-422-


 When the Code went into effect we asked for exceptions to the minimum
 wage, filing our brief in due form and going before one of the Darrow
 committee in Kansas City, a iAr. 1.ann, explaining our position and while
 waiting for a decision we had in effect a minimum of 30 per hour for
 some of our help6 Yet the Code Authority when they got ready to issue
 labels would not ship us labels until we.had paid back about.$800.00
 that they termed back wages to bring the minimum up to $14.00, or 35,
 per hour. And now I find that the Virgini.. Art Studios have labels
 in their product, yet have not been compelled by the Code Authority to
 pay the Code minimum, and there may be others among the ninety-one non-
 compliance cases operating as this concern is.

 All of this may not be of interest to you in the situation, yet I think
 it does show that we haven't been treated fair under the Code. I am
 not complaining against the Lynchburg, Virginia concern; their position
 is somewhat similaR to ours and they should not be made to come under
 the Code on the same basis as the New York and that particular vicinity,
 where nearly all of the manufacturers are located, with their market for
 raw material and everything that goes into handbags except labor, right
 at their door.

 In considering our case, I wish you would again refer to our brief,
 left with you. These New York fellows claim a great success for the
 Code, yet they have ninety-one cases of non-compli _nce out of three hun-
 dred and thirty-seven manufacturers that they claim are in the industry,
 and during the past few weeks they have allowed the eastern manufacturers
 to dump merchandise on the market at Drices it could not be produced for
 until the Easter market was virtually demoralized. When I was East re-
 cently the New York papers were full of special sales on fine handbags
 at- ridiculously low prices, yet every producer of these bags was under
 the Code, that the Dew York crowd claims is such a grand success.

 The Code has worked nothing but a hardship on us. As I previously ad-
 Svised, in our vicinity there are show manufacturers, shirt manufacturers,
 Cigar manufacturers, and others, none of whom have the high minimum wage
 that we have, and all of them have a period in which they can work an
 'absolutely green employee for a certain length of time until they get
 familiar with their 7ork at less than the minimum; 80, of the minimum
 in most cases, I think. One garment manufacturer who employ about one
 Hundred people here in our town are able to work their new people :hom
 they are trying to teach the business at 50Q of their $12.00 minimum
 Sfor several weeks. Shoe concerns at 80O of the minimum for six weeks
 and they have a minimum for female labor of 300 per hour. Cigar manu-
| facturers here, and thereqsre two of them, I understand from very re-
Sliable authority, paid little or no attention to the Code minimum.

i So all in all, I know that no consideration has been riven to our iso-
|s lated position in this industry.

I I am enclosing you a letter that will at least enlighten you as to the
SNew York crowd's attitude toward us when the Code was being formed.
 This letter from Mr. Mittenthal I will ask you to return. I don't like
 to go on record as being constantly. complaining against these fellows,