The Bismarck tribune., 1934-12-13

cIIOG0s Twelve mlulOn men ana WON.
en- were out Of work with no appar-
ent prospects Of bettering their condi-
ton. Factory chimneys were cold,
mines were deserted, machinery was
rusting away. Facilities Of distrihu-
tton were breaking down. The coun-
try was facing economic disintegra-
tion, with starvation for many SEEM
ingly just around the corner.
Take Child Workers Out
The basic theory Of the National
Industry Recovery Act was that In
dustry and business are carried on
for tho benefit Of people and that
people do not labor for the benefit
Of industry and business. The new
theory was instantly put into prac.
tice. Calling to Washington experts
In every branch Of production and
distribution, Administrator johnson
set about the framing Of codes. The
first blow struck was ct the age.old
institution Of child labor. It was
recognised that In . society where
unrestricted competition was the rule
Of business, the owners Of business
enterprises would. perforce. take ad-
vantage Of every method to lower
their costs and increase their profits.
With 50 much Of American manufac-
turing done almost solely BY mechan-
ical means, it had been found that
there was an increasing tendency to
children who would work for
less than half the wages adults de-
manded. This inevitably tended to
displace adults, adding them to the
hosts Of the unemployed. It was re-
cognised that child labor must be
abolished II jobs for adults were to
be multiplied.
Very early it became apparent that
the task Of codifying industry would
be q deliberate one. Meantime, un.
hung over the nation
like pail. Tho 0ordian knot OF
governmental red tape was cut by
the summary issuance Of the presi.
dents unemployment agreement. It
was q personal call for the nations
help on the part Of the president.
This was q blanket code which ap-
piled to all employers alike, although
It lacked legal force. Pending the
measured preparation Of specific
codes, this blanket code covered Ill.
It was argued that II more jobs
were to Be created IN an era when
technologic improvement Of machin-
cry was daily displacing workers, .
shorter work-day and q shorter work.
week would have to be adopted. T.
was recognized also that II the level
Of production was to be sustained ana
raised, Z demand for goods must be
made effectual. It was believed that
to create such m effectual demand,
more wages would have to be put into
the hands Of labor. Turn the MIRA
this way and that, look at 1t In the
light, and these simple and direct OBJ
jectives win be revealed, It Is claimed,
as its whole purpose, its genius. and
its justification.
Blanket Code Covers Nation
So then, to begin with, the blanket
code provided maximum daily and
weekly hours, usually not exceeding
8 per day and q per week, and mimi
mum wages, usually not falling below
$3.50 per week. At once. therefore.
all child workers under the are Of l6I
were eliminated, al those who had
been working longer hours were told
TO stop work beyond the maximum
and millions Of dollars
extra we're put In workeEs' pockets.
This extra pay instantly began TO-
create . demand for goods which re-
quired employment Of more persons.
Between the beginning Of the 1unc-
tioning Of the MIRA and Labor Day
1T the end Of that epochal summer.
, 100000 Americans found Jobs. This
had been accomplished almost wholly
under the blanket code which had
been signed by 2,300.000 individual
employers Of some l6.200, 900 workers.
OF the utmost Importance IN rally
Ing the nation to follow its spirit
toward recovery was the invention Of
the Blue Eagle. It was realized that
khe new economic revolution required
some symbol to which the people
could look. So the National Recovery
Administration provided that all en-
ployers who agreed to the blanket
code. or. later. to specific codes.
should enjoy the privilege Of display
Inc this symbol. which had the quail