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C THE VIRGIi-'IA ART GOODS STUDIOS, 1i0.
0
 p lynchburg, Virginia
 I"
 y
 Lj1-cn 8, 1935


Colonel P.o'jrt Lee.
De-futy A&Ln-istrator for I:dustry-J
Vi .hi.gt-tn, D. 3.

Dear Colonel Lea: :

 I am not sure that you ere the person I should be itin, to, but
 since you e.re the one v--'hom I saw when I came to Washi :ton lost sumnier,
 and the one who arranged the conference '-ith Col. Ore !7.nc. sever1rl others,
 I am writing this to you, ncL "sh if some oneo else is the u.roocr one
 for me to corrLn uiicate ith that youI roaS, this 1 ?tter on to him.

 You will reiacember that at the timc, I c-.me to '..pshiinton we were
asking for e mininrm *ra.g3 of $1?.00, "'ith an ei"j;r-.itice .:eriod of three
months durinL vihich time we sho-ld be llo-'e(C to .-.c-y C.j of the minimum.
'Je had been )ayi . on thick b-sis in a1co-rd.eucn ,ith the President's agree-
mont thrt we should be 'ennitteJ to .. -.r't from Co'2. requirements if we
*Orotested ataiist any of these rcrquirdroents before a certain date (which
r'e did) until such time 's q meatin,, r-ould. be hlcld to determine the
justice of ou- re-.ort. At the -leetin- .you 'rr'n:"-ed in 'ashington it was
tentptivelry %-reed th'jat ve be allo-ed s ..linir-num wage of $12.00, with no
ap)rentice- e: od, .it'- tie .undjrsta'i.J.:Ln6 t-2-t by September there should
be a final decision in reL.?rLl to a differential an P ^.n an-rerntice
periodd for Southe'-rn industries.

 As far as %.'e m'.o' there ha. bjen i no decision ma.'iLe on those -oints,
yet we have continue'. .11 these months to live uo to this tent.ative
agreement. Thiring the fL.!l periodd woe lost $18,000.00, which you can
well understand is not 0ood for an i.inCu-tlr. 'Je 'r-ve nor entered
unon a sp)rin, season rlurinjv which ",lario0. it is absolutely essential
that we mn-!:ae a -.;rofit if ve ex ect to continue in busin-ss. During;
the fall we u.id not never to em-rloj untra:ineL' noole -s our re-ulbr
corps of vor'-:ers could tal-:e c-.re of our busiDess. .f are now, however,
in need of cmiloyin, a nurn-ier of ne': Luntraied _eoie, and it is
absolutely essential that "- bec allov.ed to -,ay them less than the]
minimum vWae uitil tiey P re brol:en in to the -7or:. As you ]onnr
there ar& no trained. -'eo-ole in this, section exce-ot t io ones we have
trained. 'je feel that under tuie President's agreement we.'o hav3 a right
to an e enticee :-eriod -"citil soin0 definiteite decision isirached in rx'--.rd
to this matter. c..e ?.re, therefore, this tiine employing the extra people











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