Evening star., 1937-05-28
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Why the Speed?

When President Roosevelts bill re-
latlng to wages and hours for labor was
introduced in Congress last Monday
there was immediate prediction OF early
passage. The sponsors of the bill, Chair
man Black OF the Senate Committee on
Education and Labor and Chairman
Connery OF the House Committee on
Labor, have announced joint hearings
on the proposed measure, to begin next
Tuesday. They hope, they say, to con-
clude the hearings in two weeks. And
that IS all the time the American people
are to have to be heard on the most
1ar-reachlng measure-permanent meas
Ore-that has been before the present
Congress. If ever there was time for
careful consideration of legislation, 1t
Is here, In connection with this wages
and hours BILL
The measure proposes to set up labor
standards board of five members To
this board is to be entrusted the admin
istration of the wages and hours act.
AS the measure is at present drafted.
great discretion is to be lodged with the
board. 1t will pass upon exemptions
trom the operation of the general rules
laid down by the board for maximum
hours and minimum wages. 1t has been
said, although the actual language has
not yet been included in the bill, that
the board will have discretion in fixing
the hours and wages, with differentials
between various regions Of the country,
Here is power, indeed. If it is honestly
but unwisely used, it can do as much
harm as If it is used dishonesty. Where
is the country to find five Solomons at
$4,000 a year to fill the board? Or at
any price, for that matter?
The economic situation differs, as does
the social situation, in the various parts
OF the country. The standards of liy-
ing are not as high, for example, In GER
tain parts OF the South as they are in
Chicago or the Boston district. Nor are
the standards of wages as high. The
mills IN the South. paying lower wages,
can produce goods at lower costs than
can the mills in the North and the West,
Yet living wage in Mississippi or Ala
bama is lower than living wage in
New York or New Jersey or Massachu-
setts. If Congress fixes hard and fast
maximum hours and minimum wage
standards Tor labor throughout the coun-
Try, labor In those parts of the country
where standards are low will benefit
more than labor in those parts of the
country where standards are high. It
VIII benefit so far as hours and wages
are concerned, presumably. But if the
mills of their section are then compelled
TO curtail production because of greater
competition with the mills of other
parts of the country, they may lose
more than they gain.
The picture presented is a puzzle, in
tricate, OF vast importance to all parts
Of the country and to all those who work
Tor living. Unless halt is called the
plan is to place the puzzle hastily into the
hands Of board Of five members. The
buck is to be passed by Congress to the
board, with the greatest delegation of
power in the history of the Nation. This
country has seen too much half f-baked
legislation in recent years. There is no
emergency that calls for immediate ac-
tion on this bill. There is every reason,
on the other hand, that it be given the
most careful study. 1t looks very much
rs though the sponsors of the bill, be-
cause of the great complexity of the
problem, had thrown up their hands and
determined to leave the matter to a
board with broad powers.