Evening star., 1933-10-07
Mr. A. CONF FR0NTED.
BY THREE RIDDLES
Retail Trade, Labor Board
and Capital Investment
Problems Coming Up.
Nv the Associated Press.


are demanding solution in the immedi-
ate future by N. R. A. officials.
Retail trades proposal for minimum
price control is to get Administrator
Hugh S. Johnson's verdict and possibly
that of President Roosevelt by Monday
or Tuesday.
I'm ediately behind is necessity for
the Labor Board to decide whether. in
arbitr ion disputes, it shall require
minor l. S of workers 70 abide by the
will of the majority, or make 1t neceS-
Sary in some cases for employers to
arbitrate with more than one group
This involves fundamentally the queS-
ton of CLOSED shop" unionizatlon,
hitherto regarded as banned by the in
dustrial law.
Most Controversial Problem.
Third and possibly most controversial
Is a proposal rapidly coming to head,
by which some officials hope to tempt
capital to invest in construction and
new equipment by keeping down wages
for period of one year, with manda-
tory increase at that time, and further
increases at stated periods later II the
volume Of business rises.
Z The idea. worked out by group OF
deputies and economists, is to use tne
code structure to flatten out the build.
ing curve from its present series OF
booms and depressions every 10 years,
to a 20-year, more moderate nuctuatlon.
It's hackers assert they are not propos-
ing to reduce wages below the Levels
proposed by industries in codes, but
rather not to raise them for the pres
"a industrial
offers and labor demands
Labor men already are promising
fieht. however, and an idea to require
longer working hours than normally
provided bv codes is said to have been
dropped. The whole project has not yet
been passed upon bv johnson. but Will
be before him soon in the construction
industry codes.
The majority rule" proposition in
labor arbitration is to be presented to
the labor board in the case OF an IN
dianapolis MILL where national union
and a company union both have adher-
ents. Senator Wagner Of New YORK,
board chairman, holds to the view that
the Democratic theory requires the
minority to be bound in industrial gov
ernmcnt as well as political. Further
more he and several members OF the
arbit .tion tribunal believe any other
basis will lead to chaos, and that when
an e.ployer goes into collective par
gaining with his employees he should
not have to deal with more than one
let of spokesmen.
Benefits Guaranteed.
Yet N. R. A. has taken the stand
that the industrial laws declaration
that workers have the right to deal
through representatives OF their own
choosing means no worker must be
found to 60 along with the maJorlty;
President Roosevelt has taken official
Action to guarantee the benefits OBJ
tanned by union bargaining for Ron-
union employees, specifically IN the coal
fields.
} On the retail code Johnson has held
4 series of conferences with his own
staff and a collection OF Government
economists. He told them frankly that
their arguments against the require
fnent that no sale be made except at
the cost of goods delivered to the mer-
chant Plus 10 per cent, did not con.
vince him. They left a collection OF
briefs for his study. -.
! Next Monday the same question will
be agitated in hearing on the grocerS
code before the Agricultural Adjust
to the proposition vigorously. Between
the thoughts developed there and those
nnarshaled by Johnson, President
Roosevelt probably will have to make
his final choice.
! Walter c. Teagle, chairman OF the
N. r. AS Industrial Advisory Board
yesterday made public a report by the
cotton textile industry showing an IN
crease in employment OF l45,Ooo from
March to September and that pay rolls
had mounted from S12,800,0 900 month
" to s27ooO,000.
5 Meanwhile, the White House an
nounced the appointment by Preslaene nv
Roosevelt of four additional members OF
The National Labor Board to cope with
the increasing number Of strikes COM
ing up for settlement.
Personnel Raised.
Acting at the request of Senator
Wagner of New York, the chairman
Mr.. Roosevelt raised the boards per
Sonnel from to II with the appoinl-
ment of Austin Finch OF Tnomasvliie
N. c.. and Edward N. Hurley OF chi
=, Berry, head of the Freshmen Union
and Francis j. Haas, Catholic Unlver-
sitv of Washington economics profes-
sor. to speak for labor. All are mem
bers of the N. R. A. advisory boards.
Asserting the board was proving a
great force in settling industrial olS-
putes. Wagner said its work had m
creased until aid was needed. Win
the creation over the country, however,
Of boards of primary Jurlsdlctlon, way
ner hopes many difficulties Will ne
settled at their source ana not nave
to be referred to Washington.
A.
houses with the Recovery Admnlstra-
tion's buy now" campaign, starting
next week, was announced yesterday on
n basis of responses received.
Because the Blue Eagle agreements
now have less than three montns 10
run. President Roosevelt yesterday Or
dered modification for all signed a. ~
october /, eliminating permission LOT
working mechanical employees as much
as 40 hours a week for six weeks curing
the total life Of the agreement.
On all new agreements factory OF
mechanical workers and artisans may
not be employed more than 35 hours a
week between now and December 81,
when the agreements expire. That has
been the basic requirement since the
agreements were distributed In late
July, except for the elastic clause, which
has been cut. out.
No agreement signed before OCTOBER l
Is affected by the new ruling. neither
are the modified agreements author
ized for many industries and trades
which submitted codes.
A code of competition providing
higher minimum wages than the orig
inal draft. but making no change to
meet labor's demand for limited weekly
operation of machines was agreed on
yesterday in conference between
Deputv N. r. A. Administrator Plckaro
and pulp and paper manufacturers.
Code Agreed Upon.
THE code has been agreed upon anc
will 90 forward through the regular
channels, :'irkard said. II mas my
approval and the approval of the Paper
and Pulp Association. There are moi
many changes" . >,