Montana labor news., 1934-05-24
The Washington Scene


steps follow each other so quickly tnal
il begins to look like a runaway, the
prospective hero who is to arrive in the
nick of time is putting on the final
touches before the mirror. He doesn't
want his appearance to scare either
the horse or the heiress heroine.
The new Wagner labor bill has been
fathered and mothered and sistered
and brothered by all the labor experts
of the administration. Gen. Johnson,
Donald Richberg, Sec. of Labor Per
kins, Relief Administrator Hopkins,
Sen. Wagner and probably Roosevelt
himself have all had their say about
it - and how many rich and poor re-
lations have been consulted or nave
given their advice without consultation,
goodness only knows. There nave
been several family quarrels. Some
have declared the youth IS being mad
too much Of a sissy for a prospective
hero; others, too much of a rough
neck. One rather acid maiden aunt
has suggested that the heiress can pro-
badly stop the horse better by her
self.
A strike is one piece of news that
comes straight to Washington, with the
d~irectness and force OF a well-placed
mule kick. Strikers OF longshoremen,
oil workers, auto workers, coal miners,
copper miners, textile workers, shoe
workers, airplane mechanics, metal
workers, building workers and many
others the kicks haven't been knock
outs, il is true, but there have been
too many for Washington's composure.
And there are more and harder ones
coming. Pres. Green warns OF more
auto strikes on the way, and a national
steel strike is threatened for June.
There's been plenty to kick about.
Workers who fondly belived someone
would do something for them, have
found out that the something m
one will do for you is seldom the some-
thing you like. Company unionism has
been clamped on many who never
knew it before, speed-up has come with
shorter hours, as well as reduced week.
ly earnings for many Where wages
have been raised, increased living costs
have taken the joy out of life. And
the harness of labor board medita-
ton machinery, while tending to ham
per the kicking muscles has not had
its boosted efficacy in keeping OF flies
and affording protection against blows
Of the whip.
Some board decisions, it is true, have
appeared to yield to labor demands,
particularly where the demands have
been ~forcefully presented with organic
ed power behind them. But if or
ganized labor has not been able to en-
force the execution of these decisions,
there has been hardly any other en-
forcement. The Blue Eagle was taken
away from the Hartman hosiery mill
in Tennessee, but that hasn't put the
striking workers back on the job or
won them their approved demands.
After a strike some time ago, the Weir
ton Steel Co. was ordered to grant its
workers an election, not a company
union roll-call. 1t hasn't done so yet.
And now the Carnegie Steel Co. OF
Duguesne, Pa, is showing as little in
%tention of complying with election in
structions as has the WeirtOn company.
TO add to the discomforts Of the sea-
son, statisticians are looking for anot-
her drop in the not very high employ
ment figures before long. Lay-offs
have already started in the auto indus
try, the dull season is coming in steel,
fearf,i1v wbafber nvb1ic worIs and
sucb seasonal helm nc can he evoected
in private ministry will Offset anti
c;nstad Irons Pel;ef Administrator
Hont;ne offers some con,fort - though
not f. The iob1ess bv The assertion
HAT The n,mber on reI;ef rolIs viii
nrobabIv decline anvbow in tbe srn-
her months &C manv ~ receive fret and
similar seasonal rel;ef onIv
M -
lhe AIleLlca9 PeueraIon OF La3or
a,iu tne iainoaI ~ prlotlellIo an at t IN,
l~uhclure' oiIer tle Sonnery 2V-nour Dili
dllu the SrVsseI o%-llour Diu reSpeSSu-
vely ran laDoI diso Calihg Ior a De-
iateu natlonal pension Plll, delayed by
41tellal lsseiSlol' Dut Fresiuent