The Lexington advertiser., 1933-08-31

NdIiohoi 0AN
Problems Inseparable From Local We'll
fare.
As the NRA campaign entered the mid
die of it's third week, enthusiasm was
undiminished, pledges continued to pour
in. While troubles have put in their
appearance and the campaign is OBJ
viously touching its most crucial point,
spokesmen are as confident as ever in
forecasting remarkable results.
The NRA blanket code has usurped the
place of the trade codes in the news.
The latter, however, will probably be in
operation longer than the NRA, and the
law, instead of public opinion only, is
back of them. 1t is an open secret that
the government is dissatisfied with
trade code progress and is making every
effort to speed matters up. One of the
most important, lumber, was thrown out
when first sent in. Now the President
has signed an approved lumber code
which is expected to do much for the
industry and its employees.
Minimum wages range from 23 cents
an hour in the South to 40 cents in the
North and West, with a 40-hour work
week which may be extended to 48 hours
at seasonal peak. An agency known as
the Lumber Code Authority, Inc, is given
the job of protecting price levels and
controlling production. Every operating
company will be given an allotment, and
production quotas for various divisions
of the industry will be arranged on the
basis of consumption, including antici-
&aI dop,oud Co11ipn rrico &c
never to be allowed to drop below the
cost of production point. Underselling
will be illegal. The agreement is de-
signed to increase lumber and timber
employment by 115,000 men.
The electric industry is operating un-
der a temporary code, until the Edison
Institute can obtain approval of a per-
manent agreement. Steel and automobile
industries are bones of contention. Code
officials are struggling with the prob
lem; if worst comes to worst the govern
ment will make up codes, force them on
the industries whether they like it or
not. It's case where they won't take
no for an answer.
The first NRA "chiselers" are appear
ing. These are firms which sign the
agreement, then violate it by not bring
ing wages to the specified minimum,
keeping workers on the job for longer
hours than are allowable, etc. Cases
have been found where employees have
protested, only to be told that if they
reported violations to NRA directors,
they would be discharged. General
Johnson and subordinates are going af-
ter concerns falling in this classified
ton. The law may step in. Signed
NRA pledges are sent through the mails.
Postmaster General Farley is consider
ingn the possibility of prosecuting en-
ployers who sign and then violate, un
der the postal fraud statute.
General Johnson has inaugurated a
Buy Now campaign, with the buying re-
stricted to NRA members. An executive
order, permitting cancellation of govern
ment contracts with manufacturers who
have not come into the fold, has been is
sued. No new government contracts
will 60 to non-NRA firms.
Two famous government bureaus Of
ficially died the other day. One is the
Shipping Board, with its subsidiaries,
received the neat sum of $4,000, 100000
in appropriations during its life, and
had book value of S288,000,000 at last
report. Its functions-what are left of
them-were transferred to the Depart
ment of Commerce.
Other casualty was the Prohibition
Bureau which came into being in 1920
spent 00,000,000 in 13 years, and was
involved in the loss of $50 lives. Most
of the 800 federal dry agents were dis
missed.
The farmer and the grain dealer found
one recent government report of great
interest. 1t was the latest crop fore
cast. Highlight was that the wheat
crop would not be as short as had been
expected, and prices dropped according
ly. Most remarkable revelation, how
ever, was that all grain crops will be
extremely short. Total will be small
est in decades.
The farm relievers are faced with one
very perplexing question-heavy hogs.
The nation now has 100000 expectant
mother hogs, and if het birth rate is up
to normal there will be great over
supply. Probable solution will be to en-
courage the marketing of small pigs by
paying higher price per cwt., and by |
placing stiff processing tax against
heavy hogs. To bring supply in line
with demand, it will be necessary to
remove 500,000,000 pounds of pork and |
pork products from the markets during |
the remainder of this year, and 2,O0O,- |
000,000 pounds next year. |
A 1861 ,00O-bale cotton crop was fore
cast for the South. 1t is estimated that |
TINS will be reduced to 1884, 900 bales |
by the destruction of 1O,5OO, 900 acres of |
cotton plants under contract with the
Adjustment Administration.