Evening star., 1934-06-16
Labor Legislation.

ance as the present session of Con-
gress goes sliding toward an early
close. Having written into law Sec
ton (a) of the national recovery act,
which with other things declares the
right of labor to collective bargaining
with employers, the Congress has been
importuned to go further and enact
a law which shall in effect give to
union labor not the right, which it
now has, to organize, but the machin-
cry to force such organization on en-
ployers and labor alike. A good many
members of Congress have questioned
the advisability of such legislation.
Opposition to the plan comes not
alone from members of Congress
comes also from many of the workers
and employers.
The Wagner bill is at present the
center of debate. 1t is designed to
deal with disputes which arise be-
tween labor and employer. 1t lays
down certain unfair practices" which
it prohibits. 1t seeks to insure
collective bargaining of the workers
through representatives of their own
choice. Opponents of the measure
argue that the legislation really says
to organized labor, Go in and organ
ize every craft and plant in the United
States"
Bitter opposition to the original
draft of the bill brought notifications
when the measure was reported by
Senator David 1. Walsh from the
Committee on Education and Labor
But these notifications we're not
deemed sufficient. There has been
uncertainty whether the President in
cluded labor legislation of this char
acter in his program for the present
session. Reports have declared at one
time that the Wagner bill was to be
shelved along with other social leg
islation at another that the situation
in the country, with many strikes
threatened in various industries, de-
manded legislation without delay.
Now in the closing hours of the ses-
sion, with members of both houses
eager to get away from Washington,
and the President himself ready to
leave for New England next week
prior to his long trip to Hawaii, it
is proposed to rush through a joint
resolution which would give the
President blanket authority to set
up a board or boards to deal with
labor disputes and to see that en-
ployes are permitted to elect their
representatives to carry on collective
bargaining as they see fit. The ma
chinery for such elections is to be
provided in accordance with rules
laid down by the board or boards
This is not a good way to legislate
The substitute for the Wagner bill
has been attacked by labor leaders
and by representatives of the en-
ployers.
The minority members of the SEN
ate have been invited to cooperate In
the drafting of the joint resolution.
Among the suggestions of the Repub-
licans is one that the authority of the
President to set up these boards be
limited to one year. or until the repeal
of the National Industrial Recovery
act, should that take place before the
year is out. Another amendment
would guarantee that the legislation
should not be used to force closed
shops"
The enactment of section (a) of
the national recovery act has been
responsible in the main for a great
drive TO expand union labor. 1t has
been regarded by union leaders as a
special mandate in the interests of
labor unions. This provision of law,
seemingly on its face, is regarded as
having within it the germs of a die
tatorship by organized labor. So far
the American people have had no use
for relationships of any kind.