Pursuant to the authority vested in me by Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act, approved June 16, 1933, and pending action upon a code of fair competition to be presented by the industries represented by the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof, representing garment manufacturers, principally of light garments of cotton, that is to say, shirts, work clothing, pajamas, athletic underwear, heavy cotton outerwear garments, cotton wash dresses, boys' shirts and blouses, men's collars and waterproof cotton garments; whether as a final process or as part of a larger or further process: I agree with the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof that, pending the approval of a code of fair competition for the industry, they shall be bound, beginning July 31, 1933, by the provisions of Sections 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the Cotton Textile Code approved by the President July 9, 1933; and paragraphs 3, 7, 8 and 9 of the Conditions of Approval of the President, dated July 9, 1933; and paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of conditions of final approval contained in Schedule A of Executive Order of July 15, 1933; and by Section 3 of the said Cotton Textile Code relating to shifts, amended to read as follows: "III. On and after the effective date, employers represented by the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof shall not operate on a schedule of hours of labor for their employeesexcept repair shop crews, engineers, electricians, firemen, office and supervisory staff, shipping, watching and outside crews, and cleaners in excess of 40 hours per week and they shall not operate productive machinery in the industry represented by the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof for more than one shift of forty hours each per week", as set forth in their letter of July 20, 1933, signed by the Chairman of the Code Committee of the International Association of Garment Manufacturers, offering this agreement to the President of the United States, pursuant to Section 4 of the National Industrial Recovery Act, and addressed to General Hugh S. Johnson, Administrator, Commerce Building, Washington, D. C., with the express understanding that this agreement is subject to modification or cancellation at any time without notice; that this order is not to be interpreted as permitting any increase of hours over or reduction of wages below the standards now obtaining and that it will not be utilized to delay the submission of a code of fair competition for the industry. Recommended for Approval by: HUGH S. JOHNSON. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, July 26, 1933.
Executive Order 6221-C—Code of Fair Competition for the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof
Executive Brief • At a Glance
Pursuant to the authority vested in me by Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act, approved June 16, 1933, and pending action upon a code of fair competition to be presented by the industries represented by the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof, representing garment manufacturers, principally of light garments of cotton, that is to say, shirts, work clothing, pajamas, athletic underwear, heavy cotton outerwear garments, cotton wash dresses, boys' shirts and blouses, men's collars and waterproof cotton garments; whether as a final process or as part of a larger or further process: I agree with the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries…
Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis
Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on July 26, 1933, this order concerns Code of Fair Competition for the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof. Pursuant to the authority vested in me by Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act, approved June 16, 1933, and pending action upon a code of fair competition to be presented by the industries represented by the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof, representing garment manufacturers, principally of light garments of cotton, that is to say, shirts, work…
Key Directives & Operative Actions
Pursuant to the authority vested in me by Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act, approved June 16, 1933, and pending action upon a code of fair competition to be presented by the industries represented by the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof, representing garment manufacturers, principally of light garments of cotton, that is to say, shirts, work clothing, pajamas, athletic underwear, heavy cotton outerwear garments, cotton wash dresses, boys' shirts and blouses, men's collars and waterproof cotton garments; whether as a final process or as part of a larger or further process: I agree with the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries…
On and after the effective date, employers represented by the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof shall not operate on a schedule of hours of labor for their employeesexcept repair shop crews, engineers, electricians, firemen, office and supervisory staff, shipping, watching and outside crews, and cleaners in excess of 40 hours per week and they shall not operate productive machinery in the industry represented by the International Association of Garment Manufacturers and Subdivisional Industries Thereof for more than one shift of forty hours each per week", as set forth in their letter of July 20, 1933, signed by the Chairman of the Code Committee of the International Association of…
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
Policy Areas & Topics
The Framers' Constitutional Council
1787 PrismEvaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.
"When the President acts in absence of either a congressional grant or denial of authority, he can only rely upon his own independent powers, but there is a zone of twilight in which he and Congress may have concurrent authority."
James Madison
Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy
"Power is of an encroaching nature, and it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it." — Federalist No. 48 (1788)
Madison would view this order with watchful scrutiny. Operating in the 'Zone of Twilight' where Congress is silent, each such directive establishes an administrative precedent that steadily expands the executive perimeter at the expense of legislative primacy.
Alexander Hamilton
The Energetic Executive & Unified Command
"A feeble Executive implies a feeble execution of the government; and a government ill executed, whatever it may be in theory, must be, in practice, a bad government." — Federalist No. 70 (1788)
Hamilton would view this directive as the natural and indispensable functioning of administrative leadership. Without the power to coordinate agencies, manage personnel, and resolve operational ambiguities, the modern presidency would be reduced to an impotent figurehead.
George Mason
Bill of Rights, Due Process & 10th Amendment
"The president will be surrounded by flatterers and sycophants... and the great powers of the executive will gradually absorb the liberties of the people." — Cato IV (Anti-Federalist, 1787)
The Anti-Federalist prism advises continuous democratic vigilance. Even routine administrative directives aggregate centralized federal power away from town halls and state assemblies toward a distant executive apparatus.
Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions
An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.
Legislative Encroachment & Purse
Administers commerce or fiscal programs requiring ongoing statutory delegation and legislative oversight.
Executive Scope & Faithfulness
Exercises standard supervisory executive authority to faithfully execute existing statutes.
Federalism & State Sovereignty
Engages state and local partners in cooperative federalism programs.
Due Process & Individual Rights
Applies regulatory or compliance standards to private contractors or commercial entities.
Youngstown Jacksonian Tier
The order relies on inherent Article II executive discretion, civil service management, or foreign diplomacy where Congress has neither expressly approved nor prohibited action.
This order operates within Justice Jackson’s Zone of Twilight, resting upon concurrent presidential authority or congressional silence.
Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order No. 6221 (July 26, 1933), https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-6221-c-code-fair-competition-for-the-international-association-garment.