The Washington times., 1933-06-17
BUSINESS TOLD
LIVING WAGES
MUST BEPA|D
Hire More Men on Shortened
Hours, Cut No Pay, Is
Roosevelt Plea

Having rushed through Con-
gress within three months the,
most comprehensive industrial re.
covery measures ever enacted in
the history of the nation, PreSi-
dent Roosevelt, before leaving last
night for a brief holiday, ex-.
pressed belief that his Industrial
recovery bill would put 100000
idle men to work by october l.
In an appeal to the nation tor
fall into team formation for the
national drive for prosperity and
stability, the President urged in
dustrieS to cooperate with him by
Immediately cutting the work day
to shorter hours and paying de-.
cent living wages" He said:
''NO business which depends
for existence on paying less
than living wages to its workers
has any right to continue in
this country. By 'buGiness' 1
mean the wi ole of commerce a.
well as the whole of industry.
PLEA FOR WORKERS
"By workers 1 mean all
workerS-the White-cOllar class /,
as well as the men in OverallS, .
and by living wages, mean
more than a bare subsistence ~
level mean the wages Of
decent living.
"The idea is simply for en-
plOyers to hire more men to do
the existing work by reducing
the work hours of each mans
work and at the same time pay.
ing living wage for the shorter
week. q"
"NO employer and no group :.
of less than all employers in q
single trade could do this alone -
and continue to live in business
competition. -
But if all employers in each
trade now band themselves
faithfully in these modern
guiIds-withOut exceptiOn-and
agree to act together and at
once, none w be hurt and mill re-
lions of workers, so long de-
prived of the right to earn their
bread and in the sweat of their
labor, can raise their heads
again."
The President declared the 1n=
dustrial recovery bill was a chal-
lenge to industry, which, he
added, has long insisted it could
work out a program for the gen.
eral welfare if antitrust reStr1c-
tions were removed.
He said it also was a challenge,
to industry to remove "SlacKers"
which fail to enter trade agree.
ments for the common good,
and a challenge to labor to sup
port their industries. The Pres1"
dent added: -
FINALLY, this law is a chal'
lenge to our whole people.
There is no power in America
that can force against the pub
lie will such action as we re- .
quire. But there is no group in
America that can Withstand the
force of an aroused public a..
opinion.
"This great cooperation can. =
succeed only if those who.
braveIy go forward to restore
jobs have aggressive public
support and those who lag are :
made to feel the full weight OF :.
public disapprOval."
Defeat or Victory? -
With regard to the scope Of the
program, the President said:
"It is the most important at
tempt of this kind in history.
AS in the great crisis Of the
World War, it puts a whole peO-
pie to the simple but vital test
must we go on in many
cropping, disOrganized separate
units to defeat, or shall we
move as one great team to vic
tory?
''ItS goal is the assurance Of
a reasonable profit to industry
and living wages for labor, with
the elimination of the piratical
methods and practices which
have not only haraSsed honest -
business but also contributed to
the ills of labor"