Evening star., 1934-02-27

had to do was to patronize Blue Eagle
firms and ignore the rest. No en-
ployer could afford not to have the
Blue Eagle and to have the Blue Eagle
he had to. play the game. That is the
reason for this campaign of misrep-
reservations of N. r. A. That's all
there Is, to these personal assaults
all there is to what has recently dis
closed itself as a concerted action by
Misrepresentation to break down the
N. r. A. 1t is the work of gentlemen
who consider it God-given right to
sit at first table of the great American
dining room and who simply cannot
abide the idea that the mass of people
of this country have any right to any,
thing more than left-overs and what
ever drops to the floor. Our efforts to
the contrary are-accordingly-"bally-
hoo" and to their minds the way to
destroy them Is to try to fool people
into believing that they are a failure
and of no use.
New Drive Promised.
Well, gentlemen. it won't work. You
can't get away with 1t. Ninety per
cent of industry is under codes. All
OF 1t Is under codes or agreements.
The Blue Eagle has just begun to
function. We are going on as we
have begun. We are about to embark
on new Blue Eagle campaign and
new and much tighter drive for COM
pliance. These meetings are the first
move in a closing up of our ranks
for a new forward movement by N
r. A. Chance or circumstance may
stop it, but you are not going to
stop it CT even make it falter.
So much for the Blue Eagle and
these attempts to clip his wings. Now
let's get back to few words more on
the purpose Of these two great confer
ences.
The unemployment agreement con-
tanned very few trade practices and
exceptions and stays were all handled
by single small board giving uni
formity of result-but when the codes
came in they covered aWide range of
provisions. Each required special
study and negotiation and a very large
number of officials to deal with a vast
variety. The need for action was
great and urgent and. with so many
hearings and determinations going on
at once. it was unavoidable that
considerable degree of ununiformity
should creep into the codes. All of
the proposals were experimental. We
felt that the important thing was to
get all of industry codified and that
considerable variety of tentative
provisions was very necessary for the
purpose of experimentation and study.
We could change them later as soon
as We could prove what was good and
what was bad-not by academic con-
jecture-but by experience.
Hopes for Improvement
This variety served to raise most OF
the complaints and objections which
have already listed 1t is our hope
that. out of the criticism and COM
ment received here. and the wealth
OF material of a similar sort We have
already accumulated. we may be able.
on the eve of the new and more pro-
sale phase of code administration
into which We are now passing, TO
do much to make for vast improve
ment ii the whole great organized
economic structure under ~ r. A.
Therefore, We welcome you We
will try to give you every opportunity
to present your case. We Will record
that presentation and give it earnest
consideration in connection with the
code conference. You will under
stand that there are rules necessary
to orderly procedure that We must ask
you to observe You will also under
stand from what 1 have said why
that we will not receive personal
aSpersions. Neither will we receive
attacks on the law itself because that
is not a matter within our control
1t should be taken up with Congress.
Nor will We entertain attacks on other
departments of Government or the
statement of general policy laid down
by the President in setting up this
organization. These, too. are mat
ters not within our control. We are
here to hear of our own policies.
methods. acts, errors, mistakes and
plumbers, and not those of anybody
else over whose acts We have no con-
troll and for whose results We are not
responsible.