Changes

for the National Rife Association, see [[NRA]]

for the National Rife Association, see [[NRA]]

The '''National Recovery Administration''', or '''NRA''', was founded in 1933 to assist in aiding the economic troubles of [[The Great Depression]]. Headed by [[General Hugh Johnson]], The NRA was created by the [[National Industrial Recovery Act]], along with the PWA.  

The '''National Recovery Administration''', or '''NRA''', was a major [[New Deal]] agency that lasted 1933-35, designed to speed recovery from the [[Great Depresssion]]. Headed by [[General Hugh Johnson]], the NRA was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act, along with the PWA.  

The NRA was designed to restore the economic health of American business. It had four objectives: to spread work evenly among people; to distribute wages, thereby increasing purchasing power; To stop unfair trade practices and limit cutthroat competition; and to eliminate child labor.  The NRA was in operation about two years. The business community was initially highly supportive, but by 1934 became increasingly frustrated with the red tape involved. The NRA was shut down in 1935, and no efforts were made to revive it.  Economic historians generally agree that it was a poor solution to the economic crises.

The NRA was designed to restore the economic health of American business. It had four objectives: to spread work evenly among people; to distribute wages, thereby increasing purchasing power; To stop unfair trade practices and limit cutthroat competition; and to eliminate child labor.  The NRA was in operation about two years. The business community was initially highly supportive, but by 1934 became increasingly frustrated with the red tape involved. The NRA was shut down in 1935, and no efforts were made to revive it.  Economic historians generally agree that it was a poor solution to the economic crises.

==Codes==

==Codes==

The NRA quickly created a series of fair competition codes, by bringing together leaders from each industry who in turn set  the codes for that industry. The NRA spent the first months of its life trying to get both support from government and from the people for these codes. After an initial wave of public support, NRA bogged down.  About 23,000,000 people worked under the NRA fair code. However, violations of codes became common and attempts were made to use the courts to enforce the NRA. The NRA included a multitude of regulations imposing the pricing and production standards for all sorts of goods and services.   

The NRA quickly created a series of fair competition codes, by bringing together leaders from each industry who in turn set  the codes for that industry. The NRA spent the first months of its life trying to get both support from government and from the people for these codes. After an initial wave of public support, NRA bogged down.  About 23,000,000 people worked under the NRA fair code. However, violations of codes became common and attempts were made to use the courts to enforce the NRA. The NRA included a multitude of regulations imposing the pricing and production standards for all sorts of goods and services.   

 

==Price controls==

==Price controls==

  In early 1935 the new chairman announced that the NRA would stop setting prices, but businessmen complained.  Chairman Samuel Williams told them plainly that, unless they could prove it would damage business, NRA was going to put an end to price control. Williams said, "Greater productivity and employment would result if greater price flexibility were attained."  Of the 2,000 businessmen on hand probably 90% opposed Mr. Williams' aim, reported ''Time'' magazine. "To them a guaranteed price for their products looks like a royal road to profits. A fixed price above cost has proved a lifesaver to more than one inefficient producer."  The business position was summarized by George A. Sloan, head of the Cotton Textile Code Authority:  

  In early 1935 the new chairman announced that the NRA would stop setting prices, but businessmen complained.  Chairman Samuel Williams told them plainly that, unless they could prove it would damage business, NRA was going to put an end to price control. Williams said, "Greater productivity and employment would result if greater price flexibility were attained."  Of the 2,000 businessmen on hand probably 90% opposed Mr. Williams' aim, reported ''Time'' magazine. "To them a guaranteed price for their products looks like a royal road to profits. A fixed price above cost has proved a lifesaver to more than one inefficient producer."  The business position was summarized by George A. Sloan, head of the Cotton Textile Code Authority:  

* Best; Gary Dean. ''Pride, Prejudice, and Politics: Roosevelt Versus Recovery, 1933-1938.'' Praeger Publishers. 1991 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=23339686 online edition], a conservative critique

* Best; Gary Dean. ''Pride, Prejudice, and Politics: Roosevelt Versus Recovery, 1933-1938.'' Praeger Publishers. 1991 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=23339686 online edition], a conservative critique

* Brand, Donald R. "Corporatism, the NRA, and the Oil Industry." ''Political Science Quarterly'' 1983 98(1): 99-118. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2150207  in Jstor]. Uses corporatism model to explore the struggle between independent oil producers and major oil producers over production and price controls.

* Brand, Donald R. "Corporatism, the NRA, and the Oil Industry." ''Political Science Quarterly'' 1983 98(1): 99-118. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2150207  in Jstor]. Uses corporatism model to explore the struggle between independent oil producers and major oil producers over production and price controls.

* Dearing, Charles L., Paul T. Homan, Lewis L. Lorwin, Leverett S. Lyon. ''The ABC of the NRA,'' (1934) 200 pgs. [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-abc-of-the-nra-by-charles-l-dearing-paul-t-homan-lewis-l-lorwin-leverett-s-lyon.jsp online edition]

* Dearing, Charles L., Paul T. Homan, Lewis L. Lorwin, Leverett S. Lyon. ''The ABC of the NRA,'' (1934) 200 pgs. [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-abc-of-the-nra-by-charles-l-dearing-paul-t-homan-lewis-l-lorwin-leverett-s-lyon.jsp online edition]

* Fine, Sidnet. "The Ford Motor Company and the N.R.A.," ''Business History Review,'' Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter, 1958), pp. 353-385 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3111659 in JSTOR]

* Fine, Sidney. "The Ford Motor Company and the N.R.A.," ''Business History Review,'' Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter, 1958), pp. 353-385 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3111659 in JSTOR]

* Hawley, Ellis W. ''The New Deal and the Problem of Monopoly'' (1968), the major scholarly study, by a leading conservative historian  

* Hawley, Ellis W. ''The New Deal and the Problem of Monopoly'' (1968), the major scholarly study, by a leading conservative historian  

* Hawley, Ellis W. "The New Deal and Business," in ''The New Deal: The National Level'' ed by Robert H. Bremner and David Brody; Ohio State University Press. (1975)  pp 50-82,  [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=62849721 online edition] , by a leading conservative historian

* Hawley, Ellis W. "The New Deal and Business," in ''The New Deal: The National Level'' ed by Robert H. Bremner and David Brody; Ohio State University Press. (1975)  pp 50-82,  [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=62849721 online edition] , by a leading conservative historian