Henderson daily dispatch., August 23, 1933, Page PAGE SIX, Image 6

About Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
PAGE SIX
What the Blue Eagle means to you
and how you can get it
The President's Reemploy ment Program is advancing to complete success. No such sweeping demonstration of the unity of a whole
people aguinsl a national danger has ever been made. •In this vast surge'of patriotism it is necessary to keep our common purpose
always clear. When 125,000,000 people attempt to act as one man there are sure to be some misunderstandings. It is time to restate
as clearly as possible the aim of the whole endeavor and the duty of each individual. ® That is the purpose of this message to
state officially , briefly and clearly the simple rules for common guidance. • It is an evidence of the self-sacrificing service of the
whole country that this neivspaper has donated this space. In that spirit the whole country is acting. « This plan depends wholly
on united action. That unity is almost complete. In the next few clays let us close up every gap in . Si i
the ranks and nail the flag of the Blue Eagle on the door of every man who works another man. [Jj * */l
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S
REEMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
(Sometimes miscalled “The Blanket Code”)
This Agreement binds you to its terms into
effect from the time you sign the Certificate of
Compliance until December 31, 193;; but when
the President has approved a Cod- for your
trade or industry, that Code takes the place of
this Agreement.
You agree:
Child Labor
(1) After August 31. 1933, not to employ any
person under 16 years of age, except that per
sons between 14 and IS may be employed (but
not in manufacturing or mechanical indus
tries) for not to exceed 3 hours per day and
those hours between 7 A. M. and 7 P. M. in
such work as will not interfere with hours
of day school.
This means that after August 31, 1933, you
agree not to employ any children under 14 years
old in any kind of business. You may employ
children between 14 and 16 years old. but only
for three hours a day and those hours must be
between 7 in the mornpg and 7 at night, and
arranged so as not to interfere with school. You
agree not to employ any children under 16 years
old in a manufacturing or mechanical industry,
at any time.
Maximum Hours
(2) Not to work any accounting, clerical, bank
ing, office, service, or sales employees (except
outside salesmen) in any store, office, depart
ment, establishment, or public utility, or on
any automotive or horse-drawn passenger, ex
press, delivery, or freight service, or in any
other place or manner, for more than 40 hours
in any 1 week and not to reduce the hours of
any store or service operation to below 52 hours
in any 1 week, unless such hours were less than
52 hours per week before July 1, 1933, and in
the latter case not to reduce such hours at all.
This means that you agree not to work any of
the kinds of employees listed in this paragraph
(except outside salesmen) for more than 40
hours a week. This paragraph covers all em
ployees except factory workers, mechanical work
ers and artisans. However, no limit on hours
and no minimum wage applies to purely agri
cultural labor, domestic servants, or persons
working for you solely on a commission basis;
but, if you have persons working for you who are
guaranteed a base pay in addition to their com
mission, then their base pay plus commissions
must equal the minimum wage.
This Agreement sets no maximum on the num
ber of hours you may keep your business open.
You agree not to keep your wholesale, retail, or
service establishment open less than 52 hours a
week unless it was open less than 52 hours a
week before July 1, 1533. Even then you agree
to keep it open as long as you used to keep it
open before July 1. Os course, if you have always
kept your store open shorter hours in the Sum
mer months you can continue to do so this
Bummer, but you should pay your employees the
wme amount each week that they will get when
you keep your store open full time.
The stores with more than two employees
which remain open the longest are contributing
the most to carrying out the purpose of the
Agreement. The stores with two cr less em
ployees which can be open only the minimum
number of hours required, are doing the most to
fulfill their part.
J 8) Not to employ any factory or mechanical
worker or artisan more than a maximum week
of 35 hours until December 31, 1933, but with
the right to work a maximum week of 40 houri
for any 6 weeks within this period; and not to '
, employ any worker more than 8 hours in any'
one day. • v
This means that if you are employingvfectory.
or mechanical workers or artisans, you agree not*
to work them more than fcs hours a Week and'
not more than 8 hours in any one day.
