| Show NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS By Ray Tucker Telegrams Telegram's Washington Columnist WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Revamping Revamping of the Wagner act so as to redress the relationship of government capital and labor may result from the turmoil over national defense strikes The project has been given serious consideration on Capitol hill and in White House circles It will probably win presidential approval The proposed propose a legislation would be patterned after the British trade disputes act and for the same motives In England as here labor won tremendous victories victories vic victories vic vic- tories after the World war but wore out its welcome in the general general general gen gen- eral strike of 1926 and was brought under governmental con con- It was forced to recognize its responsibility to the general public and governmental inter inter- est In this country after eight years of most generous treatment treatment treatment treat treat- ment from the administration certain labor elements are biting the hand that fed them Now there arises a demand for the same sort of curbs that were applied applied applied ap ap- ap- ap plied to bankers businessmen the utilities etc Under this theory the workingman working- working man should enjoy legal protection of his right to work as well as to strike Employers should be permitted permitted per per- to Initiate 1 NLRB L R B proceedings proceedings proceedings pro pro- rather than wait upon the pleasure and strategy of a afew afew afew few union leaders The unions should be required to make re reports reports reports re- re ports on financial receipts and expenditures which would furnish furnish furnish fur fur- nish a check on the source of funds for subversive individuals or groups These suggestions form the basis of possible NLRB amendment Even more significantly they reflect how the war emergency has al altered altered altered al- al the official attitude to toward toward toward to- to ward labor Army studies based on recent maneuvers show the need for fora a flung far-flung face lifting of the nations nation's highway-and-bridge highway tem tern Road bottlenecks and flimsy structures have ruined many a t test st of our only partially partial partial- ly motorized arid and mechanized machine They would prove fatal fatal fatal fa fa- fa- fa tal in actual warfare Although Texas has a fairly fine system of roads the Third army's spring maneuvers in that state shocked the high command Highways satisfactory for civilian civilian civil civil- ian use crumpled and raveled under war rehearsal The secondary routes so necessary necessary necessary essary for large units on the march proved totally inadequate Comparatively small ton 10 tanks had to cross bridges at a crawl Guns had to be uncoupled uncoupled un un- coupled from their towing trucks and each propelled across by hand When state highway officials built bunt detours they became impassable impassable impassable im im- im- im passable from the rains Conditions are ere even worse In other sections of of the country I Small movements of troops in some areas have forced all other traffic to rural lanes Army men shudder at the thought of what will happen when ton 28 and ton 60 tanks are added to the field forces Representative Frances Bolton struck a blow for her sex in convincing convincing convincing con con- the house of the need of more trained army nurses In her first legislative engagement the congresswoman from Ohio persuaded persuaded persuaded per per- the chamber to override the powerful appropriations com corn That is no mean achievement achievement achievement achieve achieve- ment even for a veteran The eldery members of this hard boiled committee share the masculine prejudice against women wom worn en in public life No woman is allowed to sit at its table They did not even give Mrs Bolton a chance chance to to plead her case before them They restricted appropriations to a provision for fora a refresher er course for retired nurses w wo o might want to re return return return re- re turn to the service They failed to realize as Mrs Bolton noted that many World war nurses had grown too old or had families to look after and that a volunteer system would not provide sufficient sufficient sufficient suf suf- personnel for this expanding expand expand- ing army With the aid of John Vorys an Ohio colleague she forced a fight on the floor Her amendment provides that that the feminine force may be expanded whenever it is deemed necessary o 0 OCD C CD D officials here frown on the proposed nationwide census designed to determine individual fitness for service on the home front It had a trial at the capital capital capital capi capi- tal recently with Mrs Henry A. A Wallace and many cabinet wives showing their patriotism by signing up O 0 C ers D-ers do not want to seem but they regard this voluntary registration tion as essary It will cost on a national basis and it is figured figured fig fig- tired that this money might be spent more wisely in the purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase of home defense equip equip- ment Director Fiorella H. H LaGuardia LaGuardia LaGuardia La- La Guardia estimates that will be needed for the latter purpose Secondly numerous public and private agencies have made thorough canvasses of the usefulness of individuals and organizations organizations organizations or or- in home defense as as- as The files of the census census census cen cen- sus social security selective servIce servIce service ice the American Legion the Red Cross etc bulge with this data Preventing the spread of the project may prove embarrassing to the officials at Washington including the president He lie has been asked to issue a gentle dis dis- dis- dis claimer A quiet attempt to head off oft this costly duplication is afoot with the cooperation of local and officers Ousting of Edwin S. S Smith from the N NLRB L R B will supply a oh on the administrations administration's earnestness in its crusade against radical labor elements Before the of N NLRB L R B Mr Smith invariably lined up ex-Chairman ex J. J Warren Madden In favor of C CIO I lOin 0 in collective collective collective col col- col- col bargaining disputes s. s He frequently speeches which provoked charges that he was a leftist He opposed the purge which the new chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man William M. M Leiserson Inaugurated in inaugurated inaugurated in- in s soon o 1 after he supplanted supplanted sup sup- planted Mr M Madden Under Leiserson lead leadership the agency has caused less ess friction among and employers Mr Smith apparently anticipates dismissal dismissal dis dis- dis- dis missal or transfer for he sang something like a swan song al ala at ata ata a recent conference of Maryland staff directors Likely prospect as his successor Is Charles H. H Logan director of 0 the New Orleans office Leiserson Leiser Leiser- son considers Logan one of his top men and would probably recommend him if Smith is to be sidetracked Copyright 1941 McClure Syndicate |
