Show On the Home Front Number of Strikes in U. U S. S Since I Bill Bil Unknown By James Marlow Marow and George WASHINGTON Oct 11 1 iP- iP No government agency not agency not even the bureau of labor statistics statistics- knows fully what effect the Smith- Smith Connally antistrike act ac has had in preventing strikes No one in government knows how many strikes have occurred since the measure was passed last June 25 For or a a score of years until that time B L S top United States authority authority au au- au- au in the field kept the most complete statistics on strikes but since then has been unable to keep them because the machinery for doing so was cut out from under it i. i Depended on 0 O W V I IB IB IB B L S has depended on the te newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper clipping service of the of office oi- oi ice fice of war information as a startIng starting start start- in ing point In gathering statistics But about the time congress passed the antistrike act congress also cut 0 O W Is I's Is appropriations and that agency forced to trim ice expenses clipped its it clipping Before then government agencies had depended on 0 O W I for clip clip- cip- cip pings But after that time it was wa explained at 0 O W V I clippings were continued only for the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House and the office of war mobilization mo mo- created by the president dent dent So 50 now N. N Arnold Tolles Toles chief of the B I L S 5 division which makes up the strike stat statistics says There have been hundreds of strikes since the act was passed but I dont don't know whether or or how m ninny ny This Is the sad state of my tion and I am ashamed of it i. i Before the act was passed vu S strikes were running about a month The national industrial conference board private New NewYork NewYork NewYork York research organization says it i has some incomplete figures which seem to indicate no reduction reduction tion ton in strike activity as a result of the recent antistrike tion ton To Restore Service Ice But now after a lapse of months monts and because of various demands O 0 OWl W I is going to restore its is clipping clipping clipping clip clip- ping service This is I the story stor I In the past past B L S 5 had issued a monthly report on the number of strikes occurring in this country I the duration and the number of man hours lost lost It I went about getting the information this way It I subscribed to more than tan newspapers and trade publications in order to find strike stories which because they might be only of local interest never appeared I in large metropolitan papers Thus B L S 5 had a starting point point Seeing a report on a strike in I East Est Cupcake or elsewhere B L S wrote to the boss bos of the struck plant and to the strikers obtainIng obtaining obtain obtain- ing from them the information it i needed for its it statistical round At the same time other oter government government govern govern- gover- gover ment agencies were subscribing to various newspapers and trade publications pub pub- using their own clipping clipping clipping clip clip- ping service just as a B L S 5 did to get necessary information for their own special purposes At 0 O W VeT I 1 It i was wa said the clipping clip cip- cip ping service probably would not be in full ful operation before November November November Novem Novem- ber 1 because of difficulties in obtaining obtaining ob ob- ob- ob taming help There probably never will 1 be complete figures on strikes strike from the te time the antistrike measure became law law last law lat last June until June June until No- No NoI I J vember |