When you have more than the usual amount
of work to do' and can't get additional workers,
you may employ this class of employee up to 40
hours a week in any 6 weeks, but even in this
case you must not work them more than 8 hours
a day. f
(4) The maximum hours fixed in the fore
going paragraphs (2) and (3) shall not apply
to employees in establishments employing not
more than two persons in towns of less than
2,500 population which towns are not part of
a larger trade area; nor to registered phar
macists or other professional persons em
ployed in their profession; nor to employees
in a managerial or executive capacity, who
now receive more than $35 per week; nor to
employees on emergency, maintenance and
repair work; nor to very special cases where
restrictions of hours of highly skilled workers
on continuous ■ processes would unavoidably
ptduce production but, in any such special
«“*» least time and one-third shall be
•jpaid for hours worked in excess of the maxl
•Xnuin. Population for the purposes of this
i agreement shall be determined by reference to
1 ‘ the 1930 federal census.
t F
L This means that there are certain employees
Whom you may work longer hours than are
fUlpwed by paragraphs (2) and (3) P.R.A.
1 I* your business is in a small town (population
Jess than 2,500 by the 1930 census) ana you do
not employ more than two persons, the limit on
hours does not apply to these employees. If
your town is really a part of a larger business
the limit on hours does apply to
employees. m
a'.The limit on hours does not apply to your em
ployees who are wholly or primarily managers
or executives, as long as they receive $35 a week
Professional persons, like doctors, lawyers, reg
istered pharmacists and nurses, may be employed
wifcjput any limit on hours.
t Where employees are doing emergency Jobs of
maizitenaßiGS or repair work, they may be kept
¥
HENDERSBN, (N. C.,) DAILY DISPATCH- WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1938
on the Job for longer hours, but you agree to
pay them at least time and one-third for hours
worked over the limits set in paragraphs (2)
and (3) P.R.A.
There are a few very special cases where highly
skilled workers must be allowed to work more
than the limit of hours in order to keep up out
put on continuous processes, but, here again, you
agree to pay them at least time and one-third
for the hours they work over the limits set in
paragraphs (2) and (3) P.R.A.
Minimum Wages
(5) Not to pay any of thtT classes of employees
mentioned in paragraph (2) less than sls per
week in any city of over 509,900 population,
or in the immediate trade area of such city;
nor less than $14.50 per week in any city of
between 250,000 and 500,000 population, or in
the immediate trade area of such city; nor
less than sl4 per week in any city of between
2,500 and 250,000 population, or in the imme
diate trade area of such city and in towns of
less than 2,500 population to increase ail wages
by not less than 20 per cent, provided that
this shall not require wages in excess of sl2
per week.
This sets out the schedule of minimum wages
which you agree to pay all employees, except
factory or mechanical workers or artisans. The
wages are set out in terms of dollars per week,
but if your employees are paid by the hour, you
may use the following schedule:
Place of Business: Minimum Wage:
(Population by 1930 Census)
In cities of 500,000 or over..37 Vi cents per hour
In cities of between 250,090
and 500,000 3614 cents per hour
In cities of between 2,500
and 259.C30 35 cents per hour
If your business is in a town of less than 2,500
population, you agree to raise all wages at least
20%. If raising all wages 20% causes you to pay
over sl2 per week, then you need onlv pay the
sl2 per week.
If there is any doubt in your mind as to
whether your business is in the "immediate trade
area” of a city, you should ask your local Cham
ber of Commerce or other similar organization
for a decision on the matter. Ti e general rule
is that the ‘‘immediate trade area” is the area
in which there is direct recall competition.
(6) Not to pay any employee of the classes
mentioned in paragraph (35 less than 40 cents
per hour unless tue houiiv rake for the same
class of work on July 15, 1929, was less than 40
cents per hour, in which latter case not to pay
less than the hourly rate on July 15, 1929, and
in no event less than 30 cents per hour. It is
agreed that this paragraph establishes a guar
anteed minimum rate of pay regardless of
whether tiro employee is compensated on the
basis of a time rate or on a piece-work
performance.
This fixes the minimum wage which you agree
to pay factory and mechanical workers and
artisans. The following schedule may help you
to find out the proper rate:
If the rate for the same
kind of work in the sai'e The minimum rate which
community on July 13, you agree to pay is:
1929. was:
More than 40c an hour..4oc an hoar
30c to 40c an hour The July 15,1929, hourly
1 if * rate
Less than 30c an hour.. ,30c an hour
Instead cf paying by the hour, you may pay,
by the week at a rate which gives the same
weekly earnings' for a week of 35 hours. For ex
ample, instead of 40c an hour, you may pay
sl4 per week. : ’
If you had a contract on or before August 1,
193E, with a learner or apprentice, you do not
have to pay him the minimum wage, but no one
should be classed as a learner or an apprentice
who has ever been employed as a regular worker
in your industry.
