The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-10
Work OF MRA in Worlds Largest
City Is Declared Smash.
ing Success
WHELAN FIGURES PROVE IT
Factories Have Hired 20 Pei
Cent More Workers; Pay
rolls Advancing

rolls Advancing
This is the eighth OF II articles
on America Under the Blue
Eagle"
BY PAUL HARRISON
New York, Jan. lO.-The Blue Eagle
is strutting pretty proudly on the side
walks of New York He has heard
Grover A. Whalen declare in ringing
tones that the work Of the MIRA here
has been smashing success
OF course Mr.. Whalen is the local
MIRA administrator, and may be pref
Ediced. But Mr.. Whalen also has
figures.
The figures show that more than
100000 persons have been put back in
TO business and industry number
representing about half the city's UNI
employed only few months ago.
Wholesale trade is approximately Ia
per cent above the volume of last year
and retail trade has improved nearly
Is per cent.
Factories have hired 20 per cent
more morkers. and manufacturing
payrolls have increased Is per cent.
Thousands Back at Work
In the retail field more than 90
per cent OF the businesses have
signed the presidents unemployment
agreement. 33,l00 new jobs have been
created, and retail store payrolls have
jumped $43 100000 a year.
Thirty thousand New Workers are
working In reforestation camps, and
about 10000 are on the payrolls of
the Civil Works Administration.
New York likes the NRA very
much indeed. Consequently, per-
haps, it also has demonstrated
considerable idolatry for Gen.
Hugh s. johnson, who has not
spoken quite 20 bluntly hereabout
~ he has In some other sections
Of the country.
Besides, New York is very remote
from the centers OF some OF the more
critical problems.
AIRS Quiet in n. Y.
Wheat is just something that one
buys In one form or another at the
bakers at about the same old price
Meat Is commodity which appears
with dependable regularity in refrig-
orator cars.
Steel IS something one bets on In
the stock barket. And so on.
Here's an example which probably
Is true Of hundreds of New York con-
Germs:
In the states where our raw ma
terials come from. and where our fac
tories ere located" said a manufac-
turer, I'VE fought the MIRA tooth and
nail. We've been scrapping in Wash
1ngton, too. But all'S quiet in our
New York business office. where we
had to put on lot more employees"
While many NRA groups are being
dissolved into regional authorities
officials here believe that this one
must continue essentially as before.
ITS too big job for regional sup
ervision.' says Thomas ]. Donovan
vice chairman Of the Department OF
Law and Complaints. For instance
the New York state organization at
present has q staff OF only IL people
while the one for the city is keeping
20 busy. And at the peak of our ac-
tivtty we had more than 500 employees. y
Thr0ngs Seek Advice
from the first week In August, when
.he Blue Eagle went into action here,
the bureau Of Interpretation function
ed more as an educational and diplo-
matte service than as legal office.
Employers demanded rulings on
scores Of special applications of the
PRA. And thousands Of unemployed
men and women, with even hazier
notions Of what it was all about, romp-
ed In with the idea that the NRA was
created especially to restore their old
jobs. Not just any jobs, but the places
which they last held.
Nobody knows how this thought be-
came 80 prevalent. but establishment
brought grumbling.
The division OF law has received and
responded to $4,000 inquiries. The
complaint division, which opened its
doors on the first day to $50 clamoring
clients, has received several thousand
charges Of evasion every month, and
had eight clerks In its file room who
did nothing but move the incoming
and outgoing reports.
Many Complaints Settled
OF the complaints considered valid
1877 have been acted upon. being
referred variously to the investiea.
!. ton department. the bureau Of inter-
probation, the mediation board, and
tho retail code authority. The organi-
zation, as you may have guessed, Is
somewhat complicated.
The city's retail code authority
b the largest local code body In
the country, irrespective Of indus
try, and has nearly 10000 blsi-
ness units under its direction.
These. In turn, handle about one
tenth 81 the total volume Of retail
business In the nation.
Here's Maurice Mermey, the execu-
tive secretary: "Since the retail code
went into effect on October 30, we have
had 225 complaints, about 100 Of which
dealt with labor. OF the complaints
followed through, 60 per cent were
found to be justified and resulted In
nearly 10000 employees having their
wages raised or their hours Of work
reduced.
Decisions Are Enforced
There has not been Z single case
Of outright refusal to comply with our
rulings Two employers took their
appeals to Warrington In 4 perfectly
regular way, but our original decisions
were upheld.
The volume Of complaints has been
getting heavier - consumers. employ
e.. and retail competitors have gotten
uDod q the idea that this outfit means
/ What Is G
= 90