Evening star., 1935-05-01
Mr.. A. EXTENSION
To APRIL | VOTED
BY SENATE GROUP
Finance Committee Reports
Measure Opposed by
Administration.
CURB ON PRICE FIXING
ORDERED INTO MEASURE
Control of Intrastate Commerce
to Be Removed in Re-
vising Law.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
By a vote of 16 to the Senate
Finance Committee today determined
to prepare and report favorably joint
resolution extending the N. R. A. until
April 1. 1886.
The action taken by the committee
was contrary to the advice given by
Donald r. Richberg. head Of the
N. r. A., and Secretary OF LABOR
Perkins during a conference with the
President and members Of the Senate
at the White House yesterday. Rich
berg advocated new law extending
and revising the N. r. A. to be effec-
tive for two years.
The joint resolution will contain, In
addition to the extension of the life
of the N. r. A. until April l, 1886,
three propositions, as follows:
Price Fixing Limited.
/. No price fixing shall be permitted
IN any code of fair competition except
those which deal with mineral natural
resources and now having price-f1xing
provisions.
2. That no trade engaged wholly in
intrastate commerce shall be eligible
for a code of fair competition.
8. The President shall have a GER
tain number of days to review the ex-
listing codes of fair competition and
see that they are amended to carry
out the first two propositions.
Senator Harrison of Mississippi,
chairman OF the Finance Committee,
declined to say what President Roose-
welt would do If such joint resolu-
ton were sent to him by Congress.
1t is believed, however, that the Presi-
dent would approve it.
Since the N r. A. will expire on
June 16 unless given additional life by
Congress. the President would have to
sign any measure sent to hlm to eX-
tend the agency or see 1t go out OF
existence next month. With only a
month and a half intervening and the
Senate in a mood to fight for weeks
over revision Of the national industrial
recovery act, 1t appears that the joint
resolution, with the modification indi-
Gated. is the best way out of bad
situation.
Harrison appointed subcommittee
to get the joint resolution into final
form. It consists of himself, Clark OF
Missouri and Hastings of Delaware.
The subcommittee was instructed to
report the joint resolution to the full
committee tomorrow morning.
McNary Approves.
Section IA, which assures to labor
the right of collective bargaining,
would remain in the law unchanged
during the life of the joint resolution.
Senator McNary, Republican leader,
expressed his approval of the deter
mination of the committee to report
out the joint resolution. He said he
believed such action would shorten the
present session of Congress by at least
two weeks and probably considerably
more.
Senator Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia,
one of those who voted against the
motion, said he had opposed it be-
cause 1t would authorize price-flxing
in industries dealing with mineral re-
sources. including oil and coal.
Senator Nye. Republican, of North
Dakota, who has been one of the
critics of the N r. A., said he favored
the idea.
A proposal offered by Senator Gore,
Democrat, of Oklahoma to limit The
pay of employees of the N. r. A. and
other emergency agencies of the Gov
ernment to $4,000, except where the
appointments were confirmed by the
Senate. was defeated by vote of II
to 3.
No roll call vote on the motion to
report the joint resolution extending
the N. r. A. until April l was taken.
The decision was made on a show Of
hands. The three Senators who are
understood to have opposed the
motion were La Toilette, Byrd and
Black.
La Toilette at the conference with
the President yesterday strongly urged
that Congress proceed without delay
to revise the whole N. r. A. act, in
stead of extending the act only until
April l with the amendments sug-
gested. President Roosevelt's recon-
mendation to Congress was for a new
N. r. A. law to run for two years.
Harrison for Compromise.
After the committee meeting Har-
rison said he had championed the
passage of the proposed joint resolu-
ton "as the best way out"
II believe we can pass the joint
resolution without a great deal Of
debate" Harrison said. 1T will con-
tinue the N. r. A. in existence and
full authority: 1t will give the Su-
preme Court every opportunity to pass
upon the constitutionality of the
N. r. A. When we meet in January
1t Is my idea that we can proceed
Immediately with the consideration of
the N. r. A. law so as to revise 1t
where necessary and extend its oper-
ations further"
Harrison expressed the opinion that
under the operation of the joint reso-
luton nearly all Of the defects of the
present N. r. A. law could be reme-
died. Indeed, he said, 30 per cent Of
the criticisms revealed in the investi-
ration which has been carried on by
the committee can be met through
the administration of the N r. A.
"I haven't the slightest doubt" said
Harrison, that under the direction Of
the President such changes will be
made as are necessary"
Clark Author of Plan.
. Clark made the original proposal
that the life Of the N, r. A. should
be extended by joint resolution until
next March or April.
Oyie proposal which was discussed,
butt which was not adopted, by the
would have made the ad-
nin{istration of all codes the response
ailiNN Of governmental agencies in