Evening star., 1935-03-08
The N. r. A. Problem.

With the testimony of Donald r.
Richberg, executive director of the
National Emergency Council, the Sem
ate Committee on Finance opened
yesterday its investigation" of the
N. r. A. and its operations. Mr.. Rich
berg presented recommendations, re-
garded as the recommendations of the
Roosevelt administration, for the con-
tinuance of the N. r. A., for it is the
duty of the committee not only to in
vestigate but also to prepare legisla-
ton for its extension.
Mr.. Richberg's proposals necessarily
are of outstanding interest. Some Of
them lack definiteness as he presented
them yesterday. The details may be
cleared up later. What he proposed
represented at once contraction, a
drawing in of the wings of the Blue
Eagle and a Strengthening of the
powers given the President to fix min
imum wages and maximum hours Of
labor. to control unfair practices in
business and natural resources"
A suggestion that the N. r. A. be
limited to businesses engaged in inter-
state commerce made by Mr.. Richberg
is at once one of the most interesting
and perhaps one of the most far
reaching of the whole program out
lined. While such a plan may we'll
be designed to meet the attacks which
have been made on the constitution
ality of the N. I. r. A. in the courts,
and which have been sustained In
some Of them. it is likely to meet
strenuous opposition from labor.
Admittedly the administration is in a
difficult spot, so far as this key meas
use of the New Deal Is concerned. 1t
wishes to preserve what 1t conceives
to be the benefits of the national
industrial recovery act, and at the
same time it is realizing more and
more that there are limits beyond
which the N. r. A. cannot go with
out running foul of the basic law of
the country.
In the first rush to set up this new
plan for dealing with industry and
business, too much territory was
taken in. 1t has been contracted from
time to time. And now it is proposed
to contract 1t still further. That has
been the advice of many of the
friends of the N r. A.. as we'll as the
demand Of some of its opponents.
Mr.. Richberg admitted that injus-
tees have been done under the opera
ton of the N. r. A. and his excuse
was that the whole plan is in the
experimental stage. AS proposed by
the President in his message to Con-
gress dealing with the N. R. A, Mr..
Richberg recommended to the Sem
ate committee the extension of the
plan for another two years from next
June 16. Apparently the idea is that
other changes and amendments in
the law are likely to become neces-
sary as more experience is had. Or
perhaps the proponents of the N. r. A.
are seeking to avoid a very definite
struggle which would arise in Con-
gress If it was sought to enact a
permanent" N. r. A. law at this
time. 1t is going to be difficult
enough putting through a continuing
act, limited to two years. as it is.
Congress and the country may well
ponder, however, what is to be the al
tentative if the N. r. A. were scrapped
entirely. Very definitely the N. r. A
was the measure with which the pro-
posed thirty-hour work week bill was
headed off in the last Congress.
There is q definite campaign on today
for the enactment of such a law, and
if the N. r. A. is abandoned the
thirty-hour work week bill may be
expanded to cover other important
matters.