The Washington times., 1934-08-27
CITES BUSINESS
BUYING POWER
INCREASES
First Report to the President
A Glowing Account of the
NRA Accomplishments
International News Service

International News Service
Sweeping advances in relief OF
Industrial unemployment through
private enterprise and pu b lie
works were outlined in the first
section of the report of the admin
istration executive council, which
was in the hands of President
Roosevelt today.
The report was written by Don
aid R. Richberg, council secretary
and director of the Emergency Re
lief Council, who now apparently
is a leading influence in reorgani-
zation of the NRA.
Mr.. Richberg has been charged
with the task of painting the en-
tire picture of the AdminiStra-
tons accomplishments. Later re-
ports will chronicle the relief OF
agricultural distress, destitution
and financial pressure; advance in
public services and promotion OF
foreign trade.
6,951,523 Put To Work
President Roosevelt, upon re-
eeipt of the entire report, will be
able to determine whether charges
are true that Gov ernmental
agencies are working at cross pur-
poses, are overlapping or clogging
the recovery machinery. The Rich
berg report said:
"The primary problem of re-
cOvery may be stated as the re-
lief of unemployment, including
therein relief from unprOfit-
able employment Tin industry
through inadequate wages and
in agriculture through made
quate prices)."
During the past year Federal
and State employment services
have placed 6,951,523 men in jobs
out of total of 1881, ,508 appi-
cants, the report declared.
Placements we're as follows:
1,403,358 on public works projects;
4,123,925 on civil works; 1,305,873
in private employment, and 49,
367 in Government service.
4O,OOO,OOO On Jobs
NRA figures, also quoted by
Mr.. Richberg, showed that 40, ,l8O,-
600 persons were employed in the
United States in June, 1884, an
increase of 4,12O,0O0 over the low
figure of March, 1888, and gain
of 2,32O,OO0 over June, 1888.
"The latter increase is mainly
due to shortening of hours un-
der NRA codes"
Other beneficent effects of NRA
codes, according to Mr.. Richberg,
were:
Labor's share in the national
income rose from 58.3 per cent in
June, 1888, to 62.5 per cent in
June, 1884.
Total wages in manufacturing
industries mounted from 96 mil
lion dollars a week to 1872 million
dollars in the same period. This
is a gain of 37.5 per cent, while
the cost of living climbed only 9.6
per cent.
The work week has been re,
duced an average of six hours.
Average hourly earnings have
been raised 26 per cent to 55.2
cents an hour.
Average hours now are 81 a
week.
A. F. of L. gains heavily
Child labor has been elimi
mated and sweat shop employ
ment reduced.
The right of labor organization
has advanced far with more than
two million additions to the Amer
tcan Federation of Labor.
Business failures from February
to May this year were more than
40 per cent lower than in the last
boom year 1929.
The index of corporation prof
its mounted from the deficit fig
ure of 60 in the first quarter OF
1888 to the profit figure of 33.2
in the second quarter of 1884.
In the bituminouS coal indus
try, 100000 workers have obtained
q pay raise of approximately one
dollar day and the business has
become stabilized and profitable
A phenomenal advance in the
production and sale of automo-
biles has occurred.
Oil Climbs to 81
The price of crude oil has risen
from 10 cents a barrel to 81, with
no material advance in retail
prices.
Mr.. Richberg made public q
recommendation of Secretary Of
the Interior Harold L. IckeS fo1
continuing loans by the Public
Works Administration for perloc
of at least two years after JUNE
Is, 1885.
Nearly $4,000 men now ART
working on public works of
total value of $1,821,617000, the
report said. In September, the
pay roll will climb to 100000, il
predicted.
S1avinU SuSnnCt