Evening star., 1933-10-25
N. R. A. EMPOWERED
TO PROTECT MEMBERS
FROM CHEAP IMPORTS


FROM CHEAP IMPORTS
Continued From First page)
and consumer opposition and had ended
up by giving the StOrekeepers Substan-
TALLY what they had asked for, re-
phFASed
other N. r. A. developments today
included:
President Roosevelt signed an eyecu.
five a s
codes which forbid rebates to pur-
chasers, allowing the farm units to con-
tinue their patronage dividends"
Three more minor codes, bringing the
total to 62, were promulgated by the
Chief Executive. They covered the
plumbago crucible, steel tubular and
trial supplies and distributors trade.
johnson reported that the buying
campaign was progressing very well-"I
don't want it to go too fast"-and that
he expected much from 1t when the re-
lease of bank funds and other aid
measures now getting under way be-
came fully felt.
Critics Answered.
The N r. A. director, at a press con-
ference, cut loose with a vigorous an
swer to critics of his unit and his ad-
ministration.
The farm opposition. he started by
saying, was not responsible for pulling
the industrial control program out OF
the small towns Actually the step hat,
been decided upon two weeks ago and
it was coincidence that some farm
spokesmen made demands that were in
line with the plan. The reason for
pulling out, he said. was that 80 per
cent of enforcement difficulties came
from the small towns where merchants
could not pay the code wages. Retail
trade heads, themselves, he argued, had
wanted this step taken.
AS for criticism of N. R A from the
farm lands, said Johnson. when We got
through analyzing it I had clean bill
of health"
The gist of the complaints. he said.
was that public works money was being
spent too slowly. that benefits from the
farm program were small. both things
would not modify the N. r. A pace
I've got one job TO do and I'm
going to go right on doing it
The complaint that N R A. had
moved too fast and that the Blue
Eagle program had proved a puzzle
voiced frequently of late-was espe-
cially challenged by the administra-
tor. 1t would not have been possible
TO move slowly. he argued. If one in
dustry were put under the code months
ahead of competitive line, the first
conner would have been injured irrep
arably. So it had to move forward
in one wave under the Blue Eagle.
Action Taken by Is States.
Likewise. he said. except for the Blue
Eagle campaign and popular senti-
ment. N. r. A. would have reached
only businesses Of definite interstate
character and the program would have
failed. No interstate trade has been
swung in.
Sixteen States. he added already
have adopted statutes to parallel
N. r. AS program SO as to furnish
enforcement for trade that is not in
terstate "and a lot more States will
follow
AS for specific Unemployment
achieved. he said the Blue Eagle agree
ments positively had made more than
two million and less than four million
new jobs-the exact figure will be
known soon from the count being made
by the Census Bureau
The retail trade authority will have
not only to determine the makeup,
defined by the code as allowance for
actual wages Of store labor" which is
to be included in the selling price OF
merchandise but its personnel will be
members without vote Of the retail
trade council set up by the trades
themselves to administer the code.
johnson for the time being will take
personal charge of the work.
The Presidents tariff order caused
oscar B. Ryder. former assistant chief
of the Economics Division OF the Tarlff
Commission. to be esignated formally
as chief Of N. R. AS imports division.
For some time he has been on the staff,
receiving and analyzing petitions for
protection. which, Administrator john
son recently said, have been surprisingly
few in number.
Procedure Outlined.
The industrial law provided that to
protect the higher wages and costs un-
der codes the President might, on his
- N~S~-
organization, or any trade group that
has a code have Investigations made
into threatening imports. and If neces-
sary place importers under license.
which might specify fees or linfitat tions
in quantity which the President will fix.
Bv he order the complaints would
go to N. r. A. instead of the Tariff
Commission. The industrial unit would
decide whether the requests merited In
vestigation, whereupon the President
would have the Tariff Commission 60
to the bottom of the complaints and
report findings for presidential action.
Only products imported lin Substan-
tial quantities or increasing ratio to do
mestic production Of any competitive
article or articles and on such terms
or under such conditions as to render
ineffective or seriously to endanger the
maintenance of any code or agreement"
would come under this method of tariff
investigation.
In announcing the executive order
N. r. A. announced that the complaints
must be addressed to President Roose
welt. with three copies to the N. r. A
Imports Division, and be accompanied
by specific information necessary to
establish "prima facie case" for inves-