Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-07-10
Cotton Textile Code.

Cotton Textile Code.
President Roosevelt's approval Of the
cotton textile code of fair competition
sets in molten the most remarkable
and possibly the most far-reaching ex-
pertinent in the management and CO.
operation of industry ever undertaken
to be adopted BY an industry and to
receive governmental sanction under
the terms of the industrial recovery act,
promises to be a marker on the road
to new deal" in industry. 1t is par
ticularly remarkable in view Of the fact
that the interests in the cotton textile
industry have been widespread and at
variance. the textile mills having had
different standards of employment and
OF wages in the North and the South.
The fact that labor and capital en-
ployer and employe, the industry and
the Government have been able to get
together and to agree en- this code
which is to govern such vital things
as hours of labor. minimum wages. and
of astounding. 1t is an admission that
the old system of every man for him.
self and the devil take the hindmoSt,
which has operated too frequently in
industry is to be amended; that CO.
operation between all those involved
in the cotton textile industry is to be
thu rule
Neither labor pOr the employers will
be entirely satisfied with the code as it
Is now written. In a measure it is q
compromise between the views Of the
two. The forty-hour work week. which
is a reduction of eight hours below the
average, does not go as low as the labor
leaders demanded They asked for q
thirty-hour week or at most thirty
five-hour week The minimum wage is
fixed at Sl2 a week for Southern mills
and sl3 for Northern mills, the differ
entail being allowed because Of the va
fiation In the living costs in the two
sections. The code originally provided
for minimum wage of Sill in the
South and s12 in the North. More re-
markable however, and marking great
stride forward, Is the agreement in the
code not to employ child labor. No per-
son under sixteen years Of age Is to be
permitted to work in any of the cotton
mills. Here at one stroke, by an agree
ment within the industry itself, which
the Government is authorized to enforce
II necessary, child labor is prohibited
THE employment of children in the
cotton mills was one of the impelling
forces back of the drive for Federal laws
against child labor and for an amend
ment to the Constitution permitting
legislation prohibiting it.
The approval of the code by the
President does not mean that it Is not
In the future to be amended. Indeed,
in giving his approval the President
specifically stated that amendments
Svere to be worked out as they became
necessary. But the adoption Of the
RSOQe ny Ille COIloll ICA1AC AANoosiy 10 "
signal to other industries to fall in line.
1T is expected that it will result ulti-
aknately in the employment Of 100000
more mill hands Certainly it will give
more widespread employment and
Greater distribution to the workers, in
$reasing the buying power.
1: Because of the recent squirt in the
stock market; because Of the opening
.56pf more and more mills and factories;
because of the increases in the prices
tipf wheat and cotton and other COM
modities, it has become the thing in
4some quarters to denounce the indus
sitrial recovery act and the farm relief
facJ put through in the special session
sof Congress. Let the old economic laws
jjwork and do not NEEDLE with industry
lind the farmer. is the chant OF the
kritics of the relief acts.
d The simple truth of the matter is
that under the operation of the old sys-
hem industry was brought to the verge
3cf ruin and the farmers in many cases
10 ruin. The Government has stepped
an, at the urgent request of industry
dltself, as well as of the farmers. The
lAplift in the markets has been due
10 no leadership on the part of indus
Hhy or of the critics of the recovery
program. It has been due in large
apart to the belief of the people that
something was to be done to effect a
Restoration of confidence. 1t has been
idue in part to the haste of some man
ufacturers to hurry their production,
10 as to obtain the benefit Of lower
.prices for raw materials and lower
wages, before the new code system
could be made effective and before the
'Sollar was further reduced in value.
sAf the country turns its back now on
<nhat the new leadership has under
,taken, without giving it trial, it will
BE particularly shortsighted and stupid.