Evening star., 1937-06-06
President Enjoys His
Job as Never Before
BY OVEN L. SCOTT.

President Roosevelt obviously seldom
has enjoyed his job quite as much as
he does Just now. He is on another
rich tax-dodger hunt. The Supreme
Court has left town after approving
many new uses for Government power.
Big things are stirring backstage on
gold and foreign affairs. A dangerously
expanding baby boom has been brought
to heel. At least temporarily.
All Of this pleases Mr.. Roosevelt. Yet
1t does not compare with the satisfac-
tion he derives from the opportunity
to set about building q new and legally
bulletproof New Deal. Congress may
be increasingly uncomfortable in the
first blast Of Washington heat, worried
in the knowledge that any record Of
accomplishment must be made in the
hot weeks to come. The President rel
ishes the task.
At the moment OF triumph, when
the Supreme Court ended its latest term,
leaving behind q near-perfect score OF
victories for President Roosevelt, some
White House strategists counseled: Now
is the time to let things ride until
tempers cool and there Is more obvious
need for new experiments. The people
want rest. Farmers can get along for
at least one more year without the con-
trolls Of stronger A. A. A. and workers
are doing quite well without an N. r. A.
This advice the President Spurned.
He put heat under Henry Wallace to
drive for action on a streamlined plan
Of farm control and tossed to Congress
plan for Government regulstion of
wages and hours in industry that made
former code controls appear mild by
comparison. There obviously was deep
satisfaction to be derived from the pros
pect Of snatching victory from the two
major defeats that came at the hands
of the Supreme Court. This time the
President Is determined upon 4 perma-
nent Roosevelt revolution"
OF all the plans taking shape, Presi-
dent Roosevelt's heart is most firmly
set on that for revival Of wage and hour
controls In industry.
Yet, in determining to drive ahead,
the President Is aware that no venture
Of the Federal Government could raise
quite as many questions or quite as
many major problems. N. r. A. found
the answers to few Of those questions
and solved none OF the problems during
its two years OF existence. Now the way
is prepared for new try.
That raises, first of all, the question OF
need. Is any important portion of the
industrial population going to be af-
fected by Government regulation OF
wages and working hours?
The Social Security Board finds ap-
proximately 24,0OO0O0 workers in in
dustry and trade-outside OF agricul-
ture, domestic service and self-employ-
ment. OF this total. 1000, 900 are at
work in concerns employing fewer than
eight persons each. The contemplated
law would not afIect them. Another
1000, ,0O0-at q minimum-are at work
in purely local trades and services, also
exempt. This leaves 16,000000 who
might be affected.
But:
Department Of Labor statistics show
that the average wages paid in Amer
ican industry today are above so cents
an hour and the average work week is
approximately 40 hours in length, re-
sulting in an average weekly income OF
above $24 The Presidents plan con-
templates minimum wage of 40 cents
an hour and maximum work week Of
40 hours. with a minimum wage OF SIG.
Ofncial figures reveal that the bulk
Of industry is maintaining standards
far above the minimums. The outside
estimate Is that not more than 4000,-
900 workers in trade or industry, who
might be affected by a Federal law,
are earning less than the minimum wage.
And where are these workers found?
II N. r. A. experience revealed any
thing, it was that the lowest wages
were discovered most frequently in the
local service trades, in small establish
ments located in small communities
where living costs were relatively low; in
industries employing woman workers and
in the South.
President Roosevelt already has made
concessions concerning each OF these
groups
He accepted the need for spread be-
tween minimum wages paid in South
ern industry as contrasted with North
ern industry He has agreed that small
establishments employing only = few
workers shall be exempt from the laws
application. And he is ready to con-
cede a differential between wages paid
to men and wages paid to women. Two
thirds OF all N r. A. codes included
these differentials. Yet, when they are
applied, the number Of workers who
can expect to have their pay envelopes
affected by q new Federal law is mar
rowed even further.
This leads to the conclusion, ad-
mitted by those experts who are at work
on details of the new control plan, that
its enactment would add little to the
total income of the Nations workers.
What then is the purpose OF the plan,
and why the rush for its enactment?
Is it to spread work so the present
unemployed may more readily be alb
sorbed?
Again the answer Of the experts is
largely in the negative, although they
explain that spread-the-work argu-
ment may be used to rally support At
present the average work week of all
industry. reported by the Department
Of Labor, is 40.5 hours. This is q sharp
increase from N. R. A. days, but is
accounted for in important part by the
fact that more Of industry now Is work.
ing full time. But again N. r. A. ex-
perience showed that variations in the
work week were general, allowing for
increases in busy seasons Offset by
decreases in the number Of hours worked
during slack seasons. There was no
rigid rule that forced work spreading.
Then what is the idea of the Presi-
dents latest plan?
Essentially, say those who are work.