Evening star., 1938-09-06

A~N~AS
interview in the National Radio Forum
last night with Elmer F. Andrews
administrator Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1888 Mr.. Andrews was inter-
viewed by Pill Coyle of The Star.
On this Labor Day it is an honor
10 have this opportunity to talk with
you about the newest Federal Law de-
signed to make possible the payment
Of at least living wages and the estab-
hshment OF limited work week for
American working men and women. ]
refer to the Fair Labor Standards Act
Of 1898. more generally known as the
Wage and Hour Law" The passage
Of this law should bring added sig
nifcance to the celebration Of Labor
Day this year, for it is a milestone
along the road of American industrial
progress.
As the United States has developed
it's vast resources over the past GEN.
tury there has been a phenomenal
growth in the production of new kinds
Of goods and the creation OF new
services This prosperity has been
accompanied by increasing money
wages and the highest material stand
ard of living for working people in
the world. There has also been a
gradual reduction in the length Of the
working week. 1t is not many years
since 72-hour week was the rule
In some important American indus
tries Today it would be hard to find
such working schedule in any great
factory. This improvement over the
years has been due to increasing pro-
ductivity Of the working force, to the
voluntary action of employers in rails
ing wages and to the growing strength
of union organization.
Dark Corners Need Attention.
But even in the midst OF this gen.
eral advance those Of us who have
been enforcing labor laws have OBJ
served certain dark corners which
badly need attention. There are in
dustrieS in which small minority of
employers have prevented the ma
jority, by means of ruinous compe-
tition. from raising wages and i'm
proving working conditions. There are
Sweatshops paying starvation wages;
there are entire families employed in
making all kinds OF articles in their
homes under the most trying condi-
tons. There have been-but happily
there are not now so nany-mills and
mines employing children In hazard
Gus occupations.
This administration has recognized
as first problem of government the
necessity for cleaning out these dark
corners, for making sure that bad
employers do not drive out good ones
as bad money drives out good money
They have recognized also the great
political and economic importaHce CT
making sure that the earnings Of labor
keep pace with the advance Of indus
trial production.
Much thought has been devoted
since 1888 to measures by which the
Federal Government could accom-
pliSh these purposes. The National
Recovery Act was the first answer to
this question The wage and hour
bill is the 1888 answer. The Congress
of the United States-your represent
atives and mine-paSsed this bill after
nearly two years Of study and debate
As administrator. I shall accept it
as the will of the people and admins
ter it as expeditously and as fairly as
know how to do We all know that
in some respects the law represents
compromises between opposing points
Of view and some details may need
revision. As required by the act itself,
I shall expect to report candidly on
the need for any such changes as may
arise.
Breadth Of New Charter.
Mr.. Coyle: How broad is this new
charter for raising the wages Of under
paid labor?
Mr.. Andrews: 1t does not, first of
all, include all workig people, For
constitutional reasons applies only
to workers whose - doyers are en-
gagged in commerce vetween the States
or in making goods for interstate
commerce. Local industries are not
covered by the act If you are en-
ployed in a small store which does
local retail business, a local laundry
or dry cleaning plant, or some other
local service industry, the law appar-
entity does not affect either your
wages or your hours If you are a
cook in private home, or are in
domestic service Of another type. the
law does not affect you State laws
will be required to provide minimum
wages and maximum hours for such
local work. TIE Secretary of Labor,
recognizing th$ situation, has called
a conference of State officials to meet
in Washington in November to discuss
the possibility Of State legislation on
wages and hours
Mr. Coyle: Are there other kinds of
business which the Congress specific
ally excluded from the law?
Mr.. Andrews; Yes, all employees at
work on farms or in agricultural work
Of any kind; employees processing or
handling food products within the area
Of production-such as local packing
plants: fishermen, seamen, employees
in county weekly or semi-weekly news
papers with a circulation of less than
1000. employees of electric railways
and local motor bus companies and
certain other industries. Even within
industries in interstate commerce ex-
ecutive. administrative and profess
sional workers, as well as outside sales
men, are excluded from the law.
Much Study Required.
When l came to Washington three
weeks ago l found thousands of let
ters from business men and their en-
ployes asking whether their busi-
aesses came under the act. Some OF
these questions are going to require
considerable study. You know we al
ways have to be careful about what
we mean when we use words. In the
last analysis. the courts will probably
have to decide some of these points.
Meantime, my staff and I, with the
Invaluable cooperation of other Gov
ernment agencies are trying to ap-
proach all these problems on a COM
nonsense basis. We intend to gather