Evening star., 1940-04-22

Charles G. Ross. Wages and
Hours Act which is being pressed
on Congress as a measure of farm
relief.
Stalled off last year, the Barden
bill is scheduled, along with other
proposed amendments to the act,
to come before the House late this
week.
Now the Federal Wages and
Hours Act is not Sacrosanct. Amend
ments have been proposed by the
House Labor Committee which
clearly should be adopted, particu-
larly the amendment which would
exempt well-paid white-collar work.
ers from the hours provisions of the
act. But the bill of the North Caro-
lima Representative, Mr.. Barden,
proposing the exemption of more
than million workers engaged in
the handling and processing of farm
products, ought to be given short
shrift.
Workers Are Low Paid.
The workers whom Mr. Barden
would take out from under the pro-
tecting wing Of the act compose one
OF the lowest-paid groups in the
country. They perform industrial,
not farm, labor. They are the peo-
pie who work at canning, packing
and other processing jobs that in
tevene between the growing Of
farm products and the time they
reach the retailers shelves. It
would be as logical to exempt shoe
factory employees from the opera
ton of the act, on the ground that
they are engaged in preparing the
stockmans hides for the market, as
to leave out these workers in cam
ming and other processing plants.
What are the provisions from
which relief is sought? They have
nothing to do with farm labor, which
is entirely outside the scope of the
Wages and Hour Act. The require
ment Is simply, so far as the cate
gories affected by the Barden bill
are concerned, that there shall be
minimum wage of 80 cents an hour
for a 42-hour work week, or payment
at the rate of $685. 20 a year. This
is the minimum standard that Con-
greSS has set for the industrial
workers covered by the Wages and
Hour Act. 1t doesn't appear on it's
face to be standard calculated to
wreck the American industrial sys-
tenn. The question may fairly be
asked whether any industry depend
ent for its existence on the payment
of less than $655 yearly wage de-
serves to survive.
That question, however. may be
waived. Congress has fixed the
standard. In an effort to protect
marginal labor-labor which, by and
large, is unable to protect itself
through collective bargaining-Con-
gress has fixed a floor" for wages
and ceiling" for hours. 1t has
done this not only to benefit the
individual worker, but to benefit the
industrial system - including the
farmer - through increasing the
buying power of the group at the
bottom of the economic heap. Linn
tied control over wages and hours,
with these ends in view. is no longer
mere economic theory; it is the law
of the land.
Favoritism Question Arises.
The question, therefore, which the
sweeping Barden bill poses for
Congress is whether or not this con-
troll is to be broken down for the
advantage of certain favored en-
ployers.
Passage Of the Barden bill would
not only tear gaping hole in the
Wages and Hours Act, it would be
a signal for further powerful drives
to gain exemptions. The end could
we'll be complete riddling of the
act, If it is to be knocked out or
radically changed, let that result
be achieved through an open and
above board revision of policy by
Congress, not through the adoption
of killing amendments at the be-
hest of pressure groups, Meantime
the act represents the will of Con-
gress and it ought to be given a
chanee.
The plea that the Barden bill
would help the farmer is wholly
specious and should be met with a
shattering vote against the bill