The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-05-11

anu we LOOK refuge III Cne MumDO Jun-
bo of old shibboleths.
Contemplate Practices Uncovered
The Fair Labor Standards Act has
been a strong floodlight thrown upon
the dark places of American industry.
The unpleasant things we could not
see before, and the things we did not
wish to see, stand revealed. We can
not duck them. No amount of talk
about the beauties of rugged individ-
ualism will obliterate them. Long toll
Grated despicable practices have been
brought to light, and we know where
the scrubbing brush and the fumigator
are needed. Were there no other bene-
fits with which we could credit the
law, the light it has shed upon these
dark corners of industry alone would
be it's justification.
Increased Wages for Thousands
But we have substantial accomplish
ments to report. When the law be-
came effective last October we esti-
mated that II 100000 workers engaged
IN interstate commerce, or in the pro-
duction of goods for interstate COM
merce, were covered. Of these we had
reason to believe 100000 were then
receiving less than 25 cents an hour
We think we are safe in saying that
most of these have had their wages
raised
We also know that some $4,000
are receiving less than 80 cents an
hour, the minimum wage that becomes
mandatory next October. Since we dc
not know how much less each is re-
ceiving, we cannot talk about the pos
sible wage increase for the entire
group with certainty, but we can fol
low up those 1000 who are now re-
| ceiving rs cents an hour for the first
time and who will receive 80 cents ar
hour for the first time next autumn.
Each Of these employees who works
AZ hours a week-the statutory work
week after next October 24-will re.
ceive $2.1O more in his pay envelope
than he is now getting-$630,00O more
each week for the entire group, OF
$32, 100000 more year.
Of the remaining 10,7OO,00O COW
cred by the act, some have received
time and a half for overtime this
year, or have had their working week
shortened, and it seems safe to assume
that they will receive still more over
time pay next year.
The purchasing power of the Ma
tion has been increased, and the addi-
tional money, having gone to the low
est paid workers, has been and will
continue to be spent for food, cloth
ing and shelter, which will bring new
business to those who have goods tC
sell and open up new opportunities
for employment to thousands of mer
and women still without jobs.
Over 1000 Valid Complaints of Law
| Violation Received
AS to compliance with the law tc
date | can speak with considerable
assurance.
don't ordinarily hear about the
people who are getting the benefits
to which they are entitled, but | hear
in tones of thunder about those who
believe they are not getting their ben
efits. If any considerable number of
workers were not getting at least the
25-cent minimum and time and halt
| for overtime, they would be register
ing kick. For we have encouraged
them to kick, have flooded the coun-
try with complaint forms, have opened
up offices in many cities where they
can get help in filling out these forms
We have not had 100000 COM
plants. We haven't had a hundred
thousand complaints. We have had
just 1910, or about one complaint for
each II 600 workers covered. That is
pretty good evidence Of general COM
pliance.
Of the 1910 complaints, many are
duplicates-tWo or three persons re-
porting the same circumstances. Of
the remainder, 4,145 seem to be valid
A great many, of course, are based
upon misunderstanding of the law, or
were filed by workers who are not en-
ployed in interstate commerce and
therefore, must look to their own State
Legislatures for wage and hour pro
lection.
Every complaint that seems to be
valid must be carefully analyzed.
Usually more information is needed
and field inspectors must go out and
patiently interview employers and
workers and carefully check factory
records. That takes time.
Nineteen Employers Prosecuted
Nineteen cases have gone to the
courts. Of these, five were criminal
prosecution, Ia were applications for
injunctions. Still others reported vio-
lations have been referred to the De-
partment Of Justice for possible fu-
ture prosecution. At every point, the
Wage and Hour Division has been up
held in the courts. SO far we have
not lost a single case-not one. Fines
levied in four criminal cases totaled
$31 800, of which $4,000 was sus-
pended pending the full restitution
of wages to the employees which the
emplOver had pOcketed. and DrOOf of