be duly administered, consistently with the fundamental economic and equitable considerations underlying it; and that it cannot be duly enforced, in its practical conception. And such a law is certain to create a vast bureaucratic organization, with all that it implies in an invidious sense and against which the N. R. A. experience forcefully argues.

22. This bill is also subject to the objection that the law it enacts will be unfair to the patriotic and conscientious manufacturers who voluntarily come under it, because and to the extent they will be exposed to competition by outside manufacturers who sell at a lower cost accordingly.

23. This bill is further subject to other important objections, including the following: (a) It is inequitable to principal contractors with respect to subcontracts beyond their control; (b) it vests in the Secretary of Labor inequitable administrative power as to compelling the attendance of witnesses and making conclusive findings of facts; and (c) it does not equally apply to Government competition with private business.

H.

24. It has been suggested that the appropriate remedial legislation here is that duly defining the term "responsible bidder", whereby it includes the element of fair dealing. We believe that this term can be reasonably defined in such a way as to assure adequate protection of Government purchases and to avoid the objections presented by this bill. Therefore, this suggestion should receive due consideration.

25. Having in mind the fact that the Government must purchase its necessary supplies and also the fact that they are purchased upon a voluntary sale basis, the conclusion follows that it is not in the public interest to enact legislation which is unduly preventive of such sales. As a rule pharmaceutical manufacturers can practically operate only upon the basis of a single standard of employment conditions. And they cannot accept any standard of such conditions which is uneconomic or effective arbitrarily to enhance the prices of their products essential to the consuming public.

CHARLES WESLEY DUNN,

General Counsel.

STATEMENT FILED BY NATIONAL BOARD YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

MARCH 11, 1936.

To the Committee on the Judiciary, House Office Building, Washington, D. C.: The National Board of the Young Women's Christian Associations, through its Public Affairs Committee, wishes to record its support of the principle embodied in the Walsh-Healey bill for the maintenance of proper standards of wages and of hours of work in the giving of governmental contracts.

The official program of the national Young Women's Christian Association includes the item "to work for minimum wage and for limitation of hours of work." Our position on this matter comes from actual experience of our membership. Our constituency numbers many thousands of young women working in industry and in business; 211,000 of these are in organized clubs which carry on regular education as to working conditions in the United States, and particularly in their own State. They know the advantages which accrue from proper regulation of hours and wages. Because of the extensive business which of necessity our Federal Government must carry on, it is probable that many of our members work in establishments to which Government contracts are given. The Government in its own business practices should be an example for private industry in the maintenance of proper working standards. We wish to record with you our hope that legislation will be enacted at this session which will make it obligatory for firms receiving Government contracts to maintain the standards recommended by the Department of Labor as to wages and hours and the elimination of child labor.

MRS. KENDALL EMERSON,

Chairman Public Affairs Committee.
MRS. ALLAN K. CHALMERS,

Chairman Economics Section, Public Affairs Committee.

STATEMENT FILED BY UNITED ASSOCIATION OF JOURNEYMEN PLUMBERS AND STEAM FITTERS

Under date of December 15, 1935, we received a communication from the officers and members of local no. 540, located at Newport News, Va. This communication was in the form of a complaint and they wished this office would bring the matter to the attention of the Secretary of the Navy and likewise to the attention of Secretary of Labor Perkins.

The complaint states that the U. S. Cruiser Boise, now being built at the Newport News shipyard, have at least 40 apprentice boys employed installing the pipe fitting under the guidance of an instructor, while more than 20 of our first-class mechanics were sent home and told to remain there until called for. Under date of December 26, 1935, the following letter was sent to Hon. Henry L. Roosevelt :

"DEAR SECRETARY: The officers of our local union no. 540 of Newport News, Va., have complained to our national office that the officials of the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. have laid off 20 mechanics, composed of marine pipe fitters and plumbers, who were employed on shipbuilding and were told to remain at home until called for.

"First, we find the Cruiser Boise, now being built at the Newport News yards, has some 40 apprentice boys employed doing work under an instructor, which our mechanics formerly done.

"Second, it is expected that work put in by these apprentice boys will not be as satisfactory as if installed by marine pipe fitters, who have been employed for a great number of years on this particular class of work.

"Third, it is very discouraging to these mechanics who have devoted their lifetime to this work to be removed and apprentice boys employed to do their work. Therefore, we believe that this complaint warrants your immediate attention."

Under date of January 6, 1936, we received the following answer to our letter of December 26, 1935, from Hon. Henry L. Roosevelt:

"MY DEAR MR. BURKE: Receipt is acknowledged of your letter of December 26, 1935, relative to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. laying off some 20 mechanics-pipe fitters and plumbers-and having their work performed by 40 apprentice boys under an instructor.

"The Navy Department, of course, is interested that satisfactory work is performed on its contracts and to insure this the Department maintains competent inspection forces at the plant.

"The handling of the labor force at a private plant primarily is a matter between the company and its employees and it is considered that your complaint should more properly be addressed to the company."

We are herein quoting you letter sent to Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, under date of December 26, 1935:

"DEAR MADAME SECRETARY: The enclosed complaint, addressed to Hon. Henry L. Roosevelt, was taken up through our business representative, General Organizer M. F. Garrett, with Admiral Lackey.

"Admiral Lackey stated he was sympathetic with our complaint but suggested we should bring the matter to your attention. We were of the opinion that the Navy Department handled such complaints, however, we now find that your Department would be best able to take care of the matter complained of.

