Evening star., 1939-05-15
House Leaders
Defer Consideration
Of Wage Act Change,
Opposition of Form
Bloc Apparently
Forces Strategy Shift
BY the Associated Press.


Administration leaders, apparently
fearing defeat, suddenly changed
their plans and refused to permit
the House to consider or vote on
changes in the wage hour law.
Strong farm bloc opposition had
developed over the week end. Today
when the House met Chairman Nor
ton, Democrat, of New Jersey of the
Labor Committee announced on the
floor that, contrary to expectations,
she would not ask for consideration
of the amendments.
House leaders had planned to call
up the revisions under procedure
which would shave required two
thirds vote for passage and which
would have prevented any altera-
ton to the committee-approved
amendments.
1t was learned that they agreed
there was little chance of obtain
ing that degree of support. especially
in view of the firm opposition Of
five farm organizations which said
Saturday that the amendments, in
stead of exempting more agriculture
labor than the present law, would
place agriculture in a strait jacket" "
There was no immediate indica-
ton whether Mrs. Norton would de-
eide later to attempt to obtain House
approval for the changes or whether
the question would be dropped for
this session of Congress.
Farm members. backed by the
American Far Bureau Federation
and other leading farm organiza-
tions, objected to amendments in
tended to clarity the exemptions
pertaining to agricultural labor.
In a letter to every House member
spokesmen for five national farm
organizations declared the proposals
will greatly intensity the present
hardships confronting agriculture.
16 Exemptions Specified.
The law now exempts from both
the wages and hours provisions
farming operations in the AREA of
production" as defined by Mr.. An
drews. Difficulties in administration
induced the committee to substi-
tute a section exempting 16 speci-
fed farm operations, so that en-
ployes performing that work could
be on duty maximum of go hours
a week before the overtime provi-
sions for pay of time and a halt
would apply.
In general, these operations are:
Making of dairy products, compress
ing or storing of cotton, extracting
oils from fruits, processing of sugar
beets, preparing fresh or dried
fruits and vegetables and nuts
handling of livestock and poultry.
Representatives Andersen, Re-
publican, of Minnesota and Coffee,
Democrat, of Nebraska contended
that this amendment would make
all of agriculture Immediately SUBJ
ject to the minimum wage of 25
cents an hour outlined in the act
as well as the progressively higher
minima of 80 cents and 40 cents
in the next two years.
Inc only exemption from Jne
wage rates would be for the first
processing of fruits and vegetables
Other Amendments.
Other administration sponsored
amendments would:
/. Exempt white collar workers
whose regular monthly salary is at
least 5000.
2. Provide for special industry
committees to recommend wage
levels in Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands.
3. Free an employer from penal
ties If he followed in good faith
ruling of the Wage-Hour Ad-
ministration or innocently received
goods produced in violation of the
law.
4. Exempt telephone switchboards
with less than 500 stations.
Another test of farm strength was
shaping up in the House over ap-
proving the $383, 900, 900 which the
Senate added to the Agriculture De-
partment appropriation bill.
Economy advocates sought to
block the extra money, most Of
which would be used for parity pay
ments designed to increase the bill