(7) Not to reduce the compensation for em
ployment now in excess of the minimum wages
hereby agreed to (notwithstanding that the
hours worked in such employment may- be
hereby reduced) and to increase the pay for
such employment by an equitable readjust
ment of all pay schedules.
Two official interpretations—No. 1 and No. 20
—have been issued, explaining this paragraph.
You can get copier, of these at your local Cham
ber of Commerce or nearest N. R. A. represent
ative.
Anti-Subterfuge
(8) Not to use any subterfuge tc frustrate the
spirit and intent of til!' Ag'Teiaent which is,
among other things, to iroresv* employment
by a universal covei~*»l, tc remove obstruc
tions to commerce, and to AOn hours and
to raise wages for the shorttr week to a living
basis.
This is the heart of the whole Agreement. The
President's Plan is to cure this depression by in
creasing purchasing power. You can help him put
this plan over Ly voluntarily signing this Agree
ment to shorten hours and raise wages. There is
no force to compel you to sign this Agreement. It
is not law. It is a personal agreement between
you and the President. The President expects you
to 1 do everything in your power to carry out the
spirit of the Agreement after you sign it. This
means whole-hearted cooperation by really earning
the Blue Eagle, not by just getting it and then not
iiting your part.
It would be a “subterfuge to frustrate the spirit
rind intent of this Agreement" to sign At and then
put all of your employees on a.straight commission
basis —or any other trick to avoid doing uhut you
promise to do. ,
ME M E »
WE DO OUR PART
HOW TO EARN THE BLUE EAGLE
1. Sign the President's Reemployment Agreement (P.R.A.).
2. Shorten Hours of factory workers to 35 hours per week , and of all other
employees to 40 hours per week. (See paragraphs 2 , 3 and 4 , P.R.A.)
3. Raise Wages. (See paragraphs 5, 6 and 7, P.R.A.)
4. Don’t Employ Child Labor. (See paragraph I, P.R.A.)
5. Cooperate with the President. To do this:
(a) Live Up to the Agreement. (See paragraph 8, P.R.A.)
(b) Don’t Profiteer. (See paragraph 9, P.R.A.)
(c) Deal Only with Others “Under the Blue Eagle/' (See paragraphs
10 and 12 , P.R.A.)
(d) Get a Code in by September lst.(See paragraphs 11 and 13, P.R.A.) ,
HOW TO GET THE BLUE EAGLE
1. Sign the President’s Reemployment Agreement.
2. Mail the Signed Agreement to your District Office of the Department of
Commerce.
3. Put the Agreement into Effect (as outlined above in "How to Earn the
Blue Eagle").
4. Sign a Certificate of Compliance. This is a slip distributed with the Agree
ment. It says: "I/We certify that we have adjusted the hours of labor and
the wages of our employees to accord with the President's Reemployment
Agreement , which we have signed."
5. Deliver the Certificate of Compliance to Your Post Office. The Post
master will give you your Blue Eagle.
EXCEPTIONAL CASES
1. Where a Code Has Been Submitted:
(See paragraph 13, President’s Reem
ployment Agreement). If your whole
Trade or Industry is unable to live up to
the President’s Agreement, you should
get together at once, with other employ
ers in your Trade or Industry and, in a
group, submit a Code of Fair Competi
tion to N. R. A. in Washington.
Since it takes some time after a Code
has been submitted for it to be finally
approved, your group may petition
N. R. A. to substitute the wages and hours
provisions of your Code for the wages
and hours provisions of the President’s
Reemployment Agreement.
If N.R. A. finds that the Code provi
sions are within the spirit of the Presi
dent’s Reemployment Agreement, it will
consent to such substitutions. If N. R. A.
does consent there will be an official no
tice in all the papers. You may then
put the substituted provisions into effect
in iPlace of the indicated paragraphs of
the President’s Reemployment Agree
ment. In this case you should add to
your Certificate of Compliance the fol
lowing clause: “To the extent of N; R. A.
; consent ;as announced, we have com
plied: withtfie President’s Agreement by
complying '.with the substituted provi
sions of the Code submitted by the
Trade/Industry.” fr
If the substitution is consented to after
{ . you have already put the President’s Re
•. employment Agreement into full effect;
arid after’you' have already gotten your
Blue Eagle, you may still put the substi
tuted provisions into effect without sign
ing another Certificate of Compliance.
