Evening star., 1935-05-31
Rate bv MaiI-PayabIe in Advance.
All Other States and Canada.
Nember of the Associated Press.
The N. R. A. Problem.

The N. R. A. Problem.
President Roosevelt and his adyis-
ers must act with speed if Congress is
to pass a new N. r. A. law before
June Is. the date of the expiration
of the old law. The Supreme Court,
in its SChechter case decision of last
Monday. has declared the old law un-
constitutional and the administration
has suspended all codes, so far as
compulsory enforcement is concerned.
The certifcation of the decision of
the court will be DELAYED until June
is or after. and for that reason the
present N R A set-up may be re-
tanned until that date.
Even more important than speedy
action, however, is the need that it
be sound and in accordance with the
provisions of the Constitution. Other
wise the law will be attacked again
in court and again overthroWn. The
President, it is reported. is calling
into conference the men who ad-
vised him when the old law. now de-
clarpd unconstitutional was framed
and put through. Possibly new set
Of doctors, with a more solid grasp
of the Constitution and the decisions
of the Supreme Court in respect
thereto. might prove valuable under
all the circumstances.
A demand from many quarters for
a continuance OF the n. R. A. IN
some form has come 10 the White
House. This was to be expected.
Organized labor has been strongly
back of Section Ia, which promises
the right of collective bargaining
with employers. although it has not
been satisfied with the manner in
which that section of the law has
always been interpreted. Many in
dustriaIists have found the law
benefit to them in meeting competi-
ton.
One of the proposals now reported
70 be under consideration would en-
large the powers and membership of
the Federal Trade Commission, set up
in Woodrow Wilson'S day to bring TO
light and attack unfair practices in
industry and business. If this is done,
however, the enlarged powers must
not 60 beyond the Constitution.
mere change in agency and in name
will not suffice to meet the situation.
The demand for continuation of the
N. r. A. is predicated in part on the
theory that business and labor can
not themselves meet the situation and
carry on. The fact that business lead
ers are among those now demanding
that something be done to continue
the N R. A. is calculated to divide
business For months there has been
a clamor from industry that the ad-
ministration let business alone. And
now. when by unanimous ruling of
the Supreme Court the hand of the
Government has been lifted, it would
appear that the time had arrived for
bold leadership on the part Of indus
try itself. Either business can carry
on or it cannot. The next few weeks
and months should answer that ques-
tion.
1t was inevitable that as soon AS
the N. r. A. was stricken down there
should be instances of price cutting
and wage reductions and the length
ening of hours of labor. The great
mass of industry, however, has given
no such sign. Indeed, the testimony
Is all the other way. Industry in the
great majority is prepared to 60 for
ward without wage cutting. 1t was in
evtable that there should be threats of
strikes on the part of labor. The
country was not without strikes un-
der N. r. A, of which the textile
strike was one of the most important.