The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-15
RICHBERG STEPS
DOWN, LEAVING
GREAT RECORD
Assistant President Puts
IndeIibIe Marks on
Recovery Course.
BY HERBERT LITTLE
Times special Writer

SIDE the tents OF the mighty To-
morrow.
He is Donald r. Richberg. some
times appropriately called assist
ant president for he ran several
Of the New Deals big shows and his
advice affected the destilies OF
others
He leaves non for a 60-day yaca-
ton devoted 10 wife. child and golf.
Thereafter he viii return 20 his Law
practice unless called in again by
President Roosevelt.
Many Of the marks Mr.. RichOerg
has helped TO make IN the govern
ment are likely 10 endure. although
the President rejected. temporarily
az least. his parting advice that Mr.
Roosevelt try 70 erect a new NRA
on the foundation Of the Supreme
Courts own definitions.
Wrote Section IA
Chief Of these marks is the estab-
Lshment Of collective bargaining
rights as a national policy that is
nov Endorsed by Republicans as
well as New Dealers He wrote
Section "A Of MIRA and the public
works section He and Senator
Robert Wagner ID. n. " almost
alone forced the labor and hour pro-
visions into the bill. He is largely
responsible for the abolition Of
child labor under the codes.
Before NRA, Mr. Richberg had
fought in progressive political bat
ties. from Teddy Roosevelt in 1912
through Fighting Bob la Toilette
in 1924. AS counsel for the railroad
brotherhOOds. ne wrote the 1926
Railroad Labor Act which gave rail
workers the collective bargaining
guarantees which later went into
IA.
After his participation in the
drafting Of MIRA. Gen. Hugh john
son and the President asked him TO
become general counsel Of NRA.
Advice Overriden
Here he soon became an i'm
pOrtant figure in the Administra-
ton. But Gen. johnson Over-rOde
his advice against the Blue Eagle
camnaign. against price fixing and
production controls. Mr.. Richberg
would have limited such controls to
a prohibition Of belOw-cOSt sales and
to temporary production controls in
industries which glutted their mar
kets. such as textiles.
Mr.. Richberg advised simple codes
limited in number. Gen johnson
considered it best 10 give nearly
every industry cOde-mOre than
500 Of them--and many were COM
pick.
When Gen. johnson stepped out
after Is months. Mr.. Richberg was
promoted TO the National Emer-
Cency Council as its director, and
conservative Clay Williams was
drafted 10 show business, with NJ.
Pichberg's aid. that codes could
operate without ballyhOO. Mr.. Rich
berg came back to NRA after six
months. to replace Mr.. Williams as
chairman Of the Recovery Board.
Attacked by Labor
Fof l.. leaders turned against
him. particularly because OF the au-
tomObile code renewal-which was
COMPROMISE to avoid labor warfare
He was also criticised for the Presi-
dents refusal to let the National
Labor Relations Board hear news
paper code case. in which MI Rlcn-
berg acted for the White House. And
there was a controversy with the
FEDERAL Trade Commission. when
attacked the steel codes multiple
basing point system-a system which
the industry had used for years be-
fore NRA.
In the main. under Mr.. William.
and Mr.. Richberg. NRA set out to
suspend as many Of the extreme
trade practice provisions as industry
would accept. Relatively few effec-
tive price-fxing provisions remained
on the fateful afternoon OF Nav p.
when the Supreme Court decided the
ScheCter case.
Mr.. Richberg personally argued
this case before the court. He stu
thinks Il was a good test. II IN
volved all points Of MIRA The
New York Circuit Court of Appeals.
with three Of the cOuntTy's greatest
ilriSts. had handed down simply
written Interpretation upholding
NRA as constitutional all down the
line. II held that hour and wage
provisions we're invalid only as TO
live poultry Slaughtering. because OF
their local effects. II reStated and
supported the current Of COM
nerce" theory-vhich the Supreme
Court presently dealt a staggering
blow in its reversal Of the decision.
His Swan Song
Mr.. Richberg's valedictory. given
the other day in a commencement
address at Knox College. in Illinois,
illustrates his 1885 ideas:
The shades Of a prison house.
he said. are closing down upon mil
lions for whom there is no employ
ment today and upon other millions
for whom there Is little security to-
dsy and the prospect Of less to-
morrow .
The constitution Of a political
government must provide for de-
veloping and maintaining the con-
stitution Of an economic government
under which men can enjoy life
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness
or that political constitution viii
prove 70 be a mockery and a delu-
sion. This issue az least is being
made clearer day by day"