Evening star., 1938-06-12
Wage-Hour
Continued From First Page.)

opportunity to amend and improve
the law.
In the maximum hours provisions
of the bill, the compromise fixes q
ceiling of A hours, which is to main
tain for the first year. The work week
will be AZ hours the second year and
40 hours the third. There is pro-
vision that in seasonal occupations
the work week may be extended to
Sc hours but not above that.
Both Senator Thomas Of Utah.
chairman of the Senate Labor Com
mittee, and Mrs. Norton Of New Jer-
sey, chairman of the House Com
mittee, predicted that the compromise
bill will be promptly agreed to- IN both
houses. 1t will be reported FIRST to
the House.
Conferees Meet To-day.
The Conference Committee will
meet at IL am today to give the
draft of the bill final scrutiny.
The conferees are taking this unusual
course, meeting on Sunday, in order
to make it possible for Mrs. Norton to
file the report under the permission
accorded her by the House, in time
for its consideration tomorrow.
II the conference report can be
adopted speedily in the House tomor-
row, 1t may be submitted to the Senate
without further delay. How long the
debate will run in the Upper House
| is just guess. Senator Borah
thought that one day would be SUI
| ficient to reach a vote.
| Although the conferees agreed not
to make public the details of the. COM
promise bill, as finally drafted, SEN
ator Walsh, aroused by some OF the
reports in the press that the Southern
bloc in the Senate had had its way,
said as he left the committee room:
This conference bill makes no pro-
vision for differentials in the same
industry"
He added that the bill was "satis-
factory in large part, although it does
not meet my standards in all partic-
ulars." He said 1t was as fair a
measure as could be expected. in view
ot the widely diversified conditions of
industry in this country.
Senator Thomas said:
II am pretty sure We have drafted
TIE kind of agreement that Will fore
stall any filibuster in the Senate" The
Southern bloc Thursday delivered a
| threat to the conferees that if their
wishes we're not met there would be
prolonged debate.
Mrs. Norton Is Pleased.
Mrs. Norton said: II am very well
| pleased with the bill. 1t holds to the
principles of the House bill. I am
sure that it will be promptly adopted
by both Houses"
Senator Ellender said the confer
ence bill was in line with the various
discussions we have had (the South
ern bloc). I do not believe that the
compromise is everything that we de,
sired, but it Is my opinion that we
have obtained fairly good COM
promise. I do not believe we will
have much debate on the proposition" "
1t was Senator Ellender who earlier
made the filibuster threat on the part
of the Southerners. He added last
night that the new bill gives the en-
ployes and employers and the repre-
sentatives of the public the oppor-
tunity to sit around a table and dis
cuss what is the best thing to do.
That he regards as great advance.
The salary Of the administrator of
the act is fixed in the bill at $4,000
The agreement reached yesterday
brings to an end for the time being,
at least. the controversy between the
Houses over bills based on diametri-
cally opposed principles. The Senate
bill, passed last summer, called for
the appointment Of labor standards
board to administer the wage-hour
law, and with wide powers. to make
exemptions and grant differentials.
The House bill, passed recently, pro-
vided fixed wage and hour standards,
with no provision for differentials, and
placed the administration of the law
in the hands of the Secretary of Labor
The Senate bill fixed 40 cents an hour
as wage floor" and 40 hours week
as work ceiling" The House bill
started the minimum wage at rs cents
an hour with provision that it be in
creased until at the end of three years
1t be 40 cents. It started the maxi