Evening star., 1937-08-10
SPEAKER EXPLAINS
WACE-H0UR BILL.
Mrs. Norton, in Forum, Says
Measure Will Spread
Happiness.

Chairman Norton of the House
Labor Committee last night explained
provisions of the wage-hour bill now
awaiting House action speaking in the
National Radio Forum, arranged by
The Star and broadcast over a coast
to-coast network of the National
Broadcasting Co.
DO not let propaganda against this
bill, led by few selfish people. scare
you" she said to the Nations en-
ployers. This bill is not communistic,
fascistic, bureaucratic or autocratic
1t is merely a sincere effort to in
crease buying power, to spread hap
piness and prosperity to the average
American citizen in the most equitable
manner possible"
The bill. which would create a
Labor Standards Board directed to fix
minimum wages and maximum hours
in interstate commerce industries as
near as practicable to a level of 40
cents an hour and 40 hours a week.
was formally reported to the House
yesterday by the Labor Committee
with some revisions in the form i'll
which it passed the Senate
The text Of Mrs. Norton's address
follows:
Before proceeding with my subject
may take this opportunity to ex-
press to the National Radio Forum
and the National Broadcasting Co.
my sincere appreciation for the prlVl-
leee extended to me tonight to present
to the radio audience some facts con-
cerning the much discussed Black
Connery fair labor standards Dill
which we hope to have acted upon by
the House of Representatives within
the next few days. The objectiVes Oh
the bill are we'll known and lndorsea
by every fair minded person through
out the country.
Because of the overwhelming man
date which it received last November
this administration is privileged 10
give relief to that portion Of our popu-
lation referred to by the President IN
his message to Congress in May OF
this wear, as "ill-nourished, lll-clad
and ill-housed." While the bill is a
modest and conservative approach to
the great objectives outlined by the
President and properly so, 1t is, We all
hope, the beginning OF long-range
program to meet, and not to avoid,
some of the most vital problems OF
American life. Being a modest and
conservative approach to these prob
lens the bill is aimed particularly at
that small minority, with which We
have little patience, known as chlsel-
lers. When the great majority OF
American business men are able to
conduct their business wlthou COM
petition from this minority the great
problem of low wages and long hours
will be we'll on its way to solution.
While under this bill few others
NAV suffer some inconvenience, pos
sibly financial loss for short time,
the fact that tremendous number OF
lnjustices will be cured by this act
fully iusti1es the inconvenience and
even the loss. There never has been
and possibly never will be law passed
the adjustment to which has not
caused some inconvenience. We rec
oqnize this and have worked many
weeks considering this bill in our en-
deavor to be fair and just to all. To
write bill embodying principles and
at the same time cause no lnconven-
fence to any one was, OF course, I'M
possible I wish that time would per-
NIT me to read some of the pathetic
letters I have received since the press
announced the consideration Of this
bill-letters describing a work week
of 10 to 80 hours at 10 and even less
cents an hour. Few people know the
living conditions under which large
part of our people exist. In certain
parts of the country it is no unusual
for workers to receive IS for 75-hour
week
Main Features Of Bill
Briefly I shall attempt to explain
the main features incorporated in the
body of the BILL their application to
modern industrial conditions and to
the Improvements in the social and
economic spheres which would result
from their establishment and opera
ton
Broadly speaking. the Black-Con-
f1erv bill may be divided into four
main parts. First, the establishment
OF minimum wages. Second, the es-
tablishment of a maximum work week
and maximum work day. Third, the
abolition of child labor, and fourth,
the creation of labor standards board
to administer the bill.
So that you may have clear pic
ture of the operation of this bill, let
me explain these four parts in greater
detail.
Under the first part the labor
standards board is directed to estab-
lish minimum wages at level Of 40
cents an hour or as near that level as
IL practicable and economically feas-
ible A maximum minimum wage of
40 cents will yield an annual income
Of $500 year to those continuously
employed for so weeks for 40 hours
week Surely no fair minded person
would suggest that this amount will
cause any serious economic disloca
tions or that it is too much to main
tain the minimum American standard
Of decent living. However, before de-
claring a minimum wage for any occu-
patton the board is specifically directed
to take into consideration all relevant
circumstances. These are set forth
in the bill. 1t is further the declared
policy OF this act to establish only
such wages as will not curtail oppor-
tunities for employment. 1t is a fur
ther policy of the act to encourage
collective bargaining in order that
employees may receive wages above the
minimum wage established by the
board.
Maximum Work Week.
Under the second part the labor
standards board is directed tn eSta hliSh