Evening star., 1934-03-07
Johnson Denies Administra-
tion Will Decree Time
by Fiat.
LICENSING EXTENSION
REQUEST IS PREDICTED
Crit S Label Increased Cost Com
mercial Suicide de"-Price
Control Is Studied.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The assembled N. r. A. code au-
thorities will be appealed to by Hugh
S. johnson tonight for support of 10
per cent reduction of code working
hours in all industries that can
stand it.
Should such support be forthcom-
ing, the administration is expected
to institute such blanket reduction
with allowance of hearings for indus
tries allegedly unable to comply. Ex-
emptions will be allowed if claims Of
the latter are found justified
This was made known this after
noon as johnson addressed one of
the several hearings of code author
tiles.
George Sloan. head of the cotton
textile code authority. had said that
un3uestionably many industries could
take further hour shortening. but
that he considered it would be a grave
mistake to make a fiat rule as he
understood was advocated by John
son, because it would raise false hopes
in the breasts of every American
working man in every home
Choice of Methods.
johnson replied that with him il
was a choice Of methods between the
general rule and taking up each one
OF the 600 codes individually-"an
impossible method"
But" he went on, II hope that
nothing the President has said or I
nave said will lead any one to the idea
that industry is to be placed in a
procrustean bed by ukase or fiat. or to
say that hours shall be so and so by
administrative order.
i hope you get any such idea out
OF your mind because nobody e".r
dreamed of doing it."
U.gcs Further Study.
johnson then urged that a rcpr--
sentative group of industrialists re-
main with him after the code author
ity gathering ends to work out By
agreement some definite procedure
for meeting the current problems
Code authorities meeting else
where were informed by NJ R. A. Off
cials, meanwhile, that while no def
mite policy has been determined, N.
r. A. is sympathetic" to price con-
troll provisions as made possible in
open price associations"
Such associations are made up Of
industries or businesses which publish
their prices before they go into effect
for the benefit of other members of
the groups.
President Roosevelt is expected to
the licensing provision of the recovery
act which expires in June.
However. Mr.. Roo-eVelt has not
taken up this subject with his ad-
visers pending completion of the N
/ r. A. code meetings now IN progress
here.
The President is keeping a vatch-
full eye on the efforts of the indus
trialist leaders to respond to his ap-
peal for shorter working hours and
higher wages.
1t was said today at the White
House a number of kilograms, almost
unanimously favorable, had been re-
ceived in response to the Presidents
address Monday in which he asked
/ for shorter hours and higher pay for
workers.
! A claim that further reduction CT
hours with increased pay might result
IN the layoff of higher paid employees
was made by r. G. Patterson. Indiana
member of the Wholesale Autcmotive
Trade Authority.
He contended also that it would be
uneconomic and unfair for those in
dustries which have already done a
| large part of the re-employing to
have to take on the burden caused
by lack of jobs in the durable goods
industry. Increasing costs Of distri-
button and service. he said, would be
commercial suicide
See Reconsideration.
A belief that N R. A. and President
Roosevelt would have to reconsider
the idea of an arbitrary reduction in
work hours throughout industry was
Continued on Page 5, Column l.)