The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-19
Program Got Under Way In.
der Cloud of Enthusiasm
Last Summer
AMERICANS BEGAN TO THINK

Wage Scales Lifted and Thou
sands Back at Work Un-
der Wide Program
This is the last Of II articles
on America Under the Blue
Eagle
BY WILLIS THORNTON
(NEA Service staff Correspondent
Washington. d. c., Jan. It's the
MIRA a success?
That Is the eager question every
body asks you when you return from
a 5OOO-mile swing around the coun-
try. trying to learn something OF the
recovery program - the most compli-
Gated. most far-reaching experiment
Of American history.
To answer so fearful question in
ore word. yes or no, is the height OF
bnprudence But that is the way
every questioner wants it ay,Wered.
So, balancing the good with the
oad as I have seen them, I would
hazard an ansWer-the answer given
in the last paragraph Of this story.
Millions Set to Thinking
And this is the way I would review
N my mind the things have seen,
before arriving at a conclusion.
When the NRA was launched last
June. it got off in a cloud of ballyhoo.
I believe that during those first two
hectic months Of the blanket code
thousands signed. borne on the wave
of enthusiasm, who hadn't the faint
est idea what 1t was all about.
Nevertheless, literally millions were
PIT to work and many skinny, star
vation wage was raised to decency.
And best Of all. tens Of millions
of Americans were set to think
ing. They were made to realize
that their business, their job. de-
ponds on the general welfare
Of all.
You hear this discussed wherever
men gather - the smOking-car story
literally has been replaced by the
economic forum. And when you get
millions OF American brains concen-
trated on finding solution to our
common problems instead OF on the
.tock market and the farmers daugh-
ter. you've done something.
The Chiseling Begins
But when the first fine frenzy died
the chiseling began. believe chisel-
ing has been much more widespread
than optimistic compliance board re.
ports indicate.
But this is 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 evil
dence Of single firm actually
forced out Of business by in
creased costs under any code.
Many employers protested that
they could not pay such wages
and continue business. Though
inquired In every town visited.
could not find one who actually
gave up.
The DUN and Bradstreet fig.
ures for 1888 on business failures
seem to bear this out-they run
for 1888 about half of those in
1882.
Neither have I been able to find
Ally evidence tn 1T refusing to CO.
operate in the Blue Eagle drive led
to the economic death" threatened te
General johnson.
The public. In my opinion, largely
refused to back up the Eagle II this
meant spending a few cents more ii
7atronizing an Eagle establishment
Ford, the outstanding rebel against
the Blue Eagle. sold more cars in De.
cember than for years.
The Codes
believe thousands will seize the
end of their presidential agreement,
dec. 81 LAST as chance to duck out
OF their responsibilities under the
blanket code. No one can do any
thing about that. It Is their right.
But even this won't matter much
For the permanent codes are beine
adopted so last that by the time com.
nliance under the blanket code dwin.
dies to almost nothing, as it will. In.
dustries will be so completely covered
by permanent codes that there will bt
,o letdown. and the gap will bs
bridged without murmur.
The permanent codes are a horse
OF another color. I believe that here
the benefits are SO great and so un.
questionable that many Of them viii
remain after the NRA in its present
form IS forgotten. for these codes hav,
changed the entire face Of American
business.
The evidence here seems beyone
question. Oil and lumber conserva.
ton, dreams Of three decades. becam.
realities overnight by agreement!
among producers to stop wasting nat.
lral resources and cease profitless
throat-cutting competition. Steel ane
textiles like their codes. and stabil.
'ty Of employment never known be.
fore now Is seen In those industries
Rackets Hard Hit
Rackets were struck telling blow
in the coding Of dry cleaning: tht
vestigial remains of child labor II
the textile mills was stamped out over
night.
A thousand vicious trade practices
are being prescribed and either stamp
ed out or placed in such bad odol
! that they will die.
There Is every reason to believe tina
compliance under the permanent code
will be far stricter than under tn
blanket code. It has been 50 under tn,
codes adopted thus far, and 1t Shout,
get better Is the code authorities per
feet organization.
There will be continual shifting
and changing In the details Of
these codes, but the general prin-
ciple y ret up and established,
and business men agree almost
| unanimously that the principle b
| hero 70 stay, even beyond the pres
ent NRA act. And they seem rec
oneiled - the fact.
How Labor II Affected
! The MIRA set organized labor In
ferment. In general. membership l