Evening star., 1937-06-08


Star STAFF Photo.
gang up on the others or run up
expenses on the others.
Fourth, its jurisdiction stops short
At the equivalent Of an annual worker.
income Of $1,000 = year-usually far
below the wage scale for unionized
industry.
Fifth. the new Labor Board is in
structed under the bill to put the
new labor regulations into effect
slowly enough so that industry will
not be dislocated and men thrown
OUT OF work IN the process and to
put them into effect in such a way
that they will help rather than sup
plant collective bargaining.
How many workers are affected?
That depends upon the figures which
will be written into the bill or which
the board may later Ak under its
nexlole powers over hours and wages
we have had evidence before the COM
mlttee that something under 5000. =
600 people are now getting less than
40 cents an hour. II, for instance.
the committee should write 40 cents An
hour into the bill as a minimum wage
figure. these 100000 would be directly
affected.
Creates New Jobs.
We have also had evidence that At
least 5000 900 people are now working
more than 40 hours . week in in
dustries affected by the bill. II the
committee writes 40 hours into the
bill IS q maximum work week, these
100000 people would be affected
And different results would follow If
different figures are written into the
bill. Estimates before our commit
tee are that the establishment Of
even 40-hour week would result in
the Unemployment of 100000 work.
ers. Shorter hours would employ still
more.
The net effect Of this bill for labor
as whole will be incalculable.
BY shortening hours it will create
new Jobs In the unskilled catesories
for millions OF our unskilled unem-
ployed.
BY setting up better standards of
wages IN the interstate industries d.
rectly affected. it will indirectly create
competition for labor which should
anect wages in all industries where
the labor Is interchangeable between
interstate and local industries. The
Federal standards will also stimulate
State legislation for local industry.
and bring about better labor stand
ards for all workers.
And finally, the bill will underpin
the whole wage structure by law. at
point from which collective bar
gaining can build more surely and
which will be bulwark against the
collapse OF higher wages in the event
OF business hecession.
With comparatively little direct ad-
ministrative application to industry
therefore, the effect Of the bill and of
action by the board will have indirect
repercussions all through the labor
market to the great benefit of MI
workers now employed-to the great
oenefit OF millions on relief who want
private employment-to the great
beneflt OF the purchasing power sup
porting the commerce throughout the
country on which the permanence OF
all employment depends-to the great
benef1t OF the budget and the tax
payers Of the United States.
Now what are the objections to the
bill?
Two Of them were stated the other
night by = distinguished Republican
Senator from the State OF Michigan
IN q Nation wide broadcast.
Objections Recalled.
His first objection was that Con-
gress was acting "pell-mell," that
there was no pressing need for doing
anything about Federal regulation of
hours and wages now, and that there
fore We should proceed leisurely with
the subject. He suggested that we
leave wages and hours to the States
Tor the time being and study the prob
lem with all its related implications
for at least another year in the hope
that what he called seasoned, sus-
tanned and matured recommendation
OF a specific nature" could be con-
sldered in the next years Congress.
This Republican "do-nothing- yet"
policy was overwhelmingly repudiated
by American voters In 1886.
His second objection was a familiar
double-barreled shot. He COM
planned that the bill subjected indus
try to "a national strait jacket"
while at the same time no one could
tell what would be done with what he
called the large discretionary and
dictatorial powers" given to an ad-
ministrative agency. In other words,
he said that the bill was too tight,
but If he was wrong in that then he
wanted the people to believe 1t was
too loose. In fact, he Is wrong In
both.
Let us consider these "pot-shot" OBJ
jections one at . time.
OF course. to an old-line Republican
Senator there is no present emergency
about the condition Of that third of
the population who earn less than
ST. 400 . year. There never was any
old-line Republican emergency about
such people. Reactionary Republicans
and Liberty Leaguers have never been
concerned with that part Of our popu-
lation.
To them there is no emergency
today because the portion Of the popu-
Ation they are interested In are niov-
ing our recovery at the top and taking
big returns for capital while they fight
what they call tho labor menace"
tooth and nail. The present existence
Of six to eight million unemployed,
the fact that third of our working
population are still toiling for long
hours ct stasvation wages, DO not