Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-03-11
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National Topics Interpreted - 1TIHIEITT&
by William Bruckart AREu3TtH
ministration. I refer to the so-called
WalSh-HealeY law.

ministration. I refer to the so-called
Walsh-Healey law.
In order to refresh memories, let
me explain that the Walsh-Healey
law prohibits the federal govern
ment from buying products of mills
or factories, or any fruit of labor,
unless the supplying contractor has
complied with the same minimum
hours and wages that. were part
of the old MIRA codes. Unless the
contractor agrees to produce the
material which the federal govern
ment is buying in accordance with
those terms, his bid must be re-
jected under the law.
When the, Walsh-Healey law was
passed, there were comments heard
in several quarters that the time
would come when the government
itself would regret the legislation.
That time has arrived.
Everyone is aware, of course, that
/ Great Britain has started on a naval
building program under which it
will expend approximately seven
and half billion dollars in the next
five years. American policy always
has called for matching the British
navy ship by ship. Fifteen years
ago when the Harding disarmament
program was written into treaty
form, we destroyed ships so that our
tonnage was the same as that of
Great Britain. Now, with the world
in turmoil, with Great Britain an
nouncing an unprecedented building
program in order to protect it's vast
colonies and dominion from aggres-
sion, the ne ed arises for a building
up of our navy again. At least
that is Mr.. Roosevelt's view and he
has wide support for it.
To build up the navy requires vast
amounts of steel and other products
x,-n, of industry. Much
unable to of the naval build
Get Steel ing will be done in
the navy's own
yards. Thus, it has come to pass
that the navy has been unable to
obtain steel and other equipment
since the manufacturers of the
needed equipment are not willing to
subject themselves to the terms of
the Walsh-Healey law. In some in
stances where the navy has sought
to buy material, the manufacture
ers have refused even to make an
offer or state price at which they
would sell the required material and
there is very real possibility that
unless the Walsh-Healey law is re-
pealed or lodged, our navy build
ing program may have to come to a
halt.
The reason for this condition is
that the Walsh-Healey law, with its
prescription on minimum hours of
labor and wages would place bur-
den on industry that it cannot bear
and return its cost of production.
The government, as buyer, is a
tough customer in any event. It's
specifications are always more diff
cult than is the practice in industry.
Add to that, then, the requirement
that men may work only 30 hours
a week and that their pay shall not
be reduced from the rate of their
compensation when they were work.
ing 40 hours week and you have
burdened any manufacturing estab-
lishment with load that will break
it's back.
Right now, the Navy department
is trying to find Way to get around
the provisions of the Walsh-Healey
law. President Roosevelt has said
nothing publicly concerning his atti-
tude but there are many who believe
he himself feels the law is not 1work-
ing out the way it was intended.
1t is quite distance, of course,
from, the Walsh-Healey law to the
present controversy under Mr..
Roosevelt's plan to pack the SUI
preme court with six new judges if
one stops his examination of the
two questions at the surface. 1t is
not difficult, however, to see di-
rect connection. The Walsh-Heale
law was driven through congress in
haste. The bad effects of it are
coming now two years after it's en-
actment. If the Supreme court re-
form proposal is driven through as
quickly and with as little examina-
ton as the Walsh-Healey law, we
will reap the reward sooner or later
and probably for many years to
come.