2. Where a Code Has Been Approved.
If a Code of Fair Competition for your
Trade or Industry has already been
finally approved by the President, you
need not sign the President’s Reemploy
ment Agreement in order to get the Blue
Eagle. The same is true if you are sub
ject to a, Code which has been put into
effect temporarily by agreement between
thq President and representatives l of
your Trade efir Industry; but in either of
these cases, you must sign a Certificate
of Compliance, adding to it the following
statement: “We have complied with fee
operative l provisions of the Code for the
r *rrade/Industry.” « -r
3. Cases of Individual Hardship. (Para
graph 14, President’s Reemployment
Agreement).
If there are some peculiar reasons Why
a particular provision Os the President’s
Agreement will cause you, individually,
a great and unavoidable hardship, you
may still get the Blue Eagle by taking
the following steps:
(a). Sign the Agreement and mafl it to
Official Statement of the Blue Eagle Division, N.R. A., Washington, D. G
NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION
your District Office of the Department
of Commerce.
(b) Prepare a petition to N.R.A. setting
out the reasons why you cannot comply
with certain provisions, and requesting
that an exception be made in your case.
(c) Have this petition approved by
your Trade Association. If there is no
Trade Association for your business, have
your petition approved by your local Cham
ber of Commerce or other representative
organization designated by N.R.A.
(d) If the Trade Association, or other
organization, approves your petition, send
it to N.R.A. in Washington with this
approval.
(e) Comply with all the provisions of
the Agreement except the one you are
petitioning to have excepted.
(f) Sign the Certificate of Compliance,
adding to it the following clause; “Ex
cept for those interim provisions regard
ing wages and hours which have been
approved by the Trade Associa
tion.” Deliver this Certificate of Com
pliance to your Post Office. You will re
ceive a Blue Eagle, but before displaying
it, you must put a white , bar across its
breast with, the -word “Provisional” on it.
If your; petition is finally approved by
N.,R. A. *you may take the bar down, if
your petition l is not approved by N. R. A.
you must comply with the Agreement
in full. : ;: ; f
4. Union Contracis. If you have a con
tract with a labor organization calling
for longer hours than the' President’s
Agreement allows, and this contract was
made in good faith by collective bargain
ing and cannot be changed by you alone,
try to get the labor organization to agree
to a reduction to the maximum hours
allowed by the President’s Agreement. If
the labor organization will not agree,
you may apply to N. R. A. for permission
to work your employees as many hours a
week as the contract calls for. Send to
N. R. a. a ‘request for this permission,
with a certified copy of the labor con
tract, and any statement of facts you
desire. This application will be handled
by N.R.a. in the same manner as an
applicatipn for relief in cases of indi
vidual hardship, filed under paragraph
(14) P.R.A., but it will not be necessary
to obtain the approval of a trade asso
ciation or other organization. If N. R. A.
approves your application, or is able
to bring about any modification of the
contract, you will then be granted per
mission to work employees in accordance
with the contract as originally written
or modified, and can then sign the Cer
tificate of Compliance adding to it the
following: (‘Except as required to comply
with the terms; of the Agreement in ef
fect between the undersigned and the
(Name of Labor Organization)."
Anti-Profiteering
(9) Not to increase pf IPr merchaii
dise sold after the date hereof over the price
on July 1, 1933. by more than is made neces
sary by actual increases in production, replace
ment, or invoice costs of merchandise, or by
taxes or other costs resulting from action
taken pursuant to the Agricultural Adjustment
Act, since July 1. 1933, and, in setting such
price increases, to give full weight to probable
increases in sales volume and to refrain from
taking profiteering advantage of the consum
ing public.
The object cf this paragraph is to prevent
profiteering or speculation, so that prices will not
rise faster than purchasing power, and destroy
tne President’s plan. The danger to be avoided
was pointed out by the President on June 16
1933. in the statement which he made on signing
the Recovery Act. He said, then:
‘ If we now inllate prices as fast and as far as
we increase wages, the whole project will be
set at naught. We cannot hope for the full
effect of this plan unless, in these first critical
months, and, even at the expense of full initial
profits, we defer price increases as long as
possible. If we can thus start a strong, sound
upward spiral of business activity our indus
tries will have little doubt of black-ink opera
tions in the last quarter of this year. The
pent-up demand of this people is very great,
and if we can release it on so broau a front,
we need not fear a lagging recovery. There is
greater danger of too much feverish speed."
