Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-06-12
BARROW REPORT
ASKS PROBE INTO
JOHNSON'S POWER
N. R. A. Chief Is Accused
of Responsibility in
Changing Codes.
BOARD SAYS POLICIES
UNSUITED TO AMERICA
Several Removals Demanded in
Second Finding-Cement
Pact Assailed.
BY the Associated Press.


A new denunciation Of N. r. A.
methods and codes. filed with Presi-
dent Roosevelt by the Darrow Review
Board, contained a demand for search
ing inquiry into alleged arbitrary
exercises Of power" by Hugh S. John
son.
Saying the rule of the military
commander is totally unsufted to the
genius, habits, traditions or psy-
chology Of the American people, and
wholly Intellectual in meeting the pres
ent national crisis" the board found
that the retail trade code had been
in a ''stealthy manner ruined" by
N. r. A. by changes made after it
was submitted by the industry.
At a press conference, johnson
labeled this charge ridiculous" said
probably so per cent of the codes had
to be changed before going to the
President and that in every case the
industry had been informed.
He had not yet read the report. he
said, but would answer it as he did
the first which created sensational
controversy on publication a month
ago with Johnson's answer attached.
Attack Retail Code.
The report. supposedly confidential
, until released by the President, was
slipped out in advance so today Chair
man Clarence Darrow gave out off,
cial copies.
Besides the retail trade code attack,
the Darrow group aSSailed the lumber
code, demanding removal of industry
| and Government officials connected
with it: the retail food code and the
boot and shoe manufacturers agree
ment. Others also were hit, but COM
| plants lodged against the electrical
manufacturing and hand embroidery
codes we're dismissed.
The report also complained Of high
handed monopolistic practices by the
| lumber code authorities both under
and around code authorizations.
The retail code changes denounced
involved insertion of the word "inac-
| curately" into a prohibition OF ad-
vertising claiming to undersell COM
! petitors.
Macy Fights Code.
r. H Macy q Co. of New York had
waged a campaign for that qualifica-
ton, contending its general under
selling claim was legitimate and
should not be interferred with.
Another Darrow protest was against
suspension in the original code of a
provision requiring fat 10 per cent
MAKEUP on all prices to cover labor
costs. The 10 per cent has since been
instituted by executive order, follow
ing an investigation.
Other notifications Of prohibitions
on various types of advertising, mostly
by insertion of the same word, in
accurately" were denounced.
On the retail food and grocery code.
the board protested permission for big
retailers to sell at a lower cost than
little ones, because Of their lover
priced purchases.
In this respect" the board said.
''the interests of the consumer would
seem at first to be disregarded. but IL
is to be remarked that at present the
real interest OF the consumer is that
VAiS SAAoh CiANSi ~ LoC oAldAl live dAlN hOb
die"
Coffee Is Cited.
Other complaints filed by the board:
That the coffee code requires mark
ing OF all blends in which cereals are
added to the ground coffee. but does
not require this of blends mixed with
chicory. which, it alleges, is used by
the larger companies.
That the plumbing fixture code pro-
hibitS sale of grade b" or slightly
damaged pieces, which is claimed to
discriminate because small manufac-
turers turn out four times as many
damaged pieces as big ones.
That the lead pencil code is DOM
mated by four big companies. oppress-
ing by many provisions small manu-
fscturers in Tennessee, depriving them
of low-price competition by reducing
their wage differential. by forbidding
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