Evening star., 1934-03-10
INCREASE IN STORE
SALES IS HAILED
BY n. R. A. CHIEFS
Federal Reserve Board An
nounCeS Is Per Cent lump
in January and February.
REFRACTORIES INDUSTRY
PROPOSES HOUR SLASH
Resignation of Three Major Exec
utives Creates New Troubles
for Administration.
BY the Associated Press.

new sign Of better buSineSS-inCreaSed
department store sales. Also, it en-
joyed the first fruit of its hour
reducing campaign.
The announcement that depart
ment store sales increased II per cent
for the first two months of 1884, as
compared with last year, came from
the Federal Reserve Board.
Announcement of a proposed 10
per cent hour slash, without a reduc-
ton in pay, was made by the refrac-
tories industry. The employment OF
about 1000 more men was indicated.
The N. r. A, however. continued
TO have troubles of its own Three
major designations on its staff be-
came known.
DR.. Paul H Douglas of the Con-
sumers' Advisory Board resigned, ef-
fective April |, to return to the Uni
versity of Chicago; Maj. r. B. Pad
dock, deputy administrator, will leave
within a few days to head the cotton
garment industry. and L. H. Tomp-
kinS, personnel adviser to Admins
TRAITOR Hugh S. Johnson, has left to
resume his Office as executive vice
president of United States Rubber Co.
Complaints Examined.
Meanwhile, Blue Eagle enforcement
activities doomed as N. r. A. and
the Department of Justice, with an
additional force, undertook the i'm
mediate examination of several hun
dred complaints with view to quick
action in the courts.
State and Federal attorneys in
Colorado were called on TO take over
seven complaints under the coal code.
w H. Davis, N R. A compliance
officer, said the Colorado action, al
though of an emergency nature,
might be invoked in other States
where practicable in order to eype-
dite enforcement and that it repre-
sented the general trend toward de-
centralization of compliance work.
johnson has a new case under the
company union issue before him. The
E. G. Budd Manufacturing Co. of
Philadelphia was charged with
holding an election of its employees
despite direct orders from Davis to
postpone it for 10 days.
Were Long Term Workers.
The designations of Paddock and
Tompkins remove two of N. R A. S
long-term workers. Paddock came to
N. r. A. last June 16 and has heard
rs industries seeking codes, while 80
codes under his administration have
been approved.
TopkinS, first a member of N. R.
AS Industrial Advisory Board, be-
came organizer of the trade practice
compliance division, and then special
assistant to johnson on personnel
Douglas, an economic expert on
consumer problems, was active in the
development of the idea Of consumer
councils throughout the Nation.
Division Administrator A. D. White
side, one of N R. A S oldest members.
has renewed his efforts to resign. re-
questing johnson to excuse him by
the end Of this month
Store Sales Up Is Per Cent.
The Federal Reserve Board said
February department store sales
showed a l6 per cent increase over
this month last year, with every Fed
tIdl ISStING OISlllCl SIldllIlS Ill Cllt
boost.
Aggregate sales for the first two
months of 1884, it said, brought the
increase to II per cent above the same
1888 months.
preliminary figures indicate" the
board said, that as is usual at this
season there was little change in de-
partment store sales from the preced-
ing month.
The Federal Reserve Boards index,
which makes allowances both for the
number of business days and for usual
seasonable changes, was 10 in Feb
ruary on the basis of the 1923-1925
average as 100, compared with SO in
January and SO in December"
The percentages of increase in each
reserve district as compared with Feb
ruary last year, wee:
Boston 9, New .ork 6, Philadelphia
8. Cleveland -. Richmond IL, Atlanta
81, ChicaR' 80. st. Louis "a Mime
apoliS =, Kansas City 81, Dallas 38
and I'm Francisco IA.
Agree to Reduce Hours.
The announcement by the code au-
thority of the refractories industry
that it had agreed unanimously to
reduce working hours from 40 to 36
withour reducing pay was one OF the
first favorable responses by a code
authority to the Presidents plea for
a slash in hours
The code authority said, however,
that its decision would be submitted
to members of the industry.
The N. R. A. announcement said
that the action, if ratified, would re-
suit in the unemployment of about
1000 additional men. The refrac-
tories industry. makers of crucibles,
friedrich and other materials used in
the production of iron, steel, glass and
pottery, employs about 10000 workers.
Davis Issues Statement.
In connection with the Budd case,
Davis issued this statement:
The administrator agreed yester-
day to give the Budd case his per-
sonal consideration, and for that pur-
pose the official poll was postponed
by the compliance director.
The compliance director has not
been informed about any details of the
alleged poll taken in the Budd plant.
When he is, that information will be
laid before Gen Johnson"
The matter might be referred to the
Department of Justice, as the National
Labor Board did in the W'eirton case,
should N. R. A. decide yesterdays cleo
ton is illegal and the Budd company
refuse to obey further orders.
Davis said the plan for prosecution
of coal code violators in Colorado was
decided upon after conferences be-
tween the State compliance director.
the Federal district attorney, the
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