Evening star., 1939-10-17
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

ktSolBIlAtlOU OF Elmer r. ANDREWS
as administrator of the Wage-and-
Hour Division, Labor Department
was announced at the White House
today. Col. Philip Fleming, United
States Army engineers, will be de-
tailed to the department to direct
the division, 1t was further an
nounced, with his formal appoint
ment as administrator planned as
soon as statutory complications can
be cleared.
Mr.. Andrews resignation was ef-
fective yesterday, it was disclosed,
but Is subject to accrued and current
annual leave. He is to take a new
post at the Reconstruction Finance
Corp, White House Press Secretary
Stephen T. Early said.
Legal barriers pertaining to as
signments and activities Of Army
officers are responsible for the post
ponement of Col. Fleming's appoint
ment as wage-hour administrator
Mr.. Early explained, and Congress
will be asked to effect the necessary
legislative changes as soon as pos
sible.
Detailed by Miss Perkins.
Meanwhile, in an indirect manner
Of placing Col. Fleming in charge of
the division, he will be detailed by
the Army to duty under Secretary of
Labor Perkins. Miss Perkins, in
turn, will assign him to special work
with the title of assistant to the act
ing administrator of the Wage-and-
Hour Division. At the Labor De-
partment, it was said later that no
appointment of an acting admins
traitor is ready for announcement at
this time, but the White House made
it clear that, regardless Of who be-
comes acting administrator, Col.
Fleming will be directing the divi-
sion.
At present Col. Fleming is serving
as district engineer for the Army at
st. Paul, MINI. He is expected to
reach Washington within a day or
two.
Col. Fleming has served the
Roosevelt administration in several
important engineering capacities,
being q deputy administrator of the
p. w. A. in the early days of the
New Deal. Later, he was in charge
of the Passamaquoddy tide-power
project in Maine, a venture in which
President Roosevelt had deep per-
SOnal interest.
Comes ut Important Time.
His assumption of the new post
comes at an important time in ad-
ministration Of the Fair Labor
Standards Act, with October "a
being the date for an automatic
increase in the minimum wage for
covered labor from Is to 80 cents
per hour, while the maximum work
week drops from A to AZ hours.
With about 12,300,000 persons en-
ployed in covered industries, near
ly 100000 are expected to benefit by
the changing wage rates next week.
Mr.. Andrews, also an engineer by
profession, came to Washington a
yCdA a8O w UCCOI11C Vic llIot dukll1ll.
istrator Of the wage-hour law. Just
previously he had been New York
State industrial commissioner. The
administrators post here paid a
yearly salary Of $4,000. It is under
stood that he will assume an engi-
neering post at the r. F. c.
His letter Of resignation, released
today at the White House, was a
single paragraph, as follows:
II hereby tender my resignation as
administrator, wage-and-hour divi-
sion, Department Of Labor, effective,
insofar as active duties are con-
cerned, at the close Of business Octo-
Der 16, 1899, but subject to accrued
and current annual leave"
Addressing Mr.. Andrews Is Dear
Elmer" the President accepted the
resignation in this letter:
I'm accordance with the request
IL your letter Of October le, / hereby
(9ee ANnREVr9 paoe A.NY