Evening star., 1934-02-27
R|CHBERG REVIEWS
SUCCESS OF n. R. A..
Re.emp|oying Of 100000
Claimed by Counsel in
Forum Talk.

program and to apply remedies, Dom
aid r. Richberg, general counsel, last
night reviewed the accomplishments
OF this unparalleled venture and dis
cussed the problems that confront it.
Richberg spoke in the National
Radio Forum. arranged by The Star
and broadcast over a coast -to-coast
network of the National Broadcasting
Co.
The outstanding benefit that. has
accrued. the speaker said. is the re-
employment of some 5000 900 work
ers, with a pay roll increase of ap-
proximately $4,000 100000 annually.
New Labor Problems Seen.
But these figures do not show the
effect of stopping the downward
spiral of the depression and the res
toration of economic security to over
100000 breaGwinners." he added.
For the future. Mr.. Richberg said,
there are new problems Of labor rela-
tons which call for more co-opera-
ton between employer and employe.
Another major problem he con-
tinued. arises out Of the need of
preventing unfair competition through
price cutting which is the inevitable
forerunner of wage cutting
Most important, the speaker said,
Is the problem of effecting code ad-
ministration in manner that will do
justice to producers, to labor and to
consumers.
Text of Address.
The text of Mr. Richberg's address
follows:
This National Radio Forum occurs
on the eve Of two of the most extrao--
dinary meetings ever held in Wash
ington The National Recovery Ad-
nlinistration was born June Is, 1888.
1t did not spring full armed from the
brain of any godfather, but it has
grown very rapidly in eight months
from an idea to an institution. In
these months it was necessary for the
n. R. A. to organize itself and at the
same time to organize the trades and
industries of the Nation in support of
an emergency relief program and
permanent program of economic re-
covery.
This formative period is now draw
ing to close. The major trades and
industries under codes of fair compe-
tition have before them an opportu-
nifty to combine self-serVice and pub
lie service in the operation of an
industrial self government hitherto
untried in this or any other nation.
The National Recovery Administra-
ton now becomes in fact the admin
traitor Of an industrial reorganization
which has been planned and imple-
r1ented to make permanent the gains
of business revival to which it has
already given powerful impetus and
a definite direction.
1t is the proper time for coming
out party. which. however, is de-
signed not as a celebration of achieve
ments. but as the rededication of a
very young and immature department
Of Government to a great task which
is just unfolding In this spirit and
for this purpose two large gatherings
have been arranged.
Open for Suggestions.
l. Tomorrow. February 81, will be-
Gin a series OF public meetings de-
signed to give every responsible critic
Of the N. r. A. an opportunity, in
person or in writing, to offer his sug-
gestions for improving either the poll
cies or the administration of the
industrial recovery program.
2, After a week of such public dis
c,lssions there will begin on March
a general conference of code authori-
ties and trade association code COM
mlttees to work out the ways and
means of improving codes and their
administration.
The calling of these meetings typi-
fles the methods which Gen. johnson
has used from the beginning Of his
service as administrator. The max
ing of codes has been carried on in
gold fish boW"-under unlimited
public scrutiny The doors have been
open to constant flow OF public
criticism and advice. Controversies
between conflicting interests have
been invited. Out of the vigorous.
self-interested arguments of mana
gers, workers and consumers. out of
the clashing aims of competing in
dustries and of big and little enter
prises-have been developed far bet
ter understandings of the problems
OF our commercial life than could be
obtained through years of academic
research. We have come to grips
with the actual problems of produc-
tion and exchange; and we have been
able to induce men trained and COM
petent in their own lines of busi-
ness, but frequently ignorant or care
less OF their public obligations, to
undertake some responsibility for
operating their enterprises in har-
mony with the general welfare.
Rigid Rules Impossible.
In this formative period of reorgan-
ization and integration of business.
1t has been impossible, and it would
have been unWise, to lay down rigid
rules and formulas for code making.
In the phrase which we heard until
it became byword and almost a jest,
every business has it's peculiar con-
ditions." 1t was frequently evident
that code requirement which
might stabilize one industry and
save small enterprises from extinction
would have precisely the opposite
effect in another industry. We
adopted the deliberate policy of
approving codes based on different
economic theories and inconsistent
business policies. We had embarked
on vast experiment-anda trial of
government. Let one industry
experiment with open price filing
and another with regional market
ing associations; let one try alloca-
tions OF production and another
limitation Of machine hours. Let
different trades try varied methods
to prevent selling lelow cost and
other unfair competitive practices.
In case of considerable doubt as to
the effect upon the public interest let
q code provision be made effective
for only a brief period. Out of
frank use of the trial and error
method We would arrive at conclu-
sions Of fact instead of conjectures