Evening star., 1934-02-18
code |SAPPROvED
|. FOR RGRAPH|C ARTS
Agreement Covering 300,-
coo Workers Was Pre-
pared Before Christmas.
BY the Associated Press.

The graphic arts code, covering the
entire field of printing and publish
ing, except for the larger newspapers,
yesterday was approved by President
Roosevelt, together with agreements
for the construction industrys gen.
eral contractors division and the ad-
vertising distributing trade.
The graphic arts code, covering in
dustries with more than 100000
workers, has been at the White House
since Christmas time. The newspaper
publishers code. sent to the President
with it, remains to be approved, but
action is expected soon.
Approval of these acts was accom-
panied by similar action on the part
OF Administrator Hugh S. johnson
Tor the codes Of the railway car build
ers, beauty and barber shop equip
ment manufacturers, and the pottery
supply and backwall and radiant in
dustrles The total OF approved codes
rose to 289.
Chemical Code Revised.
Other N. R. A. developments of the
| day INCLUDED announcement by John
son that the merit clause" had been
placed in the chemical code by error
and would be deleted. Johnson's
statement said:
AS this code was reported orig
lnally by former Division Admins
traitor Williams. it contained the So
called merit clause. I returned it tc
the division in order to have this
clause eliminated. Subsequently a re-
port was made by Division Admin
iStrator Berry that the merit clause
nad been eliminated and that article
IN It's present form does not violate
the established policy of the admin
lStratlon. N. h. A. officials were of
the opinion that the wrong CODY hao
peen put through for approval.
Fuohcation OF report, made by q
special N. K. A. commission, was an
hounced, recommending that work.
shops Of charitable institutions be ex-
empt from code wage and hour pro.
visions, but that college students work.
ing their way should not be given
exemption.
Opinions Asked.
An invitation was extended by
johnson, in statement on the forth.
coming assembly of code authorities
for a full and free expression of public
opinion on the N. r. A as a guide tc
the revision program of that meeting
The graphic arts code created two
major administrative divisions: The
first embracing commercial printing
publishing of all sorts, trade typeset-
ting, lithographic plate-making, ad
vertising TYPOGRAPHY and binding and
ruling.
Second. speciality printing groups
covering playing cards, labels, music
printing. posters. stationery, etc.
The first division was given foul
subdivisions: Relief printing, cover
| ing publications; intaglio or gravure
printing and engraving; lithographic
printing, and service groups.
Small daily newspapers are placed
under the first group subdivision
through the National Editorial ASSo.
citation, one Of the code proponents
which has numbers of daily paper
members doing a commercial printing
business.
The larger dailies. not operating job
printing plants. will come under the
American Newspaper Publishers Asso-
citation.
National Board Provided.
In approving the code the President
Cancelled provisions for creating labor
boards for the three principal divi-
sions, because of labor protests against
the way the arbitration agencies would
have worked. He provided instead
for creation of an 11-man nationaI
board to handle all labor disputes.
The Chief Executive also ruled thai
the 40-hour maximum work week
provided by the code must not bt
| construed as a minimum, and thai
wherever working printers are willing
to share their work with the unem-
ployed, the hours may be shortened.
Because nearly so separate code!
were merged into this pact, elaborate
machinery for governing representa-
ton was provided. and the President
added a requirement that no trade
association could continue to parti'
cipate in administration longer thar
a month unless it amended its by
laws to conform with the require
mentS of the industrial recovery act
Industry Ranks Fifth.
N. r. A. pointed out the code cov-
cred an industry ranking fifth ir
value of output, its usual production
in normal times running to S2,400,-
100000 annually.
The general contractors code is a
subdivision of the master construction
code, creating rules of fair practice
and regulations for the submission OF
construction bids.
The advertising distributing trade
door -to-door delivery of leaflets, ETC.
was given a 271a-cent an hour mini
mum in IA Southern States and sc
cents elsewhere. contrasted with earn
ings which have been as low as 81 .25
for a 10-hour day and no higher
than 81. A 40-hour average week Is
established and boys of IA are per-
mitted to work three hours daily.
In railway car building, the 40-houI
week was accompanied by 80 to 81
cent minimums for common labor
with women receiving 87l2 per cent
Of the minimum. The same hours
and similar wages for common labor
were established in the other codes
The special report en- disabled
workers and college students was
made by DR.. Frederick woodward
vice president, University of Chicago;
Oscar NJ Sullivan, president Ma
tional Rehabilitation Association, St
Paul. and Stanley P. Davis, general
director, the Charity Organization
Society New York.
Fears Declared Baseless.
This commission found that fears
that college boys working their way
would find their work cut off by codes