Evening star., 1938-09-06

minimum rates, industry by indus
try. The law gives the administrator
power to appoint industry committees
made up of an equal number of repre-
sentatives of employers, employees and
the public. Each committee Is to in
veStigate conditions in its particular
industry. and to recommend COR act
as the case may be- an advance in the
minimum wage rate above Is cents an
hour, but not above 40 cents an hour.
In making recommendations the in
dustry committee may suggest different
minimum wages for various parts of
the industry If it finds that economic
/ them. Such variations cannot be de-
! termined solely on geographical loca-
ton, but must take into account diff
! ferences in freight rates to market, in
costs of production. in cost of living.
in wages paid in other industries in
the locality. The act says that ad-
vanceS in minimum wages shall not
be made if to do so would cause sub
stantial unemployment in the indus
try. After the committee has agreed
! ul>on recommendations they are to
be submitted to the administrator
The administrator must then hold
hearings. If he accepts the recon-
mandations he orders the wages to 90
into effect after due notice. If they
do not seem reasonable he may reject
them and either refer them to the
committee for further study and rec
ommendat.on or appoint a new COM
mittee.
Up 10 the present time we have con-
Sidered the appointment of three in
dustry committees to consider mini
mum wages above Is cents an hour.
The first committee would be for a
group OF textile industries. The sec
ond committee would be for the cigar
industry and the third would cover
the rest Of the tobacco industries. The
cigar and tobacco industries would
work simultaneously, so that recon-
mendations and wage orders might
be made at about the same time. Con-
ferences have been held with repre-
sentatives of these three groups OF in
dustries to determine the Jurisdiction
of the committees which are to be
appointed. Shortly the full member
ship of the committees will be an
nounced and our industry studies will
begin. Other industry committees,
covering as broad field as practicable,
will be set up as rapidly as they can
be serviced by the Wage and Hour
Division.
44-Hour Maximum Week.
Mr.. Coyle: Now what about hours?
Mr.. Andrews: The law provides
for 44-hour maximum week at regu-
lar pay in industries in interstate COM
merce after October "a, for period OF
a year; for the next year, 42-hour
week after October, 1910. a 40-hour
week Any empioye who works beyond
those hours is to be paid time and a
half for the overtime which he works.
If you are working in steel mill, and
a rush order comes in. the foreman is
within his legal rights in asking that
you work for so hours in that week
to finish the job. Suppose you ordl-
narily earn 10 cents an hour: for the
six hours overtime worked that week
you must be paid at the rate Of time
and a half, or sl05 an hour.
The administrator has no power to
change these maximum limits on q
weeks work. They are fixed in the
law.
MIR. Coyle. Isn't it true that there
are certain special Exemptions from
the hours provisiony in the act which
permit longer hours in some of the
industries covered by the law as to
wages?
Mr.. Andrews: Yes, for example. II
the administrator finds an industry
to be seasonal, he may grant special
permission to work longer than ~
hours without overtime pay, but not
longer than 56 hours week or IL
hours a day-for a limited period OF
IA weeks in each year. This will be
especially important in industries han
ding perishable products. Special au-
thorization must be granted from this
Office, however.
In the enforcement of the law which
begins within few weeks, We will use
regular State agencies wherever that
is possible and put some inspectors OF
our own into the field to follow up
promptly on reports of violations.
Enforcement UP to Public.
Nf fhis 10 iS nnt
solely in our hands, however. It is
in the hands of the business men
and their employees throughout the
country who are in industries covered
by the act. The law provides that II
an employe is not paid the 25-cent
minimum, or does not receive overtime
for work over A hours in the next
year. he may sue directly or through
a representative, in any civil court.
If the Judgment is in his favor he
may recover double the amount due
him. plus reasonable attorneys fees.
We are going to depend upon the citi-
zens of the United States, not upon
an army of inspectors from Washing
ton, to make this law work, because
it will be beneficial to them.
Throughout the United States In
areas and in industries in which large
numbers of men and women workers
have been receiving wages less than
rs cents an hour. which amounts to
Sl1.0o for a 44-hour week, eyes are
fixed on October "a as the beginning
of new life, the beginning of . life
in which men and women who work
full time for living will be paid
something that approaches enough to
live on, a life in which employment
will be regularized to an increasing
degree; a life in which q measure
of security in employment and as
sured minimum income will replace
weeks of work for long hours, followed
by months of little employment or total
idleness and lack Of income.
Not only the wage earners them
selves. but shop keepers. businessmen,
and members Of the professions IN