Evening star., 1933-06-28
Concentrate on $14 Minimum
Pay in Cotton-Weaving
Plants of u. S.
INDUSTRY HELD WILLING
TO BAR CHILD WORKERS
"Stretch-0ut' System Study Also
Ordered for Possible Elimina-
tion by Agreement.
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
Organized labor, having already
lasted victory on important points of
the competition code formulated by
the cotton textile industry, concentrated
today on demand for a S14 weekly min
imum wage
The case reached the open with
Thomas F. Mcmahon. president of the
United Textile Workers of America,
making the recommendation at the
second day of hearings under the in
dustrial control act at the Commerce
Department.
Addressing Gen. Hugh S. johnson,
administrator of the law, and now and
again turning to the plentiful audience,
the labor executive also advocated that
hours of labor in the industry be re-
strlcted to 35 and that there be no
dif1erential in the minimum wage &C
corded for Northern and Southern
mills.
$40 and S11 Minimums.
The code as drafted provides for min
imum wages of $1l week for Northern
mills, $40 week for Southern mills,
and 40-hour week with machinery
operation restricted to two shifts daily.
McManon was the first labor repre-
sentative to appear, but labor interests
already had gained two important
points.
Yesterday the "stretch-out system"
was injected into the discussion and
johnson named a committee to study
the advisability of banning the prac-
tice, and today T. NJ Marchant, pres
ident OF the American Association of
Cotton Manufacturers, announced for
the industry that it was willing to have
elimination of child labor included in
the code. Under the "stretch-out sys-
tenn" one worker may be required to
attend larger number of machines
than labor thinks desirable.
After Marchant's statement. w. l..
Allen, deputy administrator of the law.
who was presiding, asked:
DO I understand then that you will
submit properly drafted provision
dealing with child labor for the code?"
we will, SIR" replied George Sloan,
president of the Cotton Textile Institute
Differs With Code.
Thereupon, F. c. Dumaine OF the
Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. of New
Hampshire was introduced as one of
the textile spokesmen who differed with
the code prepared by majority of the
industry.
Il believe there should be one national
work scale of 48 hours" he said, while
agreeing with general features" of the
code.
William Green, president of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, has advocated
80 hours a week limitation, or 80 at the
most
Take Exceptions to Code.
Russell E. Watson of johnson &
Johnson, a corporation engaged in the
of surgical supplies at New
Brunswick, N. j., spoke for his concern
and its two subsidiaries, the Chicopee
Corporation of Gaines
vile, Ga, and the Chicopee Manufac-
turing Co. of Chicopee Falls, Mass.
The Georgia mill has $4,000 spindles
and I,475 looms, and employs $40 peo-
pie, while the Massachusetts mill has
47,000 spindles, $50 looms and employs
$50 people
About rs per cent of the product of
the Georgia mill and the Massachusetts
mill are consumed by johnson & john
son in the manufacture of surgical
dressings, hospital supplies and sanitary
napkins" Watson said.
we favor the adoption of the code
OF fair competition as submitted to the
administrator for the cotton textile in
dustry in all its particulars except:
We take the position that the pro-
posed minimum wage of S11 per week
for the Northern section and $40 per
week for the Southern sections for 40
hours of labor is substantially too low.
Higher Minimum Wage.
I'VE insist that a minimum wage of
SIS per week should be established for
the Northern section and $14 per week
for the Southern section.
I'VE will acquiesce in any length of
working shift which the administrator
finds to be in the public interest, with
out any limitation in the operation Of
machinery. We also take the position
that all employees should receive this
minimum wage, except learners during
apprenticeship"
The second major objection named
by watson was against any limitation
on the operation of machinery, which
the code proposed to put at two shifts
of 40 hours each. He explained his
Georgia plant was working l44 hours
per week on two and one-half shifts a
day and the Massachusetts, plant two
6-hour shifts and one 12-hour shift,
five days week.
Limitation Of machinery operation
will throw out of employment in these
two mills nearly 500 people presently
employed. who will have to seek work
elsewhere" Watson said.
No Children in Plant.
I'VE have never employed any wo-
men on night work and have never
worked children under IL years of age
and will not do so, regardless Of the
fact that we may be permitted to do
so under the proposed code"
Watson modified his prepared state
ment in view of the earlier announce
ment child labor would be banned
He argued also that curtailment OF
machinery operation would substah
TALLY increase production costs.
I'VE urge" he said. that the pro-
posed code be amended by increasing
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