The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1935-06-07
Return Of Sweatshop is Feared
As Result Of Supreme Courts
Decision Voiding Recovery Act
Green Declares Removal of NRA Controls Over Industry
Leaves Employers Free to Slash Wages, Lengthen
Hours, Employ Children, and Return to Jungle of Cut
Throat Competition-Coal Miners Strike Threatened.

Washington-W Well-grounded fears
that sweatshop employers will use the
supreme courts decision declaring the
national recovery act unconstitutional
to chisel wages, lengthen hours, en-
ploy children and otherwise attempt to
enslave the workers were expressed
here when the full significance of the
courts edict was realized.
The first ominous note was sounded
when the representatives of the Unit
ed Mine Workers of America and the
bituminous coal operators decided by
vote of "A to to break off negotia-
tions for a new contract to take the
place Of the one which expires at mid
night on June 16.
1t appeared nearly certain that $780,
900 bituminous miners would refuse to
sell the use of their labor power to
the operators after June 16 unless q
satisfactory new contract is nego-
tiated.
Labor Relations Board Suspends
The National Labor Relations Board
announced that it had suspended its
activities.
Although the decisions Of the board
upholding the right of the workers to
organize and bargain collectively in
accordance with Section IA of the
recovery act were quite generally
fought by anti-union employers, the
boards rulings were nevertheless an
inspiration to workers all over the
United States, who sincerely looked
forward to legislation which would
make the boards decisions legally ap-
plicable to subversive employers.
NRA Labor Standards Destroyed
The fair practice codes established
under the NRA developed certain
standards in the maximum hours, min
imum wage abolition of child labor,
and in other directions which gave
essential protection to working men
and women.
The Interpretation of the constitu-
ton by the supreme court in declar-
ing the entire NRA plan invalid abol-
ished the recovery administration
control of labor standards The es-
sence of the situation was expressed
by Donald S. Richberg, chairman of
the National Industrial Recovery
Board, in his order suspending the en-
forcement Of all codes.
The supreme court decision thus
threw industrial America back into
the jungle of wage slashing, length
ening of the work week, throat
competition, child labor, and all the
other evils which are the legitimate
products Of unrestrained profit seeking
by subversive corporations and indi-
vidual employers who are dead to hu-
man relations and know only the god
of Mammon.
Green Visions Disaster for Labor
A conservative prediction of what is
likely to happen in the field Of industry
under the supreme courts decision was
made by William Green, president of
the American Federation of Labor in
his testimony before the house ways
and means committee in favor of the
two-year extension Of the recovery act
three days before the courts edict de-
stroyed the NRA system.
Declaring his conviction that the
fundamental principles of the NRA
are sound, and that under the NRA
we have commenced great program
Of social engineering which we must
see through to conclusion. Mr.. Green
pictured for the committee the dis
astrous results to labor which would
inevitably follow if employers were
freed from code restrictions. He said;