Evening star., 1933-09-22
NEWSPAPER CODE
LAID BEFORE n. R. A.
Draft of Publishers Associa-
&on Lays Stress on "Free-
dom of the Press

8y the Associated Press.
Emphasizing their belief they could
not be forced to comply with a recovery
code, newspaper publishers today took
their proposed agreement before the
N. R. A. for hearing.
In behalf of the American Newspaper
Publishers Association, Elisha Han
son as counsel presented that organiza-
tionS code, saying it represented more
than 1000 publishers.
This code was not presented in be-
half OF any group Of newspapers he
asserted. Thereupon he dwelt at length
on the section guaranteeing freedom
OF the press.
mo press that was subject to in
functions or revocation of licenses could
be considered free press" the counsel
testified.
I'VE had no fear that the President
or any one else would try to invoke
a power to suppress newspapers, but a
great majority Of publishers could not
have seen their way to join this move
ment as whole-heartedly as they have
without some guarantee of the con-
stitutional right.
If what you say as to the absence
OF fears is correct, then don't you think
that provision Is just so much sur
plusage?" asked DR.. Lindsey Rogers,
deputy administrator, presiding.
Might Take Case to Court.
mo, I do not" Hanson replied. "If
this freedom of the press provision were
not in, somebody might take the case
to court and say that the publishers
had waived that right"
Hanson emphasized that "the press
tor which 1 speak neither requires nor
desires special privileges"
On the maximum hour provisions
fixing 40 a week as the limit, he said
in many smaller cities a shortage of
qualified workmen would cause hard
ships on newspapers. He asked If pub
fishers we're unable, because of such
conditions, to comply with the hour
Limitation, that they be granted, never
theleSs. Blue Eagle without wound
stripe
When Hanson reached the section al
lowing employer and employe to deal
with one another without interference
OF third party and stipulating that
employees may not be compelled to join
organizations for collective bargaining
purposes, Rogers asked:
That doesn't modify or interpret
section lthe collective bargaining
RAOh4S4OAlJ Va llIC 1SIOttIy at.
Guard Against Racketeering.
Certainly not" Hanson answered.
~That is inserted to keep racketeering
out Of our business"
Its an Interpretation" Rogers in
sisted, but Hanson took exception, add
ing that since passage Of the recovery
act the American Federation of Labor
had been telling employees they had to
join union.
Rogers asked whether the publishers
intended to include fair trade practice
provisions in their code, and Hanson
said they did not. believing court de-
CisionS and actions were sufficient to
cover the situation.
Dexter Keezer, member of Rogers
advisory board. asked Hanson:
Then you have no desire to use this
code to regulate unfair practices in this
industry?"
No Hanson replied. "Those are
purely local questions. In any industry
you can find occasions of individual
ch1canery and no code would drive them
out. Every publisher is better able to
take care Of himself than any central
code authority would be-"
Still at Odds With Labor.
The publishers were still at odds with
labor, and among themselves as to the
form of their code when they brought
their case before the N. R. A. at the
hearing in the Commerce Department.
A late night drive by Deputy Admin
istrator Rogers had wound up hearings
on 81 codes, involving the newspaper
and publishing business. But the char
ter offered by the Publishers Associa-
ton for daily newspapers brought near
~ as many warnings of dispute as all
the Others
The association, for instance, insisted
1t could do no better than a 4O-hour
week for mechanical workers, that the
minimum wage for mechanical workers
could not be boosted above 40 cents an
hour, that it must continue to use chill
dren under Is to odeliverheWspapers out
side OF school hours and during day.
light, that it would subscribe to no
master" code covering the printing. as
well as the newspaper business.
1he Newspaper Editorial Association,
on the other hand, offered to join
commercial printers in a master code.
1t insisted, however, upon the merit and
child labor clauses of its code and
argued that special provisions should
be made for the smaller papers
Reporters Prepared to Argue.
Organized labor was ready to insist
upon 80 or 30-hour week, pay equal
to that on July Is, 1929, and the in
clusion Of some provisions to bar unfair
practices.
Even newspaper reporters, exempted
from the maximum hour provisions,
We're prepared to argue. Last night they
laid the foundation for their case in
a hotel room conference with Hey
wood Broun, columnist; Paul Y. An
derson, Washington correspondent of
the st. Louis Post-Dispatch, and their
lawyers.
The A. N. P. A. executives conferred
until late at night organizing their
case. They agreed to yield no further.
w. D Allen, president of the News
paper Editorial Association, warned
that the weeklies and small town papers
belonging to his organization needed
the protection of his code.