Montana labor news., 1934-11-08
The Washington Scene
By Len De Caux

United States Chamber OF Commerce
expresses satisfaction with the political
trend, it is time for labor to prepare
for trouble. For what is meat for this
body of organized employers is nearly
always poison for organized workers.
Several things please the Chamber Of
Commerce, according to its latest Of
fetal expressions of opinion. 1t likes
the way the reorganization OF the NRA
is being set about and isolated with the
appointment of S. Clay Williams, "in
whom business men place high conf
dence," as chairman of the new Ma
tional Industrial Recovery Board. It
feels confident that the administration
is on the side of the organized employ
ers in opposition to the 30-hour week
advocated by the American Federation
of Labor.
In general, the c. of c. finds in re-
cent political developments IAN indica-
ton of willingness on the part of the
administration to give a greater meas
ure of assurance to business"
~"Spokesmen for the government,
while not detailing plans for the flu
ture, have given the distinct impression
that the administration fully realizes
that after all recovery must be brought
about through business expansion and
that it cannot be accomplished by I'M
limited government spending" it says.
Reorganization of the NRA, with
prospects of a loss rigid administration
of codes, and elimination of harassing
and Intellectual code provisions, may go
far towards changing the business atti-
tude towards NRA," the statement
continues.
Plans of the A. F. of L. to renew its
drive for 30-hour week legislation in
the next Congress apparently do not
disturb the Chamber much. "Fortu-
nately," it says, there is no evidence
that the administration, which in the
last session opposed the 30-hour week
proposals, has changed its position. 1t
feels, with business, that adjustments
of hours of work would be made
through NRA, so as to give needed
flexibility."
Each of the above signs of business
relief means signs of another kind for
labor.
S. Clay Williams is one of the heads
of the open shop Reynolds Tobacco
Co., which paid wages as low as 81 a
week in 1920. His appointment was
denounced by the recent A. F. OF L.
convention in San Francisco.
The kind of reorganization of NRA
which will please the c. of c., it has
made amply clear in previous state
ments, is one that will retain for bust
nessmen the benefits of government
approved associations without anti
trust law restrictions, while eliminat-
ing those "harassing" features that it
thinks might be Of some benefit to la
Dor.
As to changing the business attitude
towards NRA," that is almost cute, as
coming from a body that played such a
large part in promoting the NRA in
the first place. But there is cunning
rather than cuteness in it when taken
in conjunction with the latter reference
to the 30-hour week in the same state
ment.
1t does not take a very long memory
to recall how President Henry L. Har-
riman of the U. S. Chamber of Com
MERGE worked for the MIRA to head
off the 30-hour movement in the spring
of 1888. The Black 30-hour bill passed
the Senate by 50 to 30 on April 6, 1888,
and its passage by the House seemed
almost certain, had not the labor forces
been drawn off into the wake of the
MIRA.
Now that agitation is again being
started for a 30-hour week, the Cham
Der once more casts ardent glances at a
revamped NRA.
AS to the administration itself, there
is little question of its opposition to 30
hour week legislation. But even more
Senators and Congressman are likely
to be pledged to vote for it in the COM
ing Congress than in the last. What
maneuvers therefore will be adopted to
reconcile these pledges with the pur-
pose of the administration leaders, is
something that may be looked for with
interest-after elections.
Such an apparently contradictory sit
uation is not necessarily disadvantage
Gus, to skillful politicians, On a prop
osition which they are sure will not go
through, no matter how much they
speak and ever vote for it, they may
win mass applause among their con-
stituents by fervent advocacy, without
unduly %antagonizing the business inter
ests upon whose support they depend.
Then too, behind the smokescreen of
such sham fights, alternative legislation
may be produced for actual passage
without drawing so much fire as might
otherwise be the case.
nu-.-L D.