Evening star., 1937-05-28
CHANGES ADVISED
|NWACE-HOURB|LL
Fitzgerald Asks Tighter Pro-
visions Regarding Ap-
prentice Labor.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

New cross-currents of support. oppo-
sltion and projected alterations we're
swirllng around the administration
age-and-hour bill today as House
and Senate leaders continued prepa-
rations for opening hearings on the
measure next week.
From within the House Labor Com
mittee. which will handle the legisla-
ton on that side. came word from
Representative Fitzgerald. Democrat,
OF Connecticut that he will lead a
fight for tighter provisions with re-
gard to use of apprentice labor and
against the imposition of higher
wage-and-hour standards in the
North than in the South.
In its present form, the bill allows
the proposed labor standards board
discretion IN both issues, specifying.
for instance, that its regulations may
provide for employment OF appren-
tices and learners at lower wages
than the industry standard. Alb
sence of some provision establishing a
definite ratio of such learners, Fitz-
gerald claims, leaves a loophole for
chiseling and exploiting.
A bill which would make the Federal
Committee on Apprentice Training a
permanent agency and place it under
the Labor Department was reported
out yesterday by the House Labor
Committee The agency, as at present
would encourage the setting up of uni
form standards of apprentice training
in all States and would serve to bring
industry and labor together in a
program to train skilled workers on a
sound and responsible basis.
Sponsored by Fitzgerald in the
House, the same measure has been in
troduced in the Senate by Senator
La Toilette. Progressive. of Wisconsin
Along with Fitzgeralds plan to
tighten the proposed legislation was
another indicated yesterday by Chair
man Connery of the House Labor Com
mittee, who disclosed receipt of numer-
GUS complaints about sweatshop con-
ditions in small industrial establish
ments, accompanied by proposals that
the law should be made applicable to
employers of eight or even fewer
persons.
Originally, the bill specified that
those employing fewer than Is would
be exempt, but this figure was elm
mated at the last minute and none
substituted.
These and other possible changes
in the legislation were discussed yes
terday noon at conference between
Connery, Senator Black, Senate spon-
sor, and Ben Cohen, administration
brain-truster who is credited with pre-
pairing the draft of the measure as
finally introduced.
AS those guiding the legislation
made their plans, note Of determined
opposition from within the admin
istration party was sounded today by
Senator King of Utah.
One-time foe Of the N R. A., King
declared the pending bill is worse
1T goes too far and infringes or
the rights of the States" he said. III
commits absolute power to a govern
mental bureau to determine wages ano
hours. It is in harmony with the plar
instituted in Italy by MuSsolini tc
bring all labor under one head"
Continuing the campaign for public
support initiated by Senator Black on
Wednesday night, Representative
Connery last night spoke over a ma
tional radio network in behalf Of the
legislation.
The purpose of the measure, he de-
clsred, lis to require by legislation
those conditions OF employment which
most Of our employers contend they
would like to see in force If and when
they are freed from the competition
Of the industrial chiselers and the
competition Of the products Of As.atic
coolies and other workers who are paid
wages so low that they would not be
tolerated even by our American indus
trial chiselers.'
Emphasizing that the legislation
seeks to establish only a minimum
wage, Connery continued, lit is labor S
Job, by collective bargaining, by their
right to organize, to see to it that the
workers get decent living wage"
On the question Of hours, the House
chairman said he favored a range from
80 to 40 hours per week In different
Industries