Evening star., 1936-12-30

any of a dozen proposals that are be-
ing studied, as the final program that
he will adopt.
But Mr.. Roosevelt knows that educa-
ton on the fundamentals is most i'm
portant and deserves priority over
everything else. So he describes the
situation existing among the people
getting what he terms starvation
wages. These wages are often so low
that they compete with the compensa-
tion given on Federal relief.
The President seems to have no
complaint about the cooperation
which business generally is giving his
administration, but he wants the pub
lie to know that he alone cannot ac-
complish miracles, Notwithstanding
the vast powers bestowed upon him.
Minimum Wages One Key.
No hint as to future policy was given
by the President in his extraordinary
conference with the press on the sub
ject of improving the lot of the low in
come groups, but definitely he has in
mind minimum wages, limitation of
hours and elimination of child labor
Another rather definite point of
view held by the President is that
this is job for the Federal Govern
rnent. He declines to say whether it
must be done by amendment to the
Federal Constitution. This is because
the lawyers at the Justice Department
are at work studying various bills
which with a favorable Interpretation
by the United States Supreme Court,
might make the indirect route more
expeditions than the direct method of
amending the Constitution.
Some of these proposals mean, of
course, added expense for business, or
rather readjustment of employment
schedules and wage rates above the
minimum. Some concerns which
simply could not meet the N. R. A.
requirements-for example, on mini
mum wages-by adding to their pay
roll lists took it out of the employees in
the middle brackets It's a kind of
compulsory system of forcing redis-
tribution of incomes in America so
that the lowest shall at least have sub
sistence wages and those in the middle
brackets shall not have so much.
Involves Major Surgery.
No such detailed rearrangement of
wages in America can possibly be un-
dertaken by the Federal Government,
but when a minimum wage schedule
Is set it means a surgical operation for
the whole employment situation.
i,,;,% A,ar tN t>e
fixed they must take into account the
variation in living costs in cities as
contrasted with farms, and in the
North as compared with the South.
Certainly the Presidents idea of
Improving the condition of the low
income groups ought to mean a great
deal to the Negroes of the country,
who especially in the North were so
helpful to him in his campaign. It
Is difficult to see how the Federal
Government could permit any dis
elimination as between Negroes in
the South and in the North. This,
in turn, will affect wage costs in GER
tain industries in the South which
have been competing successfully
against industries in the North, where
labor generally has been more highly
paid.
Business Dubious.
What the whole thing amounts to
Is Federal intervention in the matter
Of wages and the costs Of commodities
in which the labor cost is the biggest
factor. This correspondent pointed
out almost Immediately after the elec-
ton that the minimum wage proposals
would be foremost on Mr.. Roosevelt's
program. Many business men, who
have feared such step would further
upset their costs, have been doubling
that any such program would emanate
from Mr.. Roosevelt. They have been
assuming he would turn to the right"
Many of them have been analyzing
the Roosevelt second term policies as
If it were Landon who had won at the
polls.
The first important disclosures
which Mr.. Roosevelt makes in his first
lengthy conference with the press
since election rather indicate what
may be expected in his message to
Congress next week and in the in
augural address on January 20. Mr..
Roosevelt means to go forward with
the New Deal and it is important that
all who have not adjusted themselves
to the reforms that are coming be
advised that the Federal Government
as welfare agency will have much to
say hereafter as to wage scales and
hours, and that If necessary constitu-
tional authority will be sought to carry
out those major purposes.
(Copyright. 1879