Evening star., 1935-05-29

tCOpVfl"nt. lHS5. by the Associated PreSst
CHICAGO, May 80. Countless
thousands OF American employees today
received the reassuring answer Of
mol" to the question foremost in their
minds, will our hours and wages be
disturbed by the Supreme Courts
N. r. A. decision?"
! From the country's far flung indus
trial front reports which poured into
/ this crossroads of the Nation indi-
Gated that numerous large industries
were standing by their present stand
ards of hours and wages, despite the
| high court ruling that legally the
Blue Eagle is as dead as the dodo bird.
! Concurrent with these assurances
came warnings from industrial leaders
that hasty price cutting might lead 10
decentralization Of business. Evil
dence that such a danger existed came
/ from New York, where some dealers
slashed prices OF popular brands of
cigarettes by about cents a package.
Price cutting also was seen in the
toilet goods, liquor and book fields.
Blue Eagle Spirit Lives.
The reports that the Blue Eagles
spirit is still fiuttering came from
widely-separated industrial centers.
They included statements TO this effect
/ from Philip K. Wrigley. president of
the William Wrigley. jr., Co., gum
manufacturers; John McKinlay. presi-
( dent of Marshal Field & Co: tn In
ternational Association of Blue Print
and Allied Industries; Mark Cressup,
president Of Hart SchafIner d Marx,
clothing manufacturers: F. W. A.
Vesper. president of the National
/ Automobile Dealers Association; the
General Foods Corp. of New York, the
National Association of Manufacturers
/ the Aluminium Co. of America. D. F.
/ Kelly president Of The Fair, Chicago
department store operators; the Chrys-
Ter Motor Car Co, the Retail Mer-
chants Association OF San Francisco
and many others.
| Speaking as chairman of the Mems
| Clothing Code Authority, Cressup
said: About 10000 people have been
put back TO work in the industry, and
! to do anything to disturb that situa-
ton at present would create q most
/ chaotic condition"
/ From Clarel B. MapeS, secretary of
the MidContinent Oil and Gas As
sociation. came the opinion: Il mag
! inc the entire code set-up will hold
together awaiting further legislation
for the time being"
Roosevelt Gets Messages.
While industrial and business leaders
! were attempting TO reaSsure their
employees that the N. r. A. standards
would be maintained, movements were
started in various sections to perpetu-
ate the spirit Of the Blue Eagle. They
! included the introduction Of a reso-
| luton in the Massachusetts Legisla-
| ture calling upon President Roosevelt
| to indorse q movement begun in that
| State two years ago by which mini
mum wages and other related matters
would be established by law instead
of codes.
On the other side of the continent
the Retail Druggists Association of
Northern California telegraphed the
President. asking proclamation re-
! questing voluntary compliance with
the N. r. AS codes.
The Chicago Board Of Trade an
nounced it would continue to enforce
uniform trade practices and margin
requirements. and Arthur Besse.
president of the woolen manufacturers,
telegraphed from New York to woolen
mills and sales agents recommended
| ton for continuance of the N. r. A.
| code standards on voluntary agree
ment" basis. lie urged especially that
there be no increase in hours Of en-
| ployment.
Others Less Definite.
A less definite attitude was reflected,
however, in some other quarters. Ed
ward G. Seubert president of the
Standard Oil Co. of Indiana, said:
I'VE are studying the effects Of the
Courts decision at the present time.
but there is no change contemplated
Immediately" Officials Of Armour u
Co.. Chicago packers. reported they
were awaiting developments, but
planned no immediate change in
wages or working hours. This con-
Germ employees $4,000 persons through
out the world. 10000 Of whom work in
the United States.
I'VE have no statement to make"
was the comment from the Interna-
tional Harvester Co., while Swift e.
Co. executives said they were studying
the problem"
w. H. Loughry, executive secretary
Of the food and grocery code authority,
said in Los Angeles that price cuts as
much as so per cent had been posted
in Los Angeles since the Court handed
down its opinion and expressed the
belief that price cutting will result
in wage reductions and an increase in
the hours for labor
Business" he said. will have to
cut its operating expense II it is going
into the price-cutting war"
Textile Workers Warned.
Textile workers." said Thomas F.
Mcmahon, president Of the United
Textile Workers of America, must
fight back any attempt to increase
work hours, reduce wages or take away
any Of the things gained in the last
20-odd months" He made the obser-
vation in an informal statement at
Providence, r. I.
FIJI. Massman, vice president of the
National Tea Co. and head of the Food
and Grocery Chain Of America, warned
against 'ill-considered action"
Robert L. Lund Of st. Louis chair
man of the board of directors Of the
National Association of Manufacturers,
said he did not believe industry would
turn to destructive competition. wage
cutting, or any general changes IN
working hours simultaneously there