Evening star., 1934-05-27
J0HNSON1S READY
WITH POWER CODE
Will Submit Revised Docu-
ment to President With
in Few Days.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Hugh S. johnson announced he
would submit to President Roosevelt
for approval, on or Immediately after
May 81, much revised code to cover
the electric light and power industry
simultaneously he requested all
power companies to file with him be-
fore that date, statements of assent
to the code if they desire to do so.
This novel procedure was adopted
because the code, subject of much
controversy and clamor over the Gov
ernment ownership issue, has been
rewritten drastically since public
hearings were held at administration
request by the industry's Code
Committee.
Government Units Excluded.
sions expressly excludes from the code
Federal, State. municipal, or other
publicly operated plants, enterprises
or authorities" unless they voluntarily
desire to obligate themselves to any
or all provisions.
The code requires creation Of a
23-member code authority selected
from five districts; the members to
be chosen in ratio to the kilowatt
hour production in each district,
and with specific representation fol
small units in each district.
1t rules that sale of electric appli-
ances by power companies shall be
conducted under terms of the retail
code until early hearings are held to
determine controversies which have
arisen.
There is no exemption from code
compliance for companies whose pub
licly owned competitors may not be
subscribing to code terms. There is
no provision for a national power
survey.
The code establishes basic
40-hour work week with extended
exemptions.
All Controversies Covered.
These points covered substantially
all controversial code issues of the
utility field. The industry originally
sought code which would compel OF
make advisable compliance by the
publicly-owned plants to place them
on straight competitive basis as far
as labor costs are concerned.
Government agencies protested and
N. r. A. announced it had no juris-
diction to approve anything Of the
sort. The Power Commission pro-
tested a code plan for a survey OF
electric resources which would have
been conducted under direction of the
industry, including some representa-
ton of public plants. The commits
sion pointed out that it already had
launched such a survey under orders
from President Roosevelt.
There was protest also against sub
mission of the code by the Edison
Electric Institute, which was chal-
lenged as to its true representation
of the entire industry. AS a result,
the code authority was widened and
constructed on localized basis.
Wage Minimums Set.
The code established the following
minimum wages: Operating employees
SIG, except in the South, SIS; Office
employees, SIS and $14 in the South
Office boys and girls, messengers, not
to exceed S per cent of the total office
force, $14 and s13; all others, 40 cents
an hour in the North, 80 cents in
the South.
Exemptions from the 40-hour limi-
tation Forty-eight hours for operat-
ing employees only in cities between
$4,000 and $500; 48 hours for both
operating and Office employees in
towns under $500. No hours restric-
tion are placed on employees in re-
mote, isolated places where reliefs are
impracticable; help engaged in emer-
gency operations; executive, man
agerial and supervisory employees re-
ceiving more than $35 week; out
side statesmen, demonstrators, right
of-way agents, collectors, investigators
and others serving wholly on COM
mission.