The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-08-31
NRA PEACEMAKING GENIUS
ENHANCED BY SETTLEMENT
OF UNION OPEN SHOP ROW
By BYRON PRICE
6chi.f Of Bureau, The A.soeIated

tivities has the NRA display.
ed a greater genius for con.
siliation than in its sudder
dispute over the open shop.
For weeks, leaders Of labor ans
industry have been SO wrought u
over this that they could not dis.
cuss it without raising their vol
ces. But when the ruling came
down, both sides not only accepted
1t bat praised it.
What the ruling did, in effect
was to leave it to the employees 81
any industry to decide for them.
selves what kind Of union they
would have.
The labor men liked this because
It appeared to them to mean the
end of the hated company union
system, under which they charged
that the steel and other industries
controlled their employees through
local unions dominated by com
pany officials.
The industrialists liked it be-
cause they saw in it an effective
barrier against American Fedora
ton of Labor organizers who had
been charged with telling non-un-
ion employees that the law requir-
ed them to join the federation.
There is, of course, the posi-
bility. THAT differing intssrpreta-
tons Of the ruling will collide at
some future time, causing the MIRA
3 new batch of troubles; but the
fact remains that for the present
critical moment, at least, this very
potent source of controversy has
disappeared from the picture.
Try, Try Again
This result was not accomplish
ed without great worry and effort.
Dozens Of formulas were put on
paper tentatively. and torrenp, be-
fore the right one was con
ceiyed.
At one time, when the issue
came to its first test III the max
ing of the steel code, General
johnson was inclined to accept 4
proposition Of the employers I'M
der which they would have been
authorized affirmatively to con-
finue the open shop and company
nnIon system if they chose.
For the fact that this provision
was not accepted organized labor
probably owes It's thanks to Donald
Richberg, the MIRA counsel who
Tor years had been attorney for
the railway labor unions. He
stuck to his guns throughout the
long fight, insisting that under
the language OF the law no such
qualification could be included in
q code.
Richberg's other services 10
labor since he came to Washing
ton have not been much aaver-
tised, but in view Of his standing
with the White House, and his
present position in the NRA, they
are Important.
just after his appointment to
his present position was an
nounced, the railways and their
employees disagreed over wage
increase. Richberg not only asked
President Roosevelt ID get the case
as speedily as possible into the
hands OF Railroad coordinator
Eastman, but he served notice
privately he would noe 10 near
his new office at the NRA unless
and until the government found 4
solution for the rail dispete.
He had FAR larger part IN
drawing up the railway com
promise agreement than ever was
disclosed.
Coal As A. stimalans
Aside from teehniealities &c the
law. some very potent material
considerations figured In the i'm.
dersarface discussions which
brought the open shop dispute 10
its conclusion.
One powerful force on the side
Of labor was the situation ii the
soft coal industry ii Pennsylvania.
With the strike there settled For
the moment. NRA officials were
told foreefully that nothing coald
prevent new and worse aat.
break Il any open shop provision
were written into the coal code.
The employers. as we'll a. the
government. seemed impressed
with this danger and conseat to
make Qoftgslsu2ts,s,ss -. ...ss,s u "a