Evening star., 1933-12-03
JOHNSON ASSURES
, IMPROVED n. R. A.
Labor Mass Meeting Told
New Year Will See Ade-
quate System.
BY the Associated rress.

8y the Associated Fress
PHILADELPHIA, December tP.-
Cen. Hugh S. johnson, chief Of the
Recovery Administration, tonight PROM
ised mass meeting of labor that by
the first of the year there will be new
and adequately implemented Nation
wide system for compliance that will be
able to act promptly and forcefully."
He also told his audience that "a fiat
30-hour week with increased pay rolls
iwould bankrupt and throw out of pro-
;duction so many companies that the re-
tsulting unemployment would shock the
country"
Admitting there has been delay in
setting up adequate machinery CT COM
lpliance," the N. R. A. chieftain pointed
to two reasons for this lack of haste.
The first is that 95 per cent OF cases
of compliance so far examined dis
solve at once on conference and very
large proportion proves to be due to
misunderstanding, he explained This
is to be expected in the early stages of
such Nationwide effort, and we did
not want to 60 around pulling down
blue eagles until everybody knows ex-
actly what they mean.
Time for Preparation.
THE second reason was that other
departments of Government had to be
consulted and prepare to participate,
and that always takes time"
Gen. Johnson pleaded with his
listeners that, above all this is time
to be faithful and fair"
Labor has had plenty to complain in
N R. A." he declared so has in
fdustry. You can't inaugurate new
ssystem of economic relations without
tmaking mistakes, but the essential
question is not of the mistakes. 1t is
'Df the new system itself"
Pointing to labor disputes. Johnson
warned that no controversy will be al
Nowed to drag out ;nterninably until
Sthe workers are started Hack to their
Iobs."
settled promptly. effecti1eiy aud de-
'ciSively," he declared. If it cannot be
done through the mediation Of the
Labor Board it will be done by applica-
Nobody wants long-drawn strikes
they Starve labor and ruin industry.
United action of labor, management
and goyernnnsnt is inconsistent 21 with
is swift action. and loyal compliance
again, faithfulness and fairness"
United Action Urged.
Johnson pleaded for united action
that means cooperation; that means
partnership; that means that each side
is to try to understand and participate
in the problems of the other side to pro-
duce the six results I read from the
law"
very leaders in the doctrine of high
wages for increased markets" he said,
should be enc who has asserted-even
against the mandate of this statute
that he will never give over the baronial
concept Of his relations with his men"
With johnson on the rostrum, over
which hung a large sign bearing the
message. The Constitution is safe with
Franklin Roosevelt" were William
Green, president of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor and Edward McGrady,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
Referring to what he said was a pub
lished report that some labor groups
were criticizing the N. R. A, the fedora
tlon head declared:
Il take this opportunity to publicly
deny the statment that labor leader
ship has asked the recovery group to
step aside.
In fact, labor may go to Congress
when 1t convenes and ask the Nations
legislators to continue the N. R. A. as
long as necessary, and to keep some of
its features permanently.
We know the sources from which
this criticism came, and, therefore, We
can understand the criticism.
we stand squarely on this principle:
The right to organize t. bargain COL
1ectively and to be represented by men
OF our own choosing
Il believe the National Recovery Ad-
rnistration really saved our Govern
ment from a wreck Green said. 1T
was change in policy from do moth
ing to do something"
Hours Not Short Enough.
He pleaded that hours r"are not yet
short enough to give work to those who
need it
Hours and the number of days work
per week must be further reduced" he
said. This Nation must be put upon
q 6-hour day and 5-day week.
He declared labor's support for
section of the recovery act, dealing
with the right to organize unions, and
announced his desire to make section
Z part of the permanent statutes of
the United States"
McGrady traced the results Of N. r. A.
since it came into effect including
what he said was the abolishment OF
child labor sweatshops and starvation
wages. He then pointed to the allied
recovery efforts of the administration
and declared:
Some there are who cry out that
this is socialism, Well-what of it?
That argument will make little impress
sion
johnson in the early part of his
speech referred to published report !
that IAN Eastern Congressman" was |
going to ask for a 30-hour week Later |
he referred to it again and sai6:
The Congressman's telegram to |
ton for the 30-hour week. If he means |
80 hours at existing hourly pay-that |
is simply a forced contribution for un-
employment relief from the class least |
able to make it. If he means a 80
hour week at the same wages as the |
somewhat longer hours under the CODE |
I agree with him that it would take at |
least 80 hours 10 reab0Tb the lNcl1'
ployed-in fact 80 hours would rot do
it But a fiat 3o-hour week with in
creased pay rolls would bankrupt and |
throw out Of production so many COM |
panies that the resulting lnemploy- |
ment would shock the country"
NHnMFv lItrlAt nFrrMnrn