Evening star., 1933-10-24
N. R. A. INDUSTRIAL
PAY DECISION SOON
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Continued From First Page.)

fully justified. They contend the best
| statistics available show that the price
| Of things the farmer sells, despite the
recent slump. held to a greater price
advance since March than the indus
trial products he buys
Nevertheless, with the sentiment ex-
isting and in view of the difficulty
either Of policing or Of extending credit
, to the merchant In small towns, they
now consider the retreat helpful step.
This change in the industrial recovery
program was taken under an executive
order yesterday by President Roosevelt
forecast by a single sentence In his
Sunday night address to the Nation.
Chain Stores Remain Under Code.
An exception under the order was
that chain stores, wherever located, will
remain under code regulation. Also
small factories, those doing interstate
business and those employing more
than five people still have N. R. A.
watching over them even In the other
wise exempt towns Of $500 or less.
The Census Bureau gives the total
number Of persons living on farms and
in towns of 500 and less as $500 ,223
or 438 per cent Of the entire popula-
ton OF the United States in 1880"
The orders issuance conceded with
promulgation Of the retail trade code,
which emerged with price control
provision stripped Of the 10 per cent
mark-up fought by farmer and con-
sumer representatives alike, but so
phrased as to give the merchant sub
stantially the same protection against
destructive price cutting by compeu-
tors.
At the same time also the President
had made public his own definition OF
the employers right to hire and fire
worker on a basis of merit, saying this
was quite legal so long as not used as
a subterfuge to oust union men. but
that it should a. not or be ~ TTlt'fn 1tf that
this word from the President would eno
the long wrangle between spokesmen
for industry and labor over 1nterpre.
tations Of the industrial laws grant OF
the right to organize, untrammeled oy
employer interference.
johnson Issues Statement.
Recognizing the weight Of farm
sentiment against the price increases
N. r. A. has caused, johnson issued
a lengthy statement on the Presidents
order which said that while at would
be a tragic folly to turn millions OF the
re- e-employed back in the streets on tne
| argument that thus the cost OF living
could be reduced" the experience OF
four months showed the retreat from
, small towns could be accomplished
without loss to the program Re-em-
ployment and wage increases In the
| exempted establishments, he said, were
not sufficient to Offset the hardship
caused the merchants and the farmer.
johnson also spoke in behalf Of the
price control plan of the retail code:
In recent years and especially with
| the growth Of chain stores, a practice
| has grown up of selling one or two
! items at loss in order to get people
| into a store. The little fellow cannot
| afford this. The public is fooled be-
| cause what it saves on one item 1t
I loses on another.
I'm the last four years 400 900 small
| retailers have been driven out Of busi-
ness and 1t is bitterly complained that
this so-called loss leader was partly to
| blame. For these reasons the retail
code provides that it is an unfair prac-
| tice to sell any article for less than
its invoice cost plus at least por-
| tion Of the wages paid to employees in
| the stores.
Committee to Be Named.
This is frankley an experiment. A
distinguished committee is to be ap-
pointed at once to watch closely the
, operation of this code and to make rec
concentrations on February L."
To protect the consumer, city as well
| as country, from undue price increases
blamed by profiteers on the recovery
movement, the President ordered that
investigations be started Immediately
| "to determine the extent to which
| manufacturers and producers have in
| creased prices following or in anticipa-
tion of, the approval of codes OF falr
competition and to set up adequate Or
| ganizations for the handling OF COM
| plants against such price increases and
of local complaints against retail price
| increases alleged to be contrary to the
| requirements of codes"
johnson said most Of the complaints
have been made against retail proflteer
| ing and that the local tribunals 10
which any person who feels injured IN
this way can complain" would be SET
up at once, a complete plan having
| been worked out.
The retail code was signed by Presi-
dent Roosevelt before midnight Sunday
night so that. under its own terms, 1t
would become effective next Monday.
johnson yesterday issued an order, now
ever. by which any merchant who wants
to can take up its terms Immediately.
The same will apply to all other in
dustries and trades. The order merely
piyes EMPLOYERS the option to continue
under the Blue Eagle presidential re-
EMPLOYMENT agreement or adopt their
codes during the period between pro-
mitigation and the effective date.
Separate Drug Code Scrapped.
! The separate drug code was scrapped
| and provisions inserted in the general
| code to care for special conditions of
| the drug stores.
| scrapped also was the clause de-
manded by druggists fixing at Il per
cent the maximum discount allowable
by any merchant on patent medicines
or toilet goods whose retail price Is set
by the manufacturer. Strenuous obJec-
| tion Of economists to this as price fixing
| knocked it out.
A code Tor the Great Lakes shipping
week Of Sc hours for sailors was sub
mitted to the National Recovery Ad-
ministration yesterday by the Lake Car
| riers' Association.
| Presented after weeks of conferences
in Cleveland, the code provides basic
| minimum wages the same as the in
| creased rates which went into effect last
| July / and stipulates that they be con-
tinue.i until the end Of the present
waning navigation season.
AL vessels operating on the lakei