Evening star., 1937-06-09

labor BY requiring labelling and for
bidding interstate shipment under
conditions OF oppressive production.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.
Mandatory increases in tariff rates,
in proportion to production and dis
tribution cost increases effected by the
Black-Connery wage-and- law,
was proposed to the Senate and House
Labor Committees today by the Un-
derWear Institute
Presenting the most careful analysis
Of expected effects Of the legislation in
single industry, the institute objected
to the bill as giving autocratic power
over industry to the President
Instead the institute, through Roy
A. Cheney, its spokesman. proposed
that the administrative board be given
lifetime appointments and an irremov-
able status, subject only to impeach-
ment proceedings similar to those used
in cases of Federal judgeships.
The legislation to be passed, Cheney
specified, should prohibit employment
of minors under Is, set 40-hour week
and $l2 minimum wage.
Against Exemptions.
1nsistence that small establishments
not be exempt from provisions of the
bill marked the testimony of several
witnesses today, as 1t has in previous
sessions.
Among those taking this position
frt,% T~L
National Catholic Welfare Conference,
who appeared in emphatic approval Of
the legislation. The contention Of
Msgr. Ryan and others on the ex-
emption was that "sWeated labor" is
more prevalent in small enterprises
than In large.
Strength to those resisting any
tinkering with the Black-Connery
measure was extended yesterday by
President Roosevelt. who told re-
porters he doubted the advisability of
extending the bill to prohibit inter-
state shipment of goods produced un-
der monopolistic conditions. Such a
proposal has been made by Senator
Borah, Republican. of Idaho in con-
versation about the bill
Child Labor Is Issue.
Most determined effort to alter the
legislation seems to center about the
child labor section with developments
of the past two days showing these
distinct movements: First, to handle
this problem entirely through sepa-
rate legislation, or, second. to alter
the child labor provision of the wage
hour bill TO make it conform more
closely to the inyalidated 1916 child
labor act.
Among Yesterdays late witnesses
John M. keating. spokesman for both
the millinery industry and its union
employees. the latter belonging to the
United Hatters, Cap and Millinery
Workers Union. in indorsing the legis-
| lation, suggested the division Of Amer
| ican industry in 10 basic admins
trative sections, the avoidance OF ex-
emptions or differentials, except in
rare cases. and vesting of some of
the contemplated functions of the act
| in the National Labor Relations Board
and the Children's Bureau.
More Of the Nations income must
| go into consumption and less OF it into
savings and investment Father Ryan
declared.
The increased wages and increased
cost of production brought about by
maximum hour and minimum wage
law can be met partly out OF profits
and interest and partly through the
elimination of the high-cost productive
, concerns.
Many observers of the economic
scene are coming to the conclusion
that We shall never again see general
prosperity and general employment
that We shall always have five or six
million unemployed.
Surely this is counsel Of despair.
The American people will not and
should not be asked to accept this as
a permanent condition. The supreme
merit of the bill is that it makes be-
ginning at correcting the great evils of
unemployment and underconsumption
mo other equally promising or
equally realistic formula has yet been
suggested This plan goes directly
to the root of the evil-namely, the
underpaid laborer"
Retailers Seen Favorable.
c. o. Sheriff., head Of the Ameri-
can Retail Federation, appeared to
inform the committee that his or
ganization has not yet been fully cam
vassed on the bill, but he felt there
was an inclination to favor some
thing Of the kind.
Harvey Wilson, National Upholstery
and Drapery Textile Association, testi-
fed his organization is not opposed
to fixed minimum wages and maxi
mum hours, but, 1--WE believe this
bill, as a law, would be wholly I'M
workable and would result in con-
fusion in industry far exceeding that
connected with the attempt to ad-
minister the N. I. R. A., which was
bad enough"
Joining in the opposition to exemp-
tons for small establishments, VII
son also asked for consideration OF
the issue of foreign competition.
1--WE believe" he said, that our
industry's problem of foreign COM
petition, particularly from the Orient,
should not be casually dismissed by
saying there are Government agencies