The Washington times., 1933-03-23
SOUND
MISS PERKINS
TELLS PROBE
Labor Secretary, in Congress
Quiz, Denies Peril to
Wages of Country

Miss Perkins parrled a -volley OF
questions fired by Senators and
House members. She answered
readily every objection raised
against the bill.
Forestry Chief q Witness
Hearings were opened at a joint
meeting Of the Senate and House
Labor committees. Major R. Y
Stuart, chief of the United States
Forest Service was the first wit.
ness.
Stuart proposed an amendment
permitting part Of the 250,000 men
to engage in fire protection and
insect control work in State-owned
and private forest lands. He said:
"COOperative management un-
der which the Federal Govern.
ment can assist in fire and in.
sect control on State, munich
pal and private lands are au-
thorized by existing law. Funds
for this work have been pro-
vided only to q limited extent,
Only 4 per cent of the forest
lands in the United States are
under organized fire prOtec-
tiOn."
Stuart pointed out that Of the
161, 100000 acres of Government.
owned forest lands, approximately
per cent are located west Of the
MiSSiSSinni River.
Miss Perkins Gets Laugh
Miss Perkins provoked a hearty
laugh in the crowded committee
room when, in reply to a question
whether the separation of mar.
ried men from their families
would not be a grave drawback
to operation Of the Roosevelt
plan, she replied:
"In some cases It might be
. very good thing"
In the workers camps, she
pointed out, the men would re-
ceive $50 a month whether they
worked regularly or not. They
also would receive transportation,
wholesome food, clothing, shelter,
medical attention, and industrial
accident compensation.
Representative Connery CD of
Massachusetts, inquired if the
Government wage of 81 a day in
the conservation camps would
not encourage new wage cutting
by private industry. Miss Perkins
replied:
'T don't think 50, because il
doesn't make sense.
"If we should put the workers
generally on q dollar q day we
would soon be in utter collapse.
FOR 3O-HOUR WEEK
"This wage, if applied
generally in industry, would af-
ford no purchasing power. /
think the industrialiStS of this
country have learned that. 1
think they realize there can be
no purchasing power on a dried
up market.
'Every energy Of the Govern
ment should be bent to main
tain wage levels. In my belief
this bill would not encourage
wage cutting"
Senator Black (D.) of Alabama
asked if she favored a compulsory
30-hour week in industry. She re-
piled:
'T most certainly do. I
would like to underline your
statement"
Forestry work is on a different
basis from industrial employment,
she added, so that the application
of a 30-hour week to the enrolled
civilian brigades might present
difficulties.
Representative Connery has an
nounced he could not support the
bill in it's present form.
Walsh Sees Passage
Despite Connery's opposition,
Senator Walsh CD, Of Massa-
chuSettS. chairman Of the Senate
Committee on Labor, predicted
support for the measure. He
said:
"The bill will be enacted
substantially as recommended
next week; there is no doubt"
Representative Byrns of Ten
nessee, Democratic House leader,
said he hoped the bill would be
reported in time to be taken up in
the House next Monday. He said
he had seen little evidence of op-
position other than that Of Con-
merry.
Connery objected to the dollar
wage and suggested it be in
creased to $50 monthly for single
men and $50 monthly for married
men.
He opposed use of the word
select" in the section which
would allow the President to re-
cruit members for the new con-
servation corps. The word was
used in the war draft bill, Con-
merry said. and with it in this
bill, the President could draft the
workers"
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