Evening star., 1933-08-13
utting America Back to Work

any industry from taking refuge under
the agricultural law in order to escape
the wage and labor requirements OF the
industrial act while obtaining the ad-
vantages of price fixing which the
former definitely permits.
Cotton Textile Industry.
In the last few weeks there has been
an opportunity to observe the industrial
act In operation. The cotton textile
industry has submitted code and 1t
has been approved by the President.
This industry is notorious for the prac-
tices which the law was designed to
rectify-long hours of employment and
low nav for its workers and ruthless
methods Of competition. Representa-
tives of the industry, labor and the
Government sat down in public and
in a few days worked out their dill
ferences, agreeing to increase mini
mum wages to the purchasing power
level of 1929, reduction In hours OF
labor to two shifts Of 40 hours
week, checking overproduction and the
abolition of child labor. AS President
Roosevelt said:
After years Of fruitless effort and
discussion, this ancient atrocity went
out in day, because this law permits
employers to do by agreement that
which none Of them could do sepa-
rately and live in competition"
If all industries could sit down and
compose their problems as quickly and
effectively as the cotton people. the
program would be simple and the de-
preston would be over tomorrow. But
that is impossible. 1t took Germany
more than a generation to install sat
isfactorily the cartel system, which IS
something akin to our plan. We can
not be expected to do it in few
days. but we are making very rapid
progress and the peace is being con-
stantly accelerated Codes for nearly
all the major industries have been
submitted or are ready for submission
American team work, which has pulled
this country through many a crucial
period, is once more beginning to assert
itself.
However, the 4O-hour week or the
minimum wage established by the tex
tile code should not be accepted as a
precedent by other industry. Such a
work week and such wages generally
would not scratch the surface Of our
job of putting large numbers of men
back to work and restoring consum-
ing power. Under present conditions
an average work week Of 80 hours with
a minimum wage Of As cents an hour
for the lowest paid type Of workers
would perhaps accomplish this purpose.
But it would be absurd to fix inf1exible
schedules for all industry. There Is
no intention Of being unreasonable
about it.
There are bound to be some recall
citrantS, those who are unable to see
or are stubbornly unwilling to see that
our economic system Is undergoing a
rapid change and 8 change that IS
necessary if the Nation is to be pre-
served Undoubtedly there are some
who will refuse to cooperate in this
program and take refuge in their con-
stitutional rights. Some industries
doing strictly State business may be
expected to do that, and while the
law gives the administration power
to control all industry "in or affecting
interstate and foreign commerce" in
all probability there will be a court
determination Of this issue.
In the meantime we are going ahead.
Time Is too precious to waste in legal
arguments.
Neither is this a time for men who
have positions Of power and influence
in shaping the policies of commercial
1ulaIlCldl dIlQ ldUOT OIkdllZdIlOuS W
hold back, either to placate hesitant
minorities or to serve special selfish
interests. The forces of the depression
have not been conquered merely by a
rise in commodity prices or In the
market quotations Of stocks and bonds
There are still millions out Of work and
the Nation is spending millions of dol
lars every day for the relief Of these
masses to save them from starvation.
Moreover, we are going to depend for
the success Of this recovery program
on a force greater than the lava
force more powerful than anything else
public opinion. With this force be-
hind US It is not hard to imagine that
the recalcitrants and obstructionists
are going to be in an uncomfortable,
If not an unhealthy. position as the
program proceeds.
A second great iodr Is being poOed
on unemployment. The $3.50, ,00O,-
900 public works program is provid-
ing jobs for Thousands. Harold L.
Ickes, Secretary OF the interior and
Federal administrator of public
scorks. totu describe this new cam.
pGi0n nert Sunday.