Evening star., 1938-05-31
WAGE-HOUR LAW
CUSHION URGED
Senator Ebert Thomas, in
Forum Talk, Calls for
Justified Exceptions.

xOllOWlIlk 1S tllC UCAO vi al oNAAA SAs<
on the wage-hour bill delivered last
night by Senator Ebert D. Thomas,
Democrat, of Utah in the National
Radio Forum, sponsored by The Eve
ming Star and broadcast over a Ma
tion-wide network Of the National
Broadcasting Co.
Not very long ago had occasion to
draft the labor title in the Merchant
Marine Act. 1t was done at time
when there was reported feeling be-
tween factions leaning toward the
views of our American Ambassador
and toward those Of our Labor cabinet
member. The supposed difference of
opinion was the news. When my
amendment was ready. there was a
furry among news gatherers. anxious
to know whether the chairman of the
Senate Committee on Education and
Labor stood with Mr.. Kennedy or
Secretary Perkins. When 1t was
learned that the chairman did not
leave the halls of the Capitol for his
ideas or his material, the boys
scratched their heads and then gave 1t
up. They had expended all the energy
they had ,on two plans. 1t was unrea-
sonable to ask any one to absorb a
third. suppose title 10 of the Mer-
chant Marine Act was enacted with q
minimum of fanfare for SO historic an
event as that of modifying the Ameri-
can labor code of the seas.
We are met with similar situation
I could pray honestly for as good for
tune 1t is said that news is born of
friction, but there is no need for con-
gressional committees not to work in
harmony. 1t Is in this spirit that
approach consideration Of the bill reg
ulating wages and hours in interstate
commerce. The Senate has bill. The
House has a bill They are unlike,
and something has to be done about it.
The task Of bringing one bill out of
the two that are offered Is my RESPONSE
bility. Therefore, tonight I must give
only dispassionate consideration to
my subject.
Approached In Evolutionary Spirit.
My approach will be wholly one Of
explanation. I would not want, even
if could, to shock newspapers into
headlines, industry into disruption,
labor into disappointment or business
into recession. I approach the sub
ject in the spirit of evolution, not
revolution, mindful that history's
pages are filled with evolutionary gains
and revolutionary disappointments
In our own present era of Democratic
control our greatest successes have
resulted from pouring legislative con-
crete into footings before erecting q
building. We were met with an emer-
gency, however, and at least once we
built structure wholly on sand. 1t
was a splendid edifice, but it was
blown away without even the moor
ing of single dissent. 1t had a revo-
1utionary beginning and met with a
violent end. I refer to the National
Recovery Act. 1t simply had too
much in 1t.
Many of us have wished that we
had been able to retain some of its
features. We may recapture them, or
some of them. It's benefits during its
brief reign, including the raising of
standards Of living through shorter
hours in industry, and better rate
Of pay. Those benefits sound familiar
to us now as we contemplate the
wages and hours bill After the
Federal aid to education bill, this bill
is by far the most important piece
of enduring legislation to face this
Congress, and We must study 1t as
such. 1t would not pay to invade
the subject ruthlessly, and enact any
old bill just to get out and get home.
We must, too, have in mind the
speculative constitutionality or un-
constitutionality of what we are doing.
The reaction Is greater than the af-
firmative action If we have q going
Government concern wiped out with
the stroke of a pen.
Must Fill Many Specifications.
Therefore our problem Is not to get
bill passed. but to agree upon q
bill which will work, which will at
tain its objects, and which will be
constitutional
am the type of Democrat who
attempts to live up to the philosophy
that generally speaking the best gov
erned people are the least governed,
and that accordingly government
comes out Of necessity and not simply
q desire to rule. 1t would be WON
derful If industry and labor could
and would settle the wage-hour prob
lem without Government interfer-
ence. How I would apply this prin-
ciple and leave the Government still
out Of it as much as possible will ap-
pear a few sentences later on when
1 discuss the jurisdictional clause of
the bill. But more than this I would
nave this spirit permeate the bill.
1t Is my thought that we may do
all that any reasonable person wants
to do, and yet do it in such a way
that there will be no violent colli-
sions, and in such way that we
may re-employ and not disemploy
men and women in industry.
One of the reasons why industry
and labor cannot take care of their
own problems is that our Nation is
SO complex economically as well as
politically. 1t is big Nation for its
years, and in many ways is extremely
backward. Labor now is organized,
but has not long been organized on a
Nationwide scale, and industrial con-
Germs, similarly organized, have kept
pace with or led labor in becoming q
national unity.
am not unmindful of the fact
that in many industries workmen are
paid more than the minimum sug-
gested in the Senate bill, and in others
workmen are paid less than the mini
mum suggested in the House bill. The
first Is 40 cents an hour, provided 1t
does not result in Unemployment. The
second is rs cents an hour whether
or no. If 1t is true to suggest a mini
mum is to fix the maximum, we should
be careful not to set our sights too low.
Both North and South.
will be quoted tomorrow as say
ing there is difference between the
North and the South. This will be
most unfortunate and will show that