The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-06-23
Federal Wage
Continued From Pdde Cnel
standards of the American Federation

standards of the American Federation
of Labor in other respects.
He criticized as cumbersome and
undesirable" the method for admins
tration of the Act, which provides for
a wage and hour division in the De-
partme1it Of Labor under the direction
of the Administrator, who is author
lied to set up industry boards to make
surveys of wages and submit recon-
mendations to the Administrator, who
has the authority to apply them.
Mr.. Green said the provisions of the
Act permitting differentials by indus
tries and by classifcations within in
dustries on wages between 80 and 40
cents an hour treads on dangerous
grounds"
In addition, he believed "the pro-
vision requiring certifcation by the
National Labor Relations Board of
collective bargaining representatives
with regard to exemptions from maxi
mum hour provisions where contracts
with organized labor exists, appears to
be an unwise delegation Of new pow
ers to that board"
However," he added, "the bill con-
tains such vital concessions to the
principles for which the American
Federation of Labor stood and which
the C. l. O. opposed that we should
not condemn it in entirety for it's un-
deniable faults" These faults the
American Federation of Labor would
seek to eliminate by amendments.
Mr.. Green included in his statement
a succinct account of the various Fed
eral wage and hour bills considered
by Congress during 1887 and 1888,
giving the position of the American
Federation of Labor in regard to them
and condemning the Committee for In
dustrial Organization for it's persistent
antagonism to the provisions held
necessary by the A. F. of l.. for ade-
quate protection of the workers.
He said the original Black-Connery
Bill was finally opposed by the A. F.
of l.. because a careful scrutiny
showed that it was thoroughly bad
and dangerous. To remedy these de-
fects the American Federation of La
Dor introduced it's own bill providing
for "a fiat minimum wage of 40 cents
an hour without differentials, a fiat
maximum work week of 40 hours for
the entire country" with infractions
of the law to be prosecuted by the De-
partment of Justice.
Despite the reactionary provisions
of the Black Connery Bill, Mr.. Green
said c. |. o. leaders supported it and
opposed the A. F. of l.. bill. Finally
the House of Representatives, follow
ing the recommendation Of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, recommit-
ted the Black -Connery Bill, thus kill
ing it for the special session of Con-
gress last year.
When the present session of Con-
gress met, the statement said, the
Administration, following a confer
ence at the White House at'which Mr..
Green and the presidents of three A.
r. of l.. departments were present
agreed to support the principles fought
for by the American Federation of
Labor in the proposed wage and hour
legislation.
The result of the White House con-
ference was that the "House Labo,
Committee, despite C. |. O. opposition
drafted new wage-hour bill salts
factory to the American Federation OF
Labor" This bill, after considerable
delay caused by the attempt of the
House Rules Committee to block its
consideration, Mr. Green concluded
has now become the law of the land
largely through the united support OF
the officers and members of the
American Federation of Labor, not.
withstanding the unending opposition
of the leaders of the Committee fol-
Industrial Organization.
Following is the text of Mr.. Green's
statement on the Wage and Hour Act
The long and difficult struggle over
enactment of national minimum
wage and maximum hour bill has been
concluded at last with the passage of
compromise measure by Congress.
This bill is far from perfect. There
are certain provisions in it which we
would like to see changed and hope
to have changed before very long
But, in the main, it gives effect to the
fundamental principles fought for SO
courageously and tenaciously by the
American Federation of Labor in the
interests Of all the working men and
women of the country, especially the
unorganized and downtrodden workers
Opposed by c. l. o. Dictators
In fighting for sound legislation
which would safeguard the interests
of labor, the American Federation of
Labor for the past year has waged a
single handle battle. 1t received no
assistance from the dictators of the
c. |. o. In fact, the C. |. o. dctators
gave a public demonstration of all
around stupidity, feebleness and out
right treachery to labor that was
nothing short Of disgraceful.
Typical of the C. |. o. tactics was
the brazen invasion of Speaker Bank
heads office in the Capitol by Dicta-
tor Lewis and group of his satellites
to exert pressure for passage of the
amendments to the Walsh Healev Act