The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-05-11
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
THE WAGES AND HOURS BILL

We oppose this bill for many good ana SUI" i'ie"'
reasons, and no matter how much II may ~
amended or modified we will still oppose l'' We
say this because there is fundamei'al ie
for our opposition to it that cannot De aile0''u "
any changes of whatever character IL IS 'i.'
The bill would empower federal bureau u ae
termine the conditions under which goods OF any
kind might be produced in any state ana 10 S'',
force those conditions by preventing the shipHei'
of such goods outside the borders OF any state III
the event the conditions are not compheo Will
This of course, is the essential feature OF the DILL
and we care not what limitations are placed upon
the powers of the proposed federal bureau, "h"'
limits are fixed way the other with respect
to hours wages, that feature will remain ana
consequently our opposition will continue. we
have described this bill a proposal 10 eNtei'u
the protective tariff system to interstate commerce
And that is precisely what it is. II it were enacted
into law, and if the supreme court should uphoi"
it constitutional, it would expand the powers
of the federal government over commerce III "
manner that would intensity and increase the OPP
Grafton of Influences which have kept the South III
an inferior economic position for century VI
more. Through its control of foreign commerce
by means of high tariffs, and its control Of DO
nestle commerce by of discriminatory
freight rates. the federal government has been the
chief contributor toward the creation of an I'M
mense submerged population in the South ms
bill, if enacted into law and upheld by the courts,
would add new powers to those already possessed
and exercised by the federal government to the
injury of the people of the South, taken as
whole. And we have every reason to expect that
such powers would be exercised to the limit against
the South. If the courts should hold that the fed
eral government may exercise such powers under
the Constitution, then the South will henceforth
be completely at the mercy of the organized mi
norities Of the North and East. And the people OF
the South would be condemned permanently to
condition of economic inferiority. The federal gov
eminent should not possess such power, not merely
because of the inevitable effect this would have
upon the South but chiefly because of the effect
it would have upon the country a whole. For
the interests of the American people as whole
require that we should move in precisely the OPP
posite direction away from the policies of central!
ism and of government coercion, and in the direc-
ton of local self-government and the methods OF
freedom In other words, it is sincere convlc-
ton that the great need of the American people
at this time is for more freedom, not less. And
since we hold that conviction, it is inevitable that
we should oppose such coercve, Understanding
measure as the so-called wages and hours BILL We
shall continue to oppose it and We have no apollo
gies to make for our opposition to it.
A prosperous South, with purchasing power in
keeping with the average for the country as 4
whole, would do more toward establishing per-
manently prosperous and continually progressing
America than anything else we can imagine. The
purchasing power of the people of the South is so
far below that of other sections and even the aV-
erage for the country as q whole, that 1t is obvl
ousy the region where there is greatest possibility
of increasing purchasing power and thus OF Great
ing new markets for goods of all kinds. In 1929
the retail sales of all kinds in the United States
amounted to approximately forty-nine billion dol
lars, Of which only eight and half billion dollars
in thirteen southern states. Those states con-
tanned 275 per cent of the population of the eoun
try but their share of the retail purchases was
slightly less than IT'S per cent Of the total for the
country In 1885 retail sales of all kinds amounted
to approximately thirty-three billion dollars, OF
which only little than FIVE and half billion
dollars in the South. The percentage of sales
in the South in 1885 was 1863 per cent and mean
time the percentage of the population, as estimat
ed by the Bureau of Census, had increased to
27.9 per cent. Retail sales in the South in 1929
were equivalent to $3.50 per capita, compared
with $455 per capita in the rest of the country.
In 1885 retail sales in the South were equivalent
to s157 per capita, as compared with $500 per
capita in the rest of the country This was not due
to low wages. On the contrary, low wages are
part of this general condition. Federal compulsion
in the matter of wages will not this situation
But this situation is not cured it will retard the
prosperity and progress of the entire country
Texas Weekly