Evening star., 1933-12-14
MINING CONGRESS
HITS 3)-HOUR WEEK
Group, in Session Here,
Holds Industry Able to
Regulate Own Work.

Opposition to any 30-hour week leg
islation was expressed today by dele
gates to the thirty-sixth annual con-
vention of the American Mining Con-
gress, meeting in the Mayhower Hotel.
During a general discussion the
sentiment was unanimously opposed to
the Black bill, which would make the
3o-hour week a legal reality. The
members held that each branch Of the
mining industry and of all other in
dustries could regulate their own hours
OF work under N. R. A. codes far bet
ter than the Government could regu-
late such matters by hard and fast
legislation.
The discussion was led by j. F.
Callbreath, secretary of the congress;
S. L. Mather, William Young Wester.
welt and D. A. Callahan.
Speeches Are Cancelled.
Recovery Administrator johnson and
Chairman Pittman of the Senate For
eign Relations Committee. both sched-
uled to speak this morning, were unable
to be present, but will address the Con-
gress tomorrow
Representative Crowther of New York
spoke in favor of high tariff for the
protection of American industry. He
also told of the work being done by
the import division of the N. r. A..
Other speakers this morning included
George c Crossley, president OF the
American Clay Association. who dis
cussed The Clay Industry and the N.
r. A. and Ross D. Leisk assistant
general manager of the United Verde
Extension Mining Co., who spoke on
1.-The Copper Industry of Arizona
Present and Future"
Sees Bond Inquiry.
Speaker Rainey predicted to the min
ing congress late yesterday there would
be a congressional investigation If the
fiuctuation of Government bonds with
the administrators gold purchases
continues He said the bond market
was being manipulated to throw dis
credit on the Presidents new none
tary policy.
When gold is being purchased by
the Government. the prices OF bonds
have been dropping" said the speaker,
land when there was lull In gold
buying the bonds went up again. This
market is the easiest in the world to
manipulate and it appears there Is very
little reason for this f1uctuatlon since
few bonds actually have changed hands.
IF these bonds keep going up and
down, there's going to be a congress
sional investigation to find out why and
who's doing it and how many really
are changing hands"
Speaker Rainey also predicted that
when the United States returns to the
gold standard, it will be dual stand
ard of gold and silver with probable
ratio of 20 to l. He said the old gold
standard has gone forever.
Doubts Currency Expansion.
He said he did not think expansion
of the currency would be necessary and
hoped it would not. However, he de-
clared he was in favor of the President
continuing to have the power to ex-
pand the currency If this should be
needed
Henry =. Hartman, president of the
United States Chamber of Commerce,
who preceded Mr. Rainey on the pro-
gram, approved the general operation
of the N. r. A. codes. but said he
pressive" on small industry, which he
characterized as the backbone Of
American industrial life"
He also expressed the opinion there
should be some differential in codes for
large cities and small towns since there
is a considerable difference in the cost
of living. The South should have
more favorable differential in the mat
ter of comparative wages, he declared.
Broadly speaking" he said, "the
National Recovery Act Is the Magma
Charta of industry"
Senator M. M. Logan of Kentucky,
chairman of the Senate Mines and
Mining Committee, promised fair con-
sideration of any legislative proposals
made by the mining industry