"We know you are deeply interested in the placement, as well as the employment of mechanics and workers wherever possible, and in this particular instance it is rather a very unfortunate situation to know that a large corporation, such as the Newport News Shipbuilding Co., who have a great number of ships to be built for our Government, would lay men off who are so thoroughly equipped with the knowledge of pipe fitting of every description and replace them with these apprentice boys, under an instructor, to do their work. "Our Government will not get the results through the installations made by these boys as they would from the mechanics, who are now unemployed and probably will remain so until the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. sees their way clear to reemploy them.

"I am sure, because of your great interest in all matters pertaining to the worker's cause, that you will give this complaint your attention and will remedy same by having the company place back to work these men who have been laid off."

On January 31, 1936, we received a reply from the conciliator, who visited the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. at Newport News, Va., and

in the course of the investigation by the conciliator, who made a personal survey of the United States cruiser Boise, he found that 8 plumber apprentices were employed on this ship doing production work under the supervision of an instructor and no mechanics were employed.

We were later informed that the general manager knew about the time of the arrival of the conciliator from the Department of Labor and it is quite natural to assume that a great number of these apprentices were withdrawn from installing pipe work, which comes under the jurisdiction of our skilled marine pipe fitters and plumbers in an endeavor to cover up the doings of this "chiseling" outfit.

We are herein quoting to you letter written under date of January 27, 1936, to the Metal Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor, from the secretary of the Central Labor Union of Newport News, Va., which. reads:

"Recently a gentleman from the Department of Labor was here making an investigation of the ratio of apprentices being used in the plumbing department in the shipyard. I cannot say what information he received as he was accompanied by Mr. Robeson in making his investigation. It is the opinion that a confused prepared statement was given him by the local officials, but here I am submitting facts as we have found them at the time in which the conciliator was investigating.

"The plumbing department have in their employment roll 337 men which include from the helpers to the head of the department, clerical forces included; namely, 22 first-class mechanics, 24 second-class mechanics, 57 helpers working with tools, 61 apprentices, 144 helpers, 29 clerical, and overhead.

"This seems that the apprentices are out of balance with the journeymen mechanics and this information might be of considerable help in giving you a true picture of the condition in the yard."

The United Association of Journeymen Plumbers and Steam Fitters, affiliated with the Metal Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor, are strenuously opposed to a continuation of the policy of voting some30 millions of dollars every year under the guise of the ship subsidy when 75 percent of this money is to be turned over to shipbuilding concerns who deny to their workers the right of collective bargaining and the opportunity to secure wages which will permit their maintaining decent standards of living.

As I have shown in the case of this U. S. Cruiser Boise, the shipbuilders take moneys from the Federal Treasury to use it for the exploitation of labor. It is well nigh time that such exploitation should be stopped and as members of the metal trades department and the American Federation of Labor, we are opposed to a continuation of exploitation of labor, whether it be on the part of chislers, referred to by many at this hearing, or by the large corporations some three or four of which control the entire shipbuilding industry of our country.

If these ships were built in the navy yards of our country we would not have this exploitation of labor and there are plenty of navy yards, as well as plenty of good mechanics in this country, efficiently equipped to install pipe work.

The National League of Women Voters urges that the personnel provision in H. R. 11554 contained in section 6 (p. 5) provide for appointment of employees of any new agency created to administer the provisions of the bill if it becomes law, be made subject to the Civil Service Act as well as the Classification Act of 1923. The league has taken no position on the bill as a whole since the purpose of the bill is beyond the scope of our program.

The Department of Labor operates under the Civil Service Act. We believe it would be a very unfortunate precedent to make more liberal exemptions in this instance than is true in most cases in the Department. We can see no legitimate reason why examiners should be exempt. On the other hand, they would hold a strategic position in the effective administration of the act and

therefore should be protected as far as possible from any undue influence. This can best be achieved by selecting them wholly on the basis of merit under the Civil Service Act.

As new types of governmental service are developed it is of the greatest importance that the men and women chosen to carry them on be governed by the standards of the classified service. These standards assure fair treatment of employees and encourage public confidence in the ability of their Government to render efficient service.

Our membership throughout the country is keenly aware of the problem of securing better personnel in the Government service. The widespread interest in this problem is well demonstrated by the large and increasing amount of newspaper space given to this subject.

We therefore respectfully urge the committee to consider strengthening the personnel provision in H. R. 11554.

LOUISE G. BALDWIN, First vice president.

REPORT RELATIVE TO LAWS ENACTED IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, DEALING WITH REGULATION OF WAGES, HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT, CHILD LABOR, ETC.

(In re: H. R. 11554)

To: Chairman, subcommittee on the Judiciary.
From: Government Contracts Division.

Subject: Foreign labor legislation.

This report is intended to be supplementary to and in amplification of a previous short survey dated July 12, 1935, of laws enacted in foreign countries dealing with the subject of regulation of wages, hours of employment, child labor, etc., made in connection with the study of the Walsh bill by the Government Contracts Division.

In the first place, our study discloses that almost every foreign country has enacted laws limiting hours of work generally and also fixing minimum standards to enable the state to exercise a general supervision over conditions of employment. We have found that in most foreign countries regulations of this kind have been applied to industry in general, there being no question of constitutional powers involved, as in this country. In other words, foreign countries have been able to deal with these problems on a national scale by general enactment, except those countries which have a constitutional form of government with limited powers vested in the central or federal government. In view of the large number of laws in operation, it is necessary to present the subject matter in as simple a form as possible and for this reason the various laws are set out in tables or schedules grouped under the following headings: I. Principal Statutory Provisions Limiting Hours of Work in Industry, II. Minimum Wage Legislation, III. Regulations With Respect to Public Works Undertaken or Subsidized by Governments.

I. Principal statutory provisions limiting hours of work in industry