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Show President Roosevelt indicated at a press conference soon after the NRA decision that he was not opposed to the use of state compacts. In fact, it was disclosed that the President had stated that the federal government would make a study of interstate compacts. On June I4., 1935s Secretary of Labor Franoes Perkins, addressed representatives from fourteen states who had gathered in her office to discuss ways and means of maintaining, through uniform state legis- lation, labor standards established by the codes under NRA,. She stated that "interstate compacts or agreements on labor standards and regulations seem to offer a possibility for bringing out a measure of uniformity among participating states with consequent reduction of competitive difficulties." There is.in existence today a compact which is a monument to the fore- sight and zeal of a group of states which, confronted with labor problems, worked together without the need of federal intervention, bringing about a covenant, which defines and protects the rights of employers and employees ? This is known as the Concord Compact, signed during May, 193Uj a*id entered into by Massachur* setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Now York, and Pennsyl- vania. It provides that no employer shall pay a woman or a minor an unfair or oppressive wage and it pledges the participating states to cooperative measures to improve and maintain labor standards. Reciprocal legislation has been enacted. This compact has not been ratified by Congress although bills for that purpose have been introduced<* The Concord Compact is an outgrowth of a conference of governors repre- senting the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut held during 1931* This conference was called by Franklin D« Roosevelt, then Governor of New York, As a result of this and subsequent conferences of commissioners ap- pointed by these states, a bill-was introduced in the Massachusetts legislature in April, 1933* an(i enacted July 12 of the same year, which provided for the establishment of a state commission on interstate compacts. The commission was authorized to meet with similar commissions of other states for the purpose of negotiating or agreeing upon a "joint report to recommend policies to be pursued in the establishment of uniform wages, hours of labor, and conditions and standards of employment, for the purpose of enacting legislation to authorize the consummation of the compact. At a conference of Northeastern governors held later an agreement was reached whereby these governors pledged themselves to appoint similar commissions in their states. As the outcome of this conference, an interstate meeting was held in Boston during December of the same year and as a result a compact was drawn up providing for a uniform wage law. ^Connecticut, New Hampshire and New York already had a minimum wage law and it was felt that this subject would be the best starting point as it would be easier to come to a meeting of the minds. The conferees acted v/isely in handling the labor problems by embodying solutions in separate agreements leading to a series of compacts, rather than waiting to adjust all the problems and incorporating such an agreement in one compact. The method which has been used is quicker and gets one controversial point out of the way before another is considered* |