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Show McNutt No Labor Foe .. Indianan Explains Attitude Toward Unions j. By BsWCE CATTON WASHINGTON When Paul V. McNutt was governor of In dlana, there was a general strike in Terre Haute. Governor McNutt Mc-Nutt called out the troops and proclaimed martial law. In due time the strike ended. Since then It has been the fashion in some ultrallberal circles to brand Mr. McNutt as antllabor. I sat In Mr. McNutt's office in the federal security agancy here and asked him about la-, la-, bar and the Ttrre Haute strike. How about It, anyway T , Just where did he stand on labor, and what doe that proclamation ef martial law signify about his attitude? "I am perfectly willing," said Mr. McNutt, "to stand on the opinion of recognized labor leaders lead-ers who were there at the time and knew what It was all about. They recognized that something had to be done, and that what was done was the only thing that could be done." SUPPORTS LABOR'S ,'I-EGrTI3U'raASriKATIONS So far, so good; but how about labor generally, as of today? "I've been very friendly to la-1 la-1 bor In Its legitimate aspirations. I never made any decisions on any policy affecting labor without with-out calling In the labor leaders to discuss It freely and fully. They got more favorable labor legislation during my administration adminis-tration In Indiana than ever before be-fore or since." All very well; but just what are labor's "legitimate" aspiration-? "The legitimate desire of labor." la-bor." says Mr. McNutt, "Is to be placed on an equal basis with those who employ labor, so that a bilateral agreement can be reached by acrpss-the-table discus-Ion. "I don't know of any difficulties diffi-culties that can't be resolved In such fashion and. Incidentally, most of the labor leaders I know are not unreasonable In their demands." de-mands." Does Mr. McNutt, then, believe be-lieve in labor's right to collective collec-tive bargaining? "Certainly." How about that right? Does he believe that It ought to be protected by federal law, as In the Wagner act? "If it l-n't a legal right It isn't worth much." replies Mr. McNutt. "How else are you going go-ing to provide for it except by law?" CONCILIATION DEPT. BACKS UP McNUTT In that connection, you might note that an official of the conciliation con-ciliation service of th labor department, de-partment, who was In close touch with things during the whole of the Terre Haut strike. Is on record to the effect that as soon as the general strike ended it lasted 38 hours Governor McNutt Mc-Nutt was anxious to lift martial law and remove the troops, and was unable to do so because local lo-cal officials were unwilling to assume responsibility. When martial law had to be continued, this official adds, a friend of labor was Installed as commandant of th troops. WOULD EXTEND SOCIAL SECURJTT Mr. McNutt looks on himself as a thorough new dealer. He sees the social security program, which he now administers, as the heart of the-new deal, and takes it for granted that this program must . be extended hi the next administration. "We are now making a beginning begin-ning that should have been made long since, and we're learning by experience," he says. "We're trying try-ing to work out a scheme that will meet our needs as a nation; as I visualize the future of It, that'll mean a good deal of expansion." |