented the Ma
tional Retail Furniture Association, the
National Hardware Association, the
Mill Order Association, the National Re-
tal LILY 1OOAS AoSOCldIlOu, NdIlOIlul
Shoe Retailers Association and the Ma
tional Association Of Retail Clothiers
and Furnishers.
Meanwhile Walter Draper, president
Of the Street Railway Managers As
sociation, and w. D. Mahon, president
of the Amalgamated Street Car Mems
Union, arranged for Joint conference
of committees representing their indus
tries here on Monday to discuss a code
for the street railway industry.
The problem Of competing forms Of
cheap transportation was expected to
be one of the major points under dis
cussion.
Generally officials Of the administra-
ton were awaiting returns from over
the country showing the response to the
arrangements. They predicted their
estimates that millions would be re-