V Registry No. 304—15 NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION FOR THE READY CUT HOUSE INDUSTRY AS SUBMITTED ON AUGUST 31, 1933 The Code for the Ready Cut House Industry in its present form merely reflects the proposal of the above-mentioned industry, and none of the provisions contained therein are to be regarded as having received the approval of the National Recovery Administration as applying to this industry UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1933 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. Price 5 cents Submitted by NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF READY CUT HOUSE MANUFACTURERS (ID OUTLINE OF CODE OF FAIR COMPETITION FOR THE READY CUT HOUSE INDUSTRY The Ready Cut House Industry was conceived, initiated, and es- tablished twenty-six years ago, and in 1916 the National Association of Ready Cut House Manufacturers was organized. The principle upon which it was conceived, involved the elimina- tion of waste in the utilization of lumber for home building, and the elimination of in-between profits in the course of the handling of the material from the forest to the home builder. The success of the business requires national distribution by reason of the fact that large investments are necessary in plant and special machinery for fabricating all of the parts of a house in the mill, so that the sawing and fitting may be eliminated to the greatest extent on the job. The above conditions necessitate the conducting of both a manu- facturing and a national sales and distribution ptan through adver- tising and by direct mail, placing this industry in an entirely differ- ent position from that of the long-established lumber manufacturing and distributing plan. The distribution methods of this industry are quite separate and distinct from those of the so-called ''bona fide" lumber business. The Ready Cut House Industry sells a complete unit that is a house, including a large quantity of the lumber cut to fit, the millwork, hardware, glass, paints, nails, etc., and further supplies the home builders with plan, erection and supervisory services, at a unit price, based on a published photograph and plan as distinguished from the Lumber Industry plan of selling lumber by the thousand feet board measure, and which usually does not include the other materials or services necessary for the erection of the home. It is, therefore, clear that this industry should be separately organized from any of the branches of the basic lumber industry. It is the purpose of the Ready Cut House Industry, and of the framers of and adherents to this Code, as promptly and as practi- cable, to restore rates of wages within the industry to the rates of wages prevailing in the period from 1926 to 1929, adjusted in proportion to changes in the cost of living; to restore the prices of the industry's products to levels which will stop the further depletion and destruction of capital assets and to revise rates of wages in such manner as will reflect an equitable adjustment. 1. Membership. — Any individual, firm or corporation who shall regularly have been engaged in the manufacture of Ready Cut or fabricated houses for a period of at least one year, and who has a manufacturing plant reasonably commensurate with the demands of the business, and who has a good business reputation, shall be eligible to membership in the association. Each member shall be entitled to only one vote. All applications for membership shall be made in 9693—33 (1) UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08851 7783 writing to the Board of Director.-, and addressed to the Secretary. New members may be elected at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors by a majority of the members of the Board present at such meeting: but before being admitted to actual mem- bership, the applicant must sign these Articles of Association. 2. The Ready Out House Industry accepts and agree;- to operate under Articles V, VI, and VII of the Code of Fair Competition of the Lumber and Timber Products Industry, as approved by the President August 19. 1933 — these referring to hours of employment and wages of labor. 3. This code is not designed to promote monopolies. Provisions of this code shall not be so interpreted or administered as to elimi- nate or oppress small enterprises or to discriminate against them. 4. Violation by any Ready Cut House Manufacturer of any provi- sion of this code, or any approved rule issued thereunder, is an unfair method of competition. 5. It is the intention of those subscribing to this code to stand for uniform grades, for full and honest count, for fair and equitable adjustment of disputes and the highest business ethics, and to guaran- tee as far as possible, the character of the material they sell. 0. A committee of three shall administer the provisions of this code, secure adherence thereto, hear and adjust complaints, consider proposals for amendments thereof and exceptions thereto, and other- wise carry out in the Ready Cut House Industry the purposes of the National Recovery Act. The decision of this committee shall be final and binding upon all persons subscribing to this code or subject to its provisions. 7. The purpose of this association shall be to promote a high stand- ard of business ethics, to foster truth in advertising, to protect the public from unscrupulous manufacturing and sales methods, to im- prove manufacturing methods, to eliminate waste, and to maintain the standard of manufacture of Ready Cut Houses at a high degree of efficiency. For the Code Committee : Harvey L. Harris, Secretin//. National Association of Ready Cut House Manufacturers. Arthington St. and Noman Ave., Chicago, 111. August 29, 1933. O