Evening star., 1938-06-07
Southerners Win Point as
Flat Accent Scale Is
Stricken Out.
ADVISORY BOARDS SET
TO Determine RATES
Universal Standard Of 25 Cent?
Fixed First Year and 80
for Second Year.
BACKGROUND

Sse@eo fSHe~sso tSc HHsCePus otuUt~
bling block to enactment of ,Ddge-
hour bill, whtc1,, if passed, ,oould
represent major rictory for the Gd-
nainistration after year OF struggle.
Both House and Senate haze
passed bills, but conferees as get
haze not been able to iron out dif-
ferences.
By the Associated Press.
Senate and House conferees appar-
emily were near agreement today on
controversial wage and hour legisla-
tion which started North and South
fight at the Capital.
Senate conferees adopted compro-
mise taking out Of the measure the
requirement that q 40-cent-per- hour
pay scale be applied to all interstate
industry at the end of five years.
Southerners had opposed the require
ment bitterly.
Soon thereafter Chairman Norton
Of the House conference group tndi-
Gated clearly that the House conferees
would join in the proposal.
Mrs. Norton said she personally
favored writing into the bill time
limit within which the Accent mini
mum would become effective, but
added, I'VE must concede something
somewhere"
The Senate group, voting to 3,
approved a modified proposal by Sem
ator Thomas, Democrat, Of Utah,
which would put into effect . uni-
versal wage Of IS cents an hour for
the first year, advancing to 80 cents
the second year.
Advisory Boards Planned.
After that advisory boards for each
industry would determine the mini
mum wage, advancing 1t to 40 cents
an hour as rapidly as Economically
feasible" within that industry.
One Of the Senate conferees said he
was confident the Thomas compromise
would be accepted by the House con-
ferees, clearing the way for action on
the wage-hour conferences report and
early adjournment Of Congress
Senators Borah. Republicar, Of
Idaho; Walsh, Democrat, Of Massa-
chusetts, and La Toilette, progressive,
Of Wisconsin were understood to have
voted against adoption OF the eompro-
mise. Senators Borah and Walsh were
expected to present a minority report.
May Delay Adjournment.
The conferees adjourned until IL
am. tomorrow without formal discus
sion by the House conferees Of the
Senate compromise proposal.
Representative Ramspeck, Democrat.
OF Georgia, who supported the COM
promise, said he believed it would be
impossible for the conferees to COM
plete their work in time for Congress
to adjourn this week.
Speaker Bankhead concurred in Mr..
Ramspeck's opinion, telling his press
conference he did not "see any chance
at all" that Congress would be able to
adjourn by Saturday night.
Southern Senators had hinted at q
misunderstanding adjournment In
deflnitely-against any wage-hour bill
which omits pay differentials.
caucus OF Seven.
Southern members want exemp-
tons from the accent wage granted
to some industries, because they con-
tend living conditions In their region
are lower and freight rates are dis
criminatory.
Demands for these exemptions were
voiced yesterday at q caucus Of seven
Southern Senators, who approved the
position taken by two of their number
Senators Ellender and Pepper,
Democrat, of Florida-in the con-
ference committee.
The conference Of Southern Sen
ators was attended, in addition to
Senators Ellender and Pepper. by
Senators Andrews, Democrat, of
Florida; Bankhead, Democrat, Of
Alabama; Connally, Democrat. Of
Texas; Overton, Democrat, Of
Louisiana; Byrnes, Democrat, of South
Carolina; Smith, Democrat, of South
Carolina, and Russell Democrat, OF
Georgia.
Thomas Unfolds Program.
Representative Norton, Democrat, Of
New Jersey indicaed the House con-
ferees would accept Senator Thomas
proposal if the seven-year time limit
were retained, but said they would
oppose it If that provision were
stricken out at the insisteuce Of
Southern Senators.
At yesterdays session Of the con-
forooc tho Game "a rrvr, ct eayv,ay, ~xya,.k
into one room and the House COM
mittee into another. Senator Thomas
unfolded his program to his own
group and it was discussed at length.
IT think there was quite lot Of
sympathy for It," he told reporters
later. I'VE are going to get . bill.
Nobody is mad ct anybody else yet"
II think my group would take
that" said Mrs. Norton. 1T would
have TO-"
Representative Ramspeck, Demo-
crat, Of Georgia also predicted COM
mittee approval Of the Thomas COM
promise, although he personally OBJ
jected to it. He even forecast quick
acceptance by the House Of the final
leg1Slatl0n.
Walsh States View.
Senator Walsh, Democrat, Of Massa-
chusetts, a foe Of pay differentials. said
Of the Southerners' opposition to the
Thomas program:
"They can kill the bill by q filibuster
II they wish. but it will be their re-
sponsibility.
II believe the majority Of the Senate
conferees are unwilling to have the
minimum wage above 80 cents con-
tingent on future action by an admin
istrative ofacer. That would be . $11
= week bill and not the 416 . week bill
we have been aiming for"