The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-11
N NIL II, 1Jo4-
TON OF Grief
TO Be LAID IN
ROOSEVELT LAP
Johnson and RiChberg Go to
Miami to Let President
Have Troubles.
BY RUTH FINNEY
Times Special Writer

AAtp AkkbFtA 61ND III ANAAnAAi4 LOAliOA
row-Hugh Johnson, NRA admin
istrator, and Donald Richberg
NRA's general counsel-the con
yersation will not be about fishing
The purpose Of the meeting i
serious rather than casual Thu
bluff general and his merry coun.
sci have gone south to hand thu
President a load of grief and trou.
bic as ne steps off the Nourmahal
Washington has its ear glued tC
the ground. expecting important
decisions after the conference.
only rest for Johnson" say
the presidential secretaries, but the
capital, recalling that Mr.. Richberg
has just returned from one rest
does not believe that he abandoned
plans for speaking in New York
last night to enjoy a second rest.
What About Coal?
Crises in the industrial recovery
program which have come to a
head since the Presidents deplr-
ture must be counted on the fingers
of both hands.
What, for instance, shall be done
about coal?
Bituminous coal mine owners are
glaring at each other and at their
workers across a conference tsole
here. The fundamental question at
stake is one NRA has been trying
to answer since the first week of
its existence and hasn't answered
yet-Shall northern industry and
southern industry be required to pay
approximately the same wage rates
Is competition between coal fields
in Pennsylvania and Alabama, for
instance, more nearly fair when
the south is allowed to pay a dollar
a day or so less than the north?
The present crisis was precipi-
tated when General johnson fixed
new wage scales for the coal in
dustry last week, reducing the diff
ference between northern an d
southern rates. Southern operators
have gone to court about it. The
question now is whether Roosevelt
will go along with johnson or re-
treat.
New Strike Scheduled
And what shall be done about the
automobile industry? The Presi-
dents formula for bringing peace
between workers and employers has
not accomplished its purpose.
Tool and die markers are scheduled
10 strike tomorrow. If they do they
will tie up automobile production
again as the motor products strike
did earlier this week. Other dis
putcs are pending. Violence broke
out again yesterday. The American
Federation of Labor has complained
TO the President about the way his
automobile labor board is function
Ing.
Underneath the whole explosive
situation Is the federation's discon-
.ent that company unions are be-
ng permitted to bargain for work.
2rS along with trade unions.
This brings the President, John
son and Richberg face to face with
he question of what to do about
he Wagner labor disputes bill pend
ing in congress.
Going to President
The bill would bar company
unions. General johnson has Just
written Senator Wagner that while
he wishes him success he believes
the government should not favor
any particular form of labor organ
ization." Senator Wagner is going
TO the President about it. The flu
ure of the national labor board and.
to a great extent, of the labor move
nent in the United States, is bound
up in the answer. The cotton tex
lie industry today is trying to make
defeat of the bill the price of its
to buy new machinery
and new machinery means jobs or
no jobs in the heavy goods indus
.rieS.
There are still more decisions to
make.
General JohnSon'S announcement
hat NRA code violatorS will be
.aken to court has been made since
he President left town. If the
policy Is carried through it means
4 fight.
There are. of course, the chronic
NRA problemS-priceS that persist
N rising faster than wages; trends
70 monopoly under price-fixing sys-
-ems in half the codes; mounting
profits which have caused labor to
renew its demand for shorter hours
and higher wages.
Writ May Be Topic
Finally, and in some ways most
is the fact that Suave,
white -muStached Lieutenant Colonel
George A. Lynch, general JohnSon's
West Point claSSmate. is signing
codes in Washington while the con-
ference is taking place in the south.
This follows the second reorganiza-
ton Of NRA in two weeks. 1t seems
10 mean pending change in ad-
or at least in admins
ration methods. 1t probably pre-
,iptates a decision as to just how
Tar industry shall be left to govern
Itself.
Roosevelt. Richberg and Johnson
may talk also about the Writ brain
rust scare, for Richberg'S speech
asst night, phoned from Miami to
he New York dinner he had
planned to attend, was an official
defense of the use of brains in the
solution Of our political and eco
homie problems"
When any man ventures to scott
1t the use of brains in government
lie should be asked to explain by
what part of the anatomy he be-
ieves human affairs should be con-
lucted, said Mr.. Richberg.
We have not engaged in planning
/ political revolution-but having
accepted the fact of an economic
evolution We have planned to avoid