1 X U ou were selling yor.r merchandise on July
l. i 933, below cost, you may take vour cost price
or. that date as the basis for determining the
allowable increase under this paragraph.
Cooperation
(10/ To support and patronize establishments
which also have signed thi# Agreement aud
are listed as members of N. R. A. (National
Recovery Administration).
The success ot the President’s Reemployment
Agreement Program depends' upon public sun
port going to those who raise wages and shorten
hours in accordance with this Agreement in
order to repay them for the extra expense winch
they have incurred in doing their part.
Codes
(11) To cooperate to the fullest extent in
naving a Code of Fair Competition submitted
by his industry at the earliest possible date,
and in any event before September 1, 1933.
This Agreement is a temporary measure to
tide over the time from now until all employers
and employees can cooperate under Codes of
Fair Competition under the National Industrial
Recovery Act. You agree, in this paragraph, to
do all you can to have a Code submitted for your
trade or industry before September 1, 1933.
Appropriate Adjustments
(12) Where, before June 16, 1933, the under
signed had contracted to purchase goods at a
fixed price for delivery during the period of
this Agreement, the undersigned will make an
appropriate adjustment of said fixed price to
meet any increase in cost caused by the seller
having signed this President’s Reemployment
Agreement or having become bound by any
Code of Fair Competition approved by the
President.
This Agreement will, usually, increase the costs
of those who sign it. The purpose of this para
graph is to pass any such increased costs along
irom one signer to another, and so on to the
consumer.
you have a contract made before June 16,
19u3, to buy goods at a fixed price, you agree
to make an arrangement with your seller so
that you pay him for the extra cost to him
caused by his having signed this Agreement, or
having come under a Code approved by the
In some cases the final buyer is the Govern
merit, which, under existing law, is generally
not allowed to pay more than the contract price.
The President has announced that he will rec
ommend to Congress that appropriations be
made to allow the Government to play its part
by paying Government contractors who have
signed the Agreement for their increased costs,
ihe President has also appealed to the States
and cities to take action permitting them to do
likewise.
\ou should have no fear that, because your
buyer has not signed, you will be left with the
inci eased cost on you alone. The President ex
pects every employer to sign this Agreement.
Substitution
(13) This Agreement shall cease upon approval
by the President of a Code to which the under
signed is subject; or, if the N. R. A. so elects
upon submission of a Code to which the under
signed is subject and substitution of any of
its provisions for any of the terms of this
Agreement.
As pointed out in the; explanation of, para
graph (11) P. R. A. aboVe, the President plarjs
to have ail business govern itself '‘finder' •Cedes
and therefore Codes should be promptly sub
mitted. If N. R. A ii : J-> that the wages and
hours, provisions of n Code which has been sub
mitted are within the spirit of this Agreement,
N.R. A. will authorize your industry to operate
under those provisions rather than under the
wages and hours provisions of this Agreement.
Exceptions
(14) It is agreed that any person who wishes
to do his part in the President’s Reemploy
ment Drive by signing this Agreement, but who
asserts that some particular provision hereof,
because of peculiar circumstances, will create
great and unavoidable hardship, may obtain
the benefits hereof by signing this Agreement
and putting it into effect and then, in a peti
tion approved by a trade association of his
industry, or other representative organization
designated by N. R. A., may apply for a stay of
such provision pending a summary investi
gation by N. _R. A., if he agrees in such appli
cation to abide by the decision of such in
vestigation. This Agreement is entered into
pursuant to section 4 (a) of the National In
dustrial Recoyery Act and subject to all the
terms and conditions required by sections
-1 (a) and 10 (b) of that act.
If you really want to do your part in the Presi
lent’s Reemployment Program, sign this Agree*
ment. If some particular part of this Agree
ment causes you, as an individual employer, great
and unavoidable hardship, you may obtain re
lef by taking the steps outlined under the heari
ng “Cases of Individual Hardship.”
Save this sheet as your official source of in
ormation. If there are any -problems in your
lind which are not cleared up by this explana
ion, get in touch with the official M. L.. A. repre
ntative in yonr community,