The Wrangell sentinel., 1933-08-11
BUSINESSFIRMS
 START SIGNING NRA AGREEMENT

President Roosevelt's reemploy- ment agreement authorized under the National Industrial Recovery Act, has not aroused much discus sion so far in Wrangell, but a start, at least, has been made to cooperate with the recovery administration.
 Several businessmen have signed the agreement but mailed it directly to the Department of Commerce at San Francisco without leaving the Certificate of Compliance at the To- cal postoffice. To date, the only certi- ficates delivered to Postmaster B. Y. Grant are the ones signed by the Wheeler Drug Company, T. J. Me Bride. Bank of Alaska, M. o. John son, A. B. Anderson and Campbell Bros. The others will be mailed back from San Francisco and all signers will be included in a Roll of Honor at the post office
 The agreement bears particularly with businesses in towns of 2500 population and over and with en- ployers of more than two persons. It is part of a nationwide plan to raise wages, create employment and thus increase purchasing power and re- store business.
 To this end the first clause strikes to end child labor. Employers sub scribing to the plan agree not to employ any person under 16 years of age, except that persons between IA and 16 may be employed for not to exceed three hours per day and those hours between a. m. and 7 D. m. in such work as will not inter- fere with hours of day school.
 All clerical employees are not to work more than 40 hours in any one week and factory or mechanical workers nor artisans more than 35 hours in one week or eight hours in one day.
 The provisions of maximum hours do not apply to employees in estab lishments employing not more than two persons in towns of less than 25O0 population nor to professional persons, employees in a managerial or executive capacity, who now re- ceive more than $35 per week.
 No;t fo on emergency maintenance and re- pair work nor to very special cases where restrictions of hours of highly skilled workers on continuous pro cesses would unavoidably reduce prodution.
 In all special cases at least time and one-third must be paid the cleri- cal worker in excess of 40 hours and the mechanic or artisan after 35 hours of work.
 The minimum wage is $15 per week in cities over 00,000, $14.50 per week in cities between 250, 900 and 500,000 population and $14 per week in cities between 2,500 and 250,000. In towns of less than 2500 population the agreement stipulates that all wages shall be increased by not less than 20 per cent, provided that this shall not require wages in excess of SIP per week.
 Each business firm pledging com pliance with MIRA requirements as to wages and working hours, re- ceives blue eagle posters and stick CTS for display which carry the leg end, We Do Our Part"
 That the agreement has not had more attention in Wrangell is not due to indifference or lack of de- sire to cooperate with the President. but rather to the fact that the town is absorbed primarily in getting up the salmon pack in the short season in which the canneries mayoperate; in other phases of the fishing indus try, and, also, that while the can neries are operating there is no re- employment problem in Wrangell.
 At the close of the fishing season, Wrangell businessmen may be de- pended upon to give due considera- tion to the subject of MIRA and to line up with the recovery adminis- tration.