Evening star., 1937-06-03

hour BOaro Will PROBABLY nave con-
siderable work for mental specialists,
If not physicians qualified to discuss
the effect of a physical injury on the
relative efficiency of a person.
In other words, there is to be a
minimum wage theoretically. but the
Federal board actually could allow
wages below the minimum.
Maximum Hour Rule.
Likewise there are to be maximum
hours. but the Federal board can
say the hours are not at all op-
pressive or injurious to health if the
employer pays time and half for
overtime. It's in the matter of over
time that rules could be promul-
gated that might affect working con-
ditions generally, irrespective of the
minimum wage feature OF the pro-
posed law.
The opportunity, Of course, for po-
litical pull and pressure for special
favors is well illustrated by the fol-
lowing language taken from the text
Of the Corcoran bill:
The board shall provide by regu-
lation or by order that the employ
ment of employees in any occupation
upon terms and conditions prescribed
by the board at a wage lower or for
work week longer than the appro-
pirate fair labor standard otherwise
applicable to such occupation shall
not be deemed to constitute a sub
standard labor condition for the pur-
pose of one or more provisions of this
act if the board finds that the spe-
Cial character or terms of the en-
ployment or the limited qualifications
of the employees makes such employ
ment justlfiable and not inconsistent
with the accomplishment of the pur-
of this act"
Commission to Be Judge.
Who is to be the judge of all this
as it relates to the hours of work
of 45,000,O00 workers? A Federal
commission Of five controlled by one
man-the Chief Executives to as
surne this task, and once the law is
passed it will take two-thirds vote
of both houses of Congress to repeal
it over veto. The bill goes on to
say:
Such regulations or orders may
provide for GD the employment of
learners and apprentices at such
wages lower than the applicable wage
and subject to such limitations as to
time, number, proportion, and length
of service as the board shall pre-
scribe;
.. The employment of persons
whose earning capacity is impaired by
age or physical or mental deficiency
or injury, under special licenses to
be issued by the board, at such wages
lower than the applicable wage and
for such period as shall be fixed by
such licenses;
"3. Reductions for board lodging
and other facilities furnished by the
employer if the nature of the work
is such that the employer is obliged
to furnish and the employe to ac-
cept such facilities;
Il Overtime employment in pc
riods of seasonal or peak activity or
IN maintenance, repair or other
emergency work and the wages to be
paid for such overtime employment;
and
IS. Suitable treatment of other
cases or classes of cases which, be-
cause of the nature and character of
the employment, justify special treat
ment."
Wages for Apprentices.
IT had always been supposed here
tofore by business men that labor
unions would make the rules as to
apprentices and wages to be paid
them or schedules for overtime, but
the Federal Government, under the
terms of the proposed Corcoran bill,
now would undertake to do all this.
Just where five men are to be
found who will have the omniScience
to work out equitably all the employ
ment relations described in the new
bill is difficult to conjecture, but it
goes without saying that an army of
bureaucrats and jobs will be created
by the measure if it passes. There will
have to be regional boards and local
boards and Offices throughout the
country to take care of the many
thousands of questions affecting en-
ployment that are bound to arise.
Sees Delegation Run Riot"
Clearly the Corcoran bill comprises
30 much power delegated by Con-
gress to the Wage and Hour Control
Board that the phrase of Justice Car
dozo in characterizing the N. R. A.
as delegation run riot" seems hardly
broad enough even to approximate &C.
curacy this time.
Note to Unions.
There's another feature of the Cor
eoran bill which probably will prove
interesting to labor unions. Hereto
fore all legislation relating TO labor
has had in it clause to the effect
that nothing in the measure shall
be construed as diminishing or i'm
peding the right 'to strike. But the
Corcoran bill contains different
phraseology:
Nothing in this act, or in any reg
ulation or order Hereunder, shall be
construed to interfere with or i'm
pede or diminish in any way the right
Vi eiuploySs W SeAA-ol sdlllIdt4oil, w
form, join, or assist labor organiza-
tions to bargain collectively through
representatives of their own choosing
and to engage in all concerted activi-
ties allowed by the law of the land,
and the act shall be construed and
applied to encourage and protect the
self-organization of employees for the
purpose Of collective bargaining and
mutual aid"
What is meant by call concerted ac-