The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-02-20

The finance committee
voted to undertake the NRA
study asked by Senators
Gerald Nye (R., N. d. and
Pat McCarran d., New.
Chairman Pat Harrison 3D.,
Missy, said this investigation
would form the basis of the
new legislation proposed by
Mr.. Roosevelt.
The Presidents message asked
that the recovery act be strength
ened to preserve broad gains which
he credited to NRA.
The President in his message
asked that:
l. Powers be guaranteed to impose
minimum standards of competition,
labor relations, wages and hours on
recalcitrant industries.
2. Government supervision of nat
ural resource industries be assured
to eliminate waste, control output
and prevent ruinous price cutting.
3. Jail sentences for code violation
be eliminated.
4. Small businesses be given added
protection and antitrust laws more
adequately enforced.
The President will not submit a
specific draft of the proposed NRA
changes.
Abandonment UnthinkabIe'
Mr.. Roosevelt declared that aban.
donment of the NRA was "unthink-
able" and struck at "carping critics"
as those seeking political adj
vantage"
Admitting mistakes, the President
credited NRA with putting 100000
persons to work, eliminating child
labor, sweatshops, starvation wages,
excessive hours of labor, and bring
ing great gains to industry by
reducing destructive practices and
improving industrial relations.
THE fundamental purposes and
principles of the act /are sound"
said Mr.. Roosevelt. ITO abandon
them is unthinkable. 1t would spell
the return of industrial and labor
chaos"
Interpreting his message, Mr..
Roosevelt said that he felt clarif1ca-
ton of the law and improvement
Of court procedure would eliminate
any necessity for jail sentences for
code violators.
Swift Court Action Needed
He said faster court action was
needed to halt "chiseling practices"
which he said could be stopped with
out Jail penalties if the legal remedy
were quick enough.
The President refused to interpret
his suggestions regarding natural
resources such as coal, oil and gas
as a recommendation that they be
made public utilities. However, he
admitted this was a difficult point
and open to debate.
The power of imposing minimum
codes asked by the President APP
peared to represent a qualified re-
turn to the code imposing powers he
held under the first year of the re-
covery act. This power expired last
June.
Mr.. Roosevelt declared that private
price fixing should not be allowed.
Natural resources, however, he
placed in separate category.
High Court Test Near
The recommendations came as
the present price fixing features of
NRA codes were nearing Supreme
Court test. Several such cases have
arisen and are expected to be under
consideration before Congress con-
cludes action on the MIRA recon-
Mr.. Roosevelt made no specific
to Congress on the
controversial Section IA of the
MIRA. He merely said that:
"The right Of employees freely to
for the purpose Of collec-
tive bargaining should be fully pro-
tected."
This leaves decision on the
touchy question up to Congress
where Senator Robert F. Wagner
Cd, N. " is preparing a fight for
his labor disputes bill, strengthens
inn and clarifying Iahor'S riCbtc