Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1933-09-08
WE DO OUR PART

UNEMPLOYMENT
CAMPAIGN
The Presidents Emergency Unemployment Campaign may be
described briefly as a plan to add from 5O00O00 to 100000 persons
to the nations payrons within the next six weeks or SO. through
agreements made with the President of the United States by some
100000 concerns or individuals, employing two or more persons each.
In order that this number of jobs may be made available, it will
be necessary. of course, for employers in many cases to shorten work
ing hours. The plan also provides for certain minimum wage scales
which also in many cases will mean added labor costs for the employer.
The Presidents Agreement, however. includes a pledge of coopera-
ten from the consuming public, and it is thus anticipated that the
employer. while W. ertaking a larger expense as the direct result OF
his agreement r.h the President. will gain added patronage as tie
just r-war1 {: lis 4blc spirited attitude.
1et + $50 is to be borne in mind that where all employers~act
to-. he, 10 PIT people beck o. their payrols o to raise wages, n o
{ .plc',r :: tne President himself has pointed out, "un suffer because
f.e =. ~-~ Lepc. CT competitive cost umu advance by the same amount
Ii ii to be understood that this plan is supplementary to the plan
of code adoption by various industrial and trade groups which has tor
its purpose the elimination OF unfair competition, the establishment of
more equable rewards for labor, the spread Of employment and the
control of production. This plan for speeding business recovery,
launched under the provisions of the National Recovery Act passed
by the last Congress, is rapidly being made effective, and there will
be no letup on the drive to make its adoption widespread.
The Presidents Emergency Unemployment plan will bridge time
and bring the nation out of the depression more rapidly than if tine
code adoption plan were depended upon exclusively. The Presidents
Agreement also covers many business groups that would not be amen
able to any of the code arrangements.
And what is still more important perhaps, the Presidents Elmer
gency Unemployment campaign carries certain psychological values
that are as priceless as patriotism at this juncture OF ow economic
history The President himself made this quite clear in his recent radio
address to the nation when he said: "On the basis of this simple prln-
cile of everybody doing things together. ae are starting out on this
nationwide attack o n unemployment 1t will succeed if our people
understand tin the big industries, in the little shops, in the great
cities and in the small villages. There is nothing complicated aboutH
and there is nothing particularly new in the principle. 1t goes beck to
the basic idea OF society, and of the Nation ITSELF that people acting
in 4 group al accomplish things wh1ch n 1"dv1dum acting m0ne
could euer hope to bring about"
Thus we have all the power and potency of mass attack directed
along sound. lines of organization and system Here briefly is an out
line of this organized attack n unemployment: In every community,
organizations are formed along military lines: which is fitting enough,
because the Presidents Emergency Unemployment campaign Is Uncle
Sans wa II unemployment and the nation is ralying to the colors just
as loyalty a S though we were actually engaged IN a wal against a
forGra foe. -.
The local committee is made up of the active heads Of the leading
business and CIVIC organizations, n lncluoes also r M aye lhese
committees in the thousands of cities and towns throughout the country
we're formed following kilograms and letters sent by General johnson
to the presidents of Chambers of Commerce II similar trade bodies in
every section of the United States. These local committees elect a gen.
eal to have charge of the city campaign and a lieutenant general who
is woman. The general selects three colonies, each of whom is to take
over a certain part ofthe campaign work. For example, Colonel No.
has charge of the "manpower' or organization department.. Under his
direction blocktoblock canvasses will be made to check up on COM
pliance with the Presidents Agreement, and to make a survey of the
unemployed, as to adaptability by experience as to trades and indus
tries and thus be able more readily to help in the processes of asimila-
ton of labor by expanding industries. Colonel Nc. 2, briefly, has charge
of newspaper publicity and kindred activities; and Colonel No. 3 has
the training and direction of public speakers under his charge.
Each of these three colonies has seven or more majors on his staff,
and each major has about the sam number of captains. Each captain
has seven OF more field workers. All of the local organizations are, Of
course, constantly supplied with educational and inspirational material
of all kinds from the National Recovery Administration in Washington.
Literally tons and tons of printed matter has been shipped to every
nook and corner of The country. ~~mg@sassgss8sa
The NRA. emblem, known popularity as the Blue Eagle, is one of
the most interesting and vital features of the campaign. All employers
who sign the Presidents Agreement II entitled to display the Blue
Eagle with the initials NR.A. and the words eve Do Our Part"
Merchants, manufacturers and all others who have the right to display
the insignia by reason of their having complied with the Presidents
Agreement, are permitted to hang it on their walls, or in their windows,
or on trucks and cars, and, if they SO desire, to stamp it on their prod
ucs Or merchandise 1t is, in fact, the desire of the Recovery Admin
iaration that all make liberal use of this badge of patriotism.
Any person in the United States who wishes to cooperate in tbs
Presidents Emergency Unemployment Campaign and be considered as
a member of the MIRA. may 60 to the authorized establishment in his
locality and sign a statement of cooperation as follows:
Il will cooperate in unemployment BY supporting end patron
izing employers and workers aho are members OF NRA."
Any such signer will then be given and may thereafter use the
insignia of consumer membership in MIRA.
Every phase of the progress of this mighty campaign will be flashed
in the newspapers of the country and announced constantly over the
radio. In this way everyone will be in position to know just what the
campaign is doing from day to day in actually putting people back on
the payro1s and adding to the mass purchasing power of the country.
insignia be made by employer and consumers, it is to be remembered
that the official NRA. emblem is the property of the United States
Government and may not be used or reproduced without authority of
the National Recovery Administration.
The lists of all employers who sign the Presidents Agreement are
displayed in local postofices and it is urged that all employers who
have not yet signed the agreement do SO Immediately and deliver them
to their local postmaster.
With some minor exceptions. the terms of the Presidents Agree
ment with employers is, briefly, IS follows: Any employer of a factory
or mechanical worker o artisan must not pay him less than 40 cents
an hour n work him more than IS hours a week, except that if the
employer we're paying less than 40 cents for that kind of work
on July Is the employer can pay that rate now, but not less than 80