The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-12-23

Act threw vast numbers of people out of work when 1t went into effect. The extent of this has been grossly exaggerated. Let me give you few examples of what few unfrendy employers did in an attempt to discredit the Act.
 We heard that 30000 tobacco steamers had been barred from work by the Act On Investigating we found that those who lost these woefully ow-paid obs at this arduous task actually amounted to only about 10 percent of that number Among other things, he tobacco people had arrived at that figure by including all the workers flue-cmed tobacco But he fue-cured tobacco grown mostly in North and south Carolina conveniently ends it's season the nd of October Every year at that time there is no tobacco to be handled and therefore virtually more work. This year the situation blamed ln the Fair Labor Standards Act
 The operator of a bagging mill at Charleston, South Carolina, complained that he had to let all ais workers go. He manufactures bagging for cotton bales. But the ginning season is over in November. He probably had demand for baggmg.
 Scores of lumber mills shut down. or wrote us and wrote their congressman that they were shutting down. But the editor of the Southern Lumberman an outspoken opponent of the law. surveyed his field and honestly reported in his publication that all the mills operating and that the industry en- counterng no difficulties in complying with the law.
 One of the most important effects of this law, I believe, will be to end that social afflicton which began in the first days of the industrial revolution and is still with us-organized industrial home work The manufacturer will find it practical to pro- vide the workers with factory where they will work more efficiently in order to pay them 25 cents an hour And when they go to a factory the State and Government can regulate working conditions sani- tation and hours in the interest of public health as well as tie welfare of the worker
 I know of one instance where a n1anufact1rer gave 300O00000 little tobacco bags in which 10 cents worth of tobacco is sold to who still roll their own cigarettes. The homework task was to string them He said he paid SPA 900 for what he estimated was 375O00 hours of work It figures out to about 6A cents hour. And the truth is worse than that. I know that reasonably speedy worker has difficulty in making cents hour. If they persist in giving out home work are going to see that it is at a rate at which workers can make at least 25 cents hour.
 You probably also have read that many persons are referring to this Act as sef-enforcing in that any employee group of employees paid less than provided under the Act can sue lin any court of competent jurisdiction" and recover not only the amount of their unpaid wages but an additional equal amount as liquidated damages" In other words twice as much It further directs the judge to allow successful plaintiffs reasonable attorneys fee paid by the defendant as well as the costs of the action
 It is true that this provision in Section IS of the Act has been very helpful in bringing about the inn mediate general compliance with which the Act was inaugmated. And should also credit the Ameri- can business mans insstence that his business be operated within the law just he to that his automobile is operated within traffic regulations.
 But would not want to leave you with the im- pression that we leaving the enforcement of this law to civil suits and voluntary compliance We al- ready have our investigators in the field and under the provisions of the Act, utilize the labor de- partments of the State governments look for vio- lations and pay the State departments for this work This cooperation will make technically trained per- sonnel available to the Wage and Hour Division at the outset of it's activities
 We do not intend to make the law a basis for pilorying individuals who may have unwittngly vio- mstitutng court action if investigation dscloses that the violation wilfu no matter what the offending employer may do in the way to making amends to his employees in promises for the future To do otherwise would to create the impression that it is all right to violate the law and keep on vo- latlng 1t until you are caught This law is with out teeth Penalties high as fines of S1OOOo and for repeated offenders, imprisonment for six months
 If the refugees from Germany do go to Guiana and Tanganyika. there will at least be no heating