Evening star., 1937-06-05
by JOHN C. HENRY.

Precipitated by = difference of opin-
wage and hour bill, the threat Of q
free-for all night over tariffs ap-
peared on the Congressional horizon
today
Unless checked decisively by the
administration leadership, such an
eventuality would throw the already
consested legislative schedule into a
hopeless scramble and might possibly
result in blocking passage Of the wage
and hour legislation.
Calculated to raise the wages or
shorten the working hours Of ap-
proximately 100000 persons. the
wage and hour bill admittedly will
add to the costs of production of Ger
tain, il not all, articles. Unless pro-
vision is made in the bill to protect
such articles from low-cost imported
merchandise, there exists danger of
driving them of the American mar
kets.
Meanwhile, the pending bill received
the Endorsement of another indus
trialist, r. c. Kuldell, president of
an oil and gas we'll tool company
owned by Howard Hughes, aviator and
moving picture producer, in Houston,
Tex.
Kuldells only qualification to his
approval OF the legislation was that
the administrative board should serve
'as doctor, not as policemen" Such
policy, he declared, would result in
cooperation by majority of in
dustry.
Deals With Several Groups
Kuldell said his own concern pays
higher than average wages and that
he deals with A. F. Of L. craft groups,
two employe unions and with c. I. O.
representatives. All speak for their
own membership only, he said.
Government regulation and business
competition should have a like effect
for improving industrial management,
Kuldell testified.
Fearful OF this, Representative Con-
merry. Democrat, OF Massachusetts, in
cluded in his draft OF the wage and
hour bill provision for declaring low
cost imported goods unfair" and
prohibiting their shipment in inter-
state commerce. Such a provision,
however, is missing from the Black
draft Of the bill, and the Alabama
Senator declared fatty yesterday aft
ernoon he would fight passage of the
whole legislation rather than have it
made applicable to foreign industry.
Far from affecting the determine
tion OF the House sponsor of the
measure, Blacks declaration brought
a later statement from Connery to
the effect that he would fight for i'm
mediate passage OF an equalizing tax,
tariff, on foreign merchandise
whenever it is found that imports
may profitably be sold below a fair
value Of domestic products A bill
providing for such levies already is
before the House Ways and Means
Committee, Connery said, adding that
he will rally support for a movement
to have it reported II he is defeated
in his efforts to keep the protective
feature in his wage and hour bill.
Protection Held Inadequate.
Many goods, he pointed out, are
insunnciently protected by the present
tariff rates, with this protection due
for further shrinkage II the wage
and hour bill is approved.
AS an example. he cited shoe pro-
duction OF his own district, which Is
now suffering from importation of
cheaper made shoes in Czechoslo-
vakia. This, he said, is despite the
fact that the highest tariff authorized
by the present law is now being i'm
posed on shoe imports.
It is because of the limitations of
the present tarifI lsw, Connery con-
(See WAGE-HOOR, Page A-10)