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Hi this is FDR and you are listening to my famous fireside chat.

It’s June 16th, 1933 and I am proud to announce that another law has been passed in my first hundred days of office. More people are out of work in this country than any other nation. About ten million citizens cannot get a job and child labor has become a problem. Businesses are looking out for themselves, raising prices, cutting wages and, making longer work hours. On average, workers are getting paid $30 a month which is barely enough to survive. Income of the average family has dropped 40% because of businesses lowering wages. Employers have been doing what they want and treating people like dirt because there are no laws controlling them. Businesses have not been providing disability insurance so if employees lose an arm or leg, too bad. Improved working conditions are severely needed. We cannot allow these people to get sick in our country just because business leaders can’t keep their businesses clean. Now that our government is hands on and not laissez faire, there is going to be big change in businesses.

Today Congress and I worked together to pass the National Recovery Act (NRA) which is part of my First New Deal. It is to remain in effect for two years. I have appointed Hugh S. Johnson as the administrator of the NRA. This law will help us advance in recovering our industry and reforming our economy. It encourages employers to negotiate with their employees and begin to reemploy them. This law sets the minimum wage at 40 cents an hour. Clerical workers are to be given no more than 40 hour work weeks and industrial workers are to be given no more than 36 hour work weeks. The NRA is controlling business overproduction, stopping child labor, and reducing competition.

The NRA has established a code system of fair competition. These codes are to be signed by businesses that will not establish unfair restrictions on one company over another. These businesses are not supposed to limit who can be part of the business or promote monopolies and eliminate small business. This program is voluntary, but if businesses accept the codes they can place a NRA blue eagle symbol in their window. If companies do not have this symbol displayed they shall be seen as selfish and unpatriotic.

So far 2 million employers have joined the NRA. I expect industrial production to increase by 45%. The NRA has showed that I am willing to work with business rather than against them. Today I have told you of our plan to recover and reform our economic problems. Our problems will not be solved tomorrow, but we are headed down the right road.

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__ Works Cited __ "FDR Chat 4." //MHRIC Home Page//. Web. 18 Dec. 2009. . "JOB SECURITY IN THE 1930'S?" //Parida.com Rinfret.com//. Web. 18 Dec. 2009. . "National Industrial Recovery Act." // United States //// History //. Web. 18 Dec. 2009. . "New Deal -." //Conservapedia//. Web. 18 Dec. 2009. .