Evening star., 1934-03-15
Row Caused by
Issue of Com
pany Unions.
RAILWAY WAGE
PARLEY BEGUN
A. F. L. Head Asks
Passage of Wagner
Labor Measure.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
William Green. president of the
American Federation of Labor, told a
Senate committee today the automo-
bile industry lis on the verge of one
of the greatest strikes in the history
of the Nation"
He made this statement as auto
mobile makers, facing strike threats
from their employees, presented their
side of the story to the National
Labor Board meeting downtown.
John L. Lewis president of the
United Mine Workers, was to be
heard later
At the same time railway employees
and managers sought a solution Of
their pay dispute in a private session.
The employers want to reduce the
basic wage another per cent in ad-
dition to the 10 per cent now in ef-
feet. The workers oppose this.
This is the third conflict in less
than two years over rail wages.
President Roosevelt himself took a
hand in the situation recently. He
asked the rail executives to postpone
for another six months any contem-
plated downward revision of the 10
per cent cut.
Green Blames Car Makers.
Appearing before the Labor Com
mittee to support the Wagner labor
bill, Green warned of the danger of
a widespread strike in the auto
industry.
He said it would be "traCeable to the
effort to compel workers to belong to
company unions"
Green gave whole hearted support to
the Wagner bill, asserting that Con-
gress must set up a Labor Board with
power to enforce it's rulings or see
the entire national recovery program
held in increasing disrespect and
disregard"
The Wagner bill would outlaw COM
pany unions, ant make permanent
the Labor Board as a court for in
dustrial labor disputes.
Industry Attack Seen.
Wide agitation has swirled around
the Wagner bill 1t is expected to
be attacked vigorously from industrial
quarters before the hearings end.
The steel industry has shown strong
h. Mo-
ton of Manufacturers has challenged
Wagner to sponsor a general in
vestigation throughout industry to
bring all the facts about industrial
relations to light, including the
amount of money union organizers
take from the wages of workingmen. +"
Secretary of Labor Perkins yester-
day urged approval of the Wagner
bill as the committee hearings opened.
There is no middle course" Green
told the committee. For seven
months we have tried the method of
persuasion 1t has not worked
I'VE are now forced to recognize
that deliberate and planned cam
paign is under way. on the part of
certain employers. not to comply with
section ta) Cthe labor section of the
recovery aCO.
See Rights Denied.
I'VE must recognize this fact and
meet it. Not only is labor deprived
OF the rights granted it by the ma
tiona industrial recovery act. not
only is social justice defeated, but the
fair minded employers. who are in a
majority, are prevented also from
carrying out the purposes of the ad-
ministration.
The employers who are syStemat-
ically challenging and impeding the
action of the National Labor Board
are in the minority. We must not, in
fact We cannot, permit the lawless
few deliberately to destroy an agency
which the cooperate majority are
willing and eager to support.
There will always be some employ
ers who yield only to coercion, to legal
action. Upon these few the moral
force and the appeal to public opinion
upon which the board has so far been
forced to depend, are not sufficient.
Industrial law, like civil or criminal
law, is aimed at the few. and not at
the many"
Green said an era of ruthless
,nrr1o,,tiopD opI q 'paponajUn Of dis