Show NEWS i J THE lS S i d di i iS r By PAUL Released by Western Newspaper Union LABOR LEGISLATION FORCED BY BT STRIKES WASHINGTON A trade fair practices bill for labor is La supposed to lie around congress until the coming expected wave e of union strikes genera generates tes an irresistible ble demand for its adoption then adoption then it t tor or something like It it is passed This Indeed Is the sotto voce program Such delay may sound like a back back- end way to handle an expected national national national na na- na- na crisis bey because be be- y cause the bill proposes pro pro- It rf i poses to avert the strikes strIke by providing 1 Y v d- d dlf lf machinery for just 4 V J settlements not only on 1 ly In the public Int In In- t J t terest but in the 1 range long-range interest j i of the unions Yet you can see what is beginning to happen Donald to the legislation in inthe the probable absence absence absence ab ab- sence of Alabama's Senator Lister Hill from the list of sponsors I This was supposed to be a four- four I senator bill introduced by two 1 Democrats Democrats Dem Dem- and two Republicans in fact the same ones who sponsored the declaration of senatorial peace principles Ball Burton Hatch Hatch and and Hill But on this bill Hill Hin says he was just too busy to fill out the leadership so it became Most people think the real reason is that the CIO was Instrumental in Hills Hill's recent re The too busy treatment is likely likely likely like like- ly to be applied generally to the proposal proposal proposal pro pro- because nothing In Its announced announced an an- purposes can very well be openly opposed by the unions or anyone Basically the bill would require require require re re- quire the arbitrary unions onions to moderate their public be- be damn damned d policy Disruptions of public service such as In inthe the Fifth Firth avenue a bus slowdown in New York recently where the drivers just decided to run an hour or so late as well as strikes In public utilities milk deliveries deliveries eries cries etc would be prevented by judicial compulsory tion This Is In the sound Interest of the unions because all now are suffering sufferIng suffering suffer suffer- ing from rom the conspicuous public-be- public damned policy of a few unions The bill bin was not written by manufacturers manufacturers manufacturers manu manu- or employers but by anold an anold anold old union lawyer Donald who composed the most successful labor law ever enacted the Railway Railway Railway Rail Rail- way Labor act Under it the railway railway rail rail- way brotherhoods have prospered better than other labor unions and without strikes The senatorial sponsors are not labor anti-labor people either but somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what left leaning The way they described described described de de- scribed their general purposes Is this O ONE E BOARD PLAN They would break up the competitive tive handling of labor through various various vari varl ous government agencies now and put all conciliation and mediation activities in a new man five-man board A second board of three would handle complaints of unfair practices practices practices tices by labor or employer not jus labor alone as now The Wagner act would be further further fur fur- ther amended to make unions democratic and to limit Umit the closed shop to places where the union controls at least 75 per percent percent percent cent of or the workers and Is open to all aU members and thus Is not in itself a closed shop handing down from generation generation generation genera genera- tion to generation in its own ranks or otherwise limiting workers' workers rights J 1 Further logical limitations would cut down dot the number of captious strikes now expanding in the coun coun- try I Labor could stop all the national opposition arising against it in many states where l laws ws or constitutional changes are being advocated or enacted to protect public interest against the unions if 11 they would take the mild and reasonable purposes of 01 this bill or alter them to suit the situation If they would say the word to senators like Hill the bill would go through in a minute Unfortunately too many labor leaders now are shortsighted reactionaries reactionaries who want to defend the status quo and prevent any reform of existing unsatisfactory conditions So it is quite possible congress will not only wait until the strike strike- horse runs away but the whole labor labor la bor barn burns down before taking up this key to lock the door i I Excessive use of power always kills itself by its own excesses History History His i tory is bulging with undeviating ex ex- amples Latest one is Hitler who contrived his own defeat by carrying carry ing his power to lengths which caused an overwhelming opposition to be aroused Statesmen labor leaders or other humans seem unable un unable able to realize that power lasts lash wily only as long as it is wisely used I Those who read this column weekly week ly on the legal power built up bythe by bythe bythe the Black faction action of the Supreme I court for unions to fix prices re realize I alize the trend of this faction action I |