The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-01-16
Reply Rings Sharp And
Clear Above Din Of Ma
tion-Wide Debate; 5000
Mile Journey Reveals
Gains And Losses I'm
der New Deal
By WILLIS THORNTON
NEA Service Staff Correspondent

dTOuUu Tic SOOiLAyt SAy'''c
learn something of the recovery
program-the most complicated,
most far-reaching experiment Of
American history.
To answer so fearful a ques-
ton in one ward, yes or no, IS
the height of imprudenc". But
that is the way every qGeSl:ener
wants it answered.
MILLIONS SET TO
THINKING
And this the way | would re-
view in my mind the things l
have seen, before arriving at
conclusion: =,
When the NRA was launched
last June. it got off III a cloud
of ballyhoo. / believe that DUR
ing those first two hectic months
of the blanket code thousands
signed, borne on the wave Of
enthusiasm, who hadn't the falnr-
est idea what it was all about.
Nevertheless, literally millions
were put to work and many a
skimpy, starvation wage was rails
cd to decency.
And best of all, tens of mil
lions of Americans were set
to thinking They were made
to realize that their business,
their pob, depends on the gen.
eral welfare of all.
THE CHISELING BEGINS
But when the first fine frenzy
died, the chiseling began. l be-
lieve chiseling has been much
more widespread than optimistic
compliance board reports indie
ate.
But this is a guess, for no
one knows and no one ever will
know how much chiSeling there
has been under the blanket code.
| have been able to find no
evidence of a single firm &C
tually forced out of business
by increased costs under any
code. Many employers pro-
tested that they could not pay
such wages and continue BUSH
ness. Though inquired in
every town visited, l could
not find one who actually gave
up.
The Dun and Bradstreet fig
ures for 1888 on business fail
ures seem to bear this out
they run for 1888 about half
of those in 1892.
Neither have | been able to
find any evidence hat refusing
to cooperate in the Blue Eagle
drive led to the economic death
threatened by General Johnson.
The public, in my opinion,
largely refused to back up the
Eagle if this meant spending a
few cents more in patronizing an
Eagle establishment. Ford, the
outstanding rebel against the
Blue Eagle, sold more cars In
December than for years.
THE CODES
| believe thousands will seize
the end of their presidential
agreement dec. 81 last) as a
chance to duck out of their re-
sponsibilities under the blanket
code. No one can do anything
about that. 1t is their right.
But even this NOn't matter
much. For the permanent codes
are being adopted SO fast that
by the time compliance under
the blanket code 6windles to al
most nothing, as it will, indus
tries will be so completely COW
cred by permanent codes that
there will be no letdown, and the
gap will be bridged without j
murmur.
The permanent codes are a
horse of another color. | believe
that here the benefits are so
great and so UNREASONABLE that
many of them will remain after
the NRA in it's present form Is
forgotten, for these codes have
changed the entire face of Amer
lean business.
The evidence here seems be-
yond question. Oil and lumber
conservation, dreams Of three
decades, became realities over
night by agreements among pro-
ducers TO stop wasting natural
resources and cease profitleSS,
throat-cutting competition. Steel
and textile like their codes, and
a stability of employment never
known before now Is seen in
those industries.
RACKETS HARD HIT
RacketS were struck telling
blow in the eoding of dry clean
ing; the vestigial remains of child
labor in the textile mills was
stamped out overnight.
A thousand vicious trade prac'
tees are being prescribed and
either stamped out or placed ir
such bad odor that they will die
There is every reason to be
lieve that compliance under the
permanent codes will be fal
stricter than under the blanke
code. 1t has been so under TIT
codes adopted thus far, and
should get better as the code au
thorities perfect organization.
There will be continual shift
ing and changing in the de-
tails of these codes, but the
general principle is set up and
established. and business men
agree almost unanimously that
the principle is here to stay,
even beyond the present NRA
act. And they seem reconcil-
ed to the fact.
The MIRA set organized labo
in a ferment. In general, men
bership in American Federatio
unions has doubled in six months
But the famous section z of tn
Recovery Act is the center G