Show Scattered Shut Downs Follow In Wake of Wage and Hour Law 7 Ik i L A t J t IN THIS INDUSTRY THE WAGE HOUR LAW BROUGHT A SHUTDOWN Pecan shelters pictured at work in plant near San Antonio Texas WASHINGTON Oct 25 UP I Scattered shut-downs shut in low- low wage industries a slow down protest in communications and unsettled demands for exemptions exemptions exemptions faced administrators of the new wage and hour law today Despite these difficulties Wage- Wage Hour Administrator Elmer F Andrews Andrews Andrews An An- drews was confident that the law effective since midnight Sunday would become a national cooperative cooperative cooperative tive movement of benefit to industry industry industry indus indus- try labor and the public generally As the second day of the operation operation operation opera opera- tion of the fair labor standards act began the following major problems problems lems lenis existed throughout the country country country coun coun- try NEW YORK Postal Telegraph company announced announced announced an an- the off lay-off of 1000 messengers messengers messengers messen messen- gers to Ito protect the company's fi financial financial financial fi- fi position Andrews has not yet ruled on the company's petition to pay messengers less than the 25 cents an hour minimum wage Western Union announced compliance compliance com corn with the wage provision affecting affecting affecting af af- af- af messengers pending Andrews' Andrews ruling American Communications Communications Communications association claiming to tot to represent messengers of at f both companies companies com corn threatened a strike if the wage-hour wage provisions were not abided by The American Communication as assocIation association as- as ord ordered Fed a slow dow pr test by telegraph operators operator against the Postal company because of al alleged alleged alleged al- al chiseling under the hour 44 a- a week a-week provision Union officials said that operators throughout the country were refusing to send more than 20 messages an hour threatened threatened threatened threat threat- ened to use same tactics against Western Union Union contends that company has arranged schedule under which em em- are working 46 hours and 15 minutes a week at same me hourly rates formerly received for 48 hours of work More than l workers reported report report- ed to have lost their jobs as result of shut-downs shut in pecan shelling and garment industries All 60 plants of pecan industry closed between 2500 and garment workers reported idle Owners of pecan shelling companies companies companies compa compa- nies contend that they do not earn enough to meet the 25 cents an hour minimum wage Shelling plants in other Texas cities were expected to follow the example of San Antonio owners The industry between 30 and workers in the state GREENVILLE N. N C. C Heads of independent and exportIng exporting exporting export export- ing tobacco companies estimated that negroes mostly women will lose jobs permanently predicted predict predict- ed that between and 75 pounds of flue-cured flue tobacco co now stemmed in the United States would be stemmed abroad as result of 25 cents an hour minimum minimum minimum mini mini- mum wage Exporters predicted in increase increase increase in- in crease in use of stemming machines now used widely by domestic com corn Andrews did not appear greatly concerned with these difficulties He said that he was sorry but explained that congress had established established a 25 cents an hour minimum wage for all interstate interstate- industries which could not be suspended In a a nationally broadcast radio address concerning the law l last ut Continued on Page Two Column One PLANTS CLOSED IN PAY PROTEST Continued from Page One night he outlined the following benefits For employers American Industry industry industry indus indus- try does not have to face unfair competition based on low wage and hour standards from across state tate lines For workers American workers in every section are protected from the effects of sweated labor from other parts parta of the country For the public The American public and those apparently not di directly directly dl- dl affected by the wage and hour law can expect more stable industrial conditions and a price structure that will enable their fellow fellow fellow fel fel- fel- fel low citizens who labor to live as de decent decent decent de- de cent human beings should live As yet no legal attack on the validity of the act has ha been re report report- ort ort- ed But officials considered it al almost almost al- al most certain that it would get to the supreme court quickly Many congressional opponents of the law have declared that it was Andrews disclosed that as soon as th the act gets under way sufficiently sufficiently I he will confer with President President President dent Roosevelt who returned from Hyde P Park rk N. N YI T. today He will I report to him on the fine spirit shown by the majority of the natIons nations nation's na na- na- na I lions tion's employers in complying as aswell aswell aswell well as on those firms which have closed rather than han pay the minimum wage |