Show Bruc Bru karts charts washington digest time for showdown in labor situation Is not far distant serious reaction follows attitude of NLRB pub public lie also resentful of conditions caused by union leaders inquiry may alay bare startling facts 4 by WILLIAM BRUCKART service national press washington D C washington there is every indication that the labor situation in this country government policies labor union policies employer attitude at ti is fast approaching a new tangle A reaction has set in on the part of the public to certain phases of the roosevelt administrations earlier but not necessarily the current policies likewise labor union leadership has produced certain conditions that are not finding public support and there are still some employers who continue to make fools of themselves by following eighteenth century methods I 1 have suggested in these columns previously that the national labor relations board was riding for a fall it was riding too high there was bound to be a serious reaction the boards arrogance unfairness overbearing attitude its general contempt for anyone disagreeing with its conclusions were elements certain to lead to an eventual showdown the time of that showdown seems not far distant it is likely that the board and its staff of ism controlled theorists will pay a heavy price for failure to use common sense and adopt a judicial viewpoint poin t the same type of mentality as that which jeopardizes the principles of the national fictional labor relations act also has caused a blowup in the wages and hours division of the labor department the division which administers the year old law limiting hours of work and prescribing minimum wages administrator el EI mer P F andrews was the goat and he had to resign no one probably ever will know whether it was foolhardiness on the part of mr andrews or the treachery of his subordinates that brought about the explosion but explode it did and as a result col phillip fleming is in the job of wage and hour administrator without benefit of senate confirmation fir of his appointment although the senate is in session lewis and green warfare shows no signs of letup let up no cessation of the warfare between john L lewis C 1 I 0 and william greens A F of L is foreseen the lewis faction of organized labor continues to do a lot of things that do not fit into the picture of americanism despite a strong denial by mr lewis that communists are in key positions mr greens organization is building up a magnificent record of fighting within itself one craft is pitted against another here there and everywhere ery where with the result that people generally are getting pretty tired of having to wait to get work done because carpenters and bricklayers tor for example both go on strike over the question of which one shall do pa particular reticular work the unhappy labor board has few defenders any more for a long time the board its attorneys and investigators were commonly regarded as an adjunct of the lewis labor union surely there was ground tor for such belief by the admissions that came from time to time coup coupled led with consistent and concerted attacks by leaders of the A F of L wherever it was feces sary to make a choice between lew 1 is is followers and green supporters it was an odds on bet that the lewis would be sustained group groups 5 contention all of this was followed ultimately by an attack from the C 1 L 0 on the functions of the board that happened at the annual C 1 I 0 con bention and came from mr lewis no one seems to know the real reason expected to examine facts and then propose a remedy the house committee is headed by rep howard smith a virginia democrat who long has been noted for fairness As far as his record goes I 1 believe it dah be said that mr smith has seldom been anti or pro on any question without first having facts with him on the committee are representatives healey of massachusetts and murdock of arizona democrats and halleck of indiana and of ohio republicans mr healey is about the only member of the group who can be suspected of leaning violently one way or the other mr healey He aleys s record marks him as a new dealer on nearly all occasions sometimes without too much reason I 1 have heard mr halleck praised for his fairness any number of times in house bouse debate and the commendation has come as much from democrats as from the republicans so there is every indication that the investigation will be of the type that examines the facts and then proposes a remedy much evidence has been gathered and will serve as the basis tor for further inquiry some som of it is reported to be of a sensational character but it is not mr smiths idea that the committee is operating solely to make newspaper headlines among other things the house committee has sent out questionnaires to hundreds of employers hundreds of labor leaders of both factions of unionism and local officials such as police chiefs and others charged with law enforcement the purposes of the questions are rather obvious with the statements from all of these sources the committee believes it can sift out much chaff from rumors complaints counter charges and propaganda further the committee wants to ascertain whether there is evidence that the board itself had any connection with labor disturbances and it if so which of its personnel was involved may uncover facts facto that will startle leg legislators isla tors copies of records in nearly all of the boards hearings bearings are being ex by the committee staff board decisions have been under fire many many times it seems to have been the rule rather than an exception that the board was willing always to listen to C 1 I 0 attorneys and almost never pay attention to alleged facts which employers or others tried to submit from this source alone there is every e ery reason to believe the committee will uncover enough abuse of power to stun the legislators who fought for passage of a law which the administration described as perfect in any event if the principle of the labor relations act is to survive and become a workable part of governmental interference in relations between worker and employer it seems that the smith comit tee ted must produce the proper basis concerning the wages and hours bureaucracy however there is less optimism that a sound solution can be found colonel fleming is taking over the job with feeling among all types of partisans at fever heat that is a handicap mr andrews went in with wishes of goo good luck but he had to administer and enforce a law that was loosely drawn a principle untried As in the case of labor board personnel either through his own mistakes or because nutty individuals were forced upon him mr andrews immediately was surrounded by a sour group of subordinates it seemed almost that it if a wrong way to solve the problem was available the wage and hour division folks would find it another army officer takes job outside military work colonel fleming is the third army officer to take over a job outside of the military service lately first there was col F C harrin harrington agton who was made head of the secondly brigadier general watson was made mr Roosevel ts secretary and lastly there came the appointment of colonel fleming it is rather hard to forecast how an army officer is going to deal with one particular part of the job now undertaken by colonel fleming application of the law to certain types of farm labor and to businesses directly connected with farming A number of organizations affiliated filia ted directly or indirectly with farm operations have been engaged in a do or die struggle here in washington with mr andrews I 1 think the mere change in headship of the wage and hour division is not likely to quiet those people because the increase in wages that became effective october 24 represents the difference between profit and loss in most instances probably the seers who invented the idea of federal control of wages and hours never milked a cow after dark or husked corn on a frosty morning these conditions were not of the making of colonel fleming but his is the task of attempting to reconcile an inflexible law with conditions that vary in every county in the united states if he can succeed some political party ought to nominate him as its presidential candidate next year |