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PKarch 30, 1934


Mr. James C. Worthy,
Assistant Deputy Administrator,
National Recovery Administration,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:

 I am advised by the Virginia Art Goods Studios, Inc., located in
 this city, thPt acting upon Executive Order -2, of July 15, 1933,
 whereby orivileee is given all persons or corporations to petition for
 exception to, exe'-iotion from or modification of any Code of Fair
 Competition which mate-ially affects said persons or corporations, in
 which said persons or corporations have had no Dart in forming either
 in person or by representation, they uill file a petition for modifica-
 tion of certain provisions and conditions set forth in the Code for the
 Ladies Hand-Bag Industry, approved Code #332.

 In all fairness and justice the Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce
 earnestly hones that this concern will be granted a hearing in this
 matter. They rere not represented 'Then the final code was adopted,
 and know nothing of its final provisions. I have studied this Code
 carefully, and feel that it will work an undue hardship on this concerns:
 Lynchburg is an industrial center, and practically every industry is
 now operating under its permanent: cod0e. In our shoe factories, textile
 mills, garment factories, hosiery mills and p-ractically all others, the
 minimum "age of 30 cents per hour for a 40 hour week, or $12.00 a week,
 is fixed. Identically the same class of labor is used in the hand bag
 establishment as in the other industries and it grossly unfair to them
 that they should be compelled to pay a minimum wage of $14.00 per week
 as against $12.00 per week minimum existing in all the other industries i
 in the city. The other industries in Lynchburg are operating under
 codes in which labor differentials are allowed, because of their
 southern location, but no such differential is allowed in the Hand-Bag
 Code. The codes of all the other industries in the city allow a
 differential for r-pnrentices and learners of at least 80% of the wage,
 whereas the Hand-Bag Code makes no such provision. ,
 iii
 I am thoroughly acquainted with the nature of the business of this i:
hand-bag establishment, and I know that they operate on a very narrow
margin of profit. If they -re compelled to Day the wages prescribed
in their Code, I firmly believe it will result in their being forced M
out of business. They are only a small establishment as far as the
industry is concerned, and have continued in business only by overconiing
tremendous handicaps. "

 They will petition for a minimum wage of 30 cents per hour for
a 40 hour week, and for a wage of 80% of this minimum for apprentices
for a period of at least six or eight weeks. I think this request to
be eminently fair, and will only be giving to them the same rights and
privileges allowed under the various codes to all the other industries
in the city. May I express the hope that the petition of this concern


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