The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-22
Morgan's Man, SwOpe,
Tells How NRA Aided
Giant Electric Trust
Relates at the Hearing on
Connery Bill Methods
Used to Drive Men
BY SEYMOUR wALDMAN
rnailr Worker Washington bureau


leading fascist twins Of the preda-
tory National Recovery Administra-
ton, General Hugh S. johnson and
his Intellectual mentor. Gerard
Swope, testified today to the service
which NR.A. has rendered big bust
ness before the last open hearings on
the fake Connery 30-hour dye-day
week bill
Swope, co-author Of the prema-
surely announced Swope plan for
absorption OF the NR.A. apparatus
by the top segment of finance and
industrial capital, until week ago
an active member Of the strike
breaking National Labor Board, and
President Of J. P. Morgan's General
Electric Company, admitted that I'M
der the NR.A. electrical code, he can
drive his workers an unlimited num-
Der Of hours a week provided they
averaged So hours week over
years period. This is done, he ad-
mitted, by laying-off the men dur
ing the slack seasons.
In spite Of the presence OF Gen
eral johnson I'll compliment the
electrical industry on getting away
with its ER.A. code" said Commit
tee-member Reuben T. Wood, Demo-
crst Of Missouri.
Pm proud Of it and accept your
remark in the spirit in which you
meant" Swope replied.
What Swope Expected
The NR.A., said Swope, has done
what he expected" Of it. at has
done a fine job" Asked whether he
thought the N.RA. would be made
permanent" Swope declared: az
hope that something will be worked
out Of the MIRA. that will De per
manent. If you use the N.R.A. as a
foundation ard build from that I'm
with you
Trade associations have made re-
naarkable progress under the N.R.A.."
he added. Asked whether he had
anything to do with the formula
ton Of the NR.A.," swope replied
that he had discussed" its formula
ton with number OF people {"
though II is common knowledge that
ne and other monopolists dictated the
N.R.A. structure.
Not one member of the committee
Which has distinguished itself bv
launching feeble demagogic thrusts
Fnsn not koWtowing to their real
masters, contradicted Swope's out
rageous lie that "the maximum hours
OF the codes have all been agreed to
by labor"
In explaining that in some OF his
plants the workers at times labor
under 80 hours q week and that
when We have more employment we
nope to work the code maximum Of
SO hours" .Swope adduced John L.
Lewis, head OF the United Mine
workers Of America and a buddy of
MS on the National Board, in his
support. Take the Q. M. va a
strong organization under Mr.. Lewis,
leadership; they clsrnored for 90
hours and they took 40 hours"
Stimulated Company Unions
Representative Walter Neshit
Democrat Of Illinois, a Representa-
ave in the House Of the Progressive
Miners Of America, was careful NOT
70 speak harshly of the NRA az
THINK sometimes that the MIRA. has
STIMULATED the company union" he
told Swope. az
Don't you think that empIovers
should be fairer and should Issve
the union under the men" Nesb;t
begged OF Swope.
Don't you think that hoarS
working under this bill on which
there would be an employer like your-
self or Walter Teagle (the Standard
Oh Company or Alfred Sloan Gen
eral Motors and an empIoye repre-
sentative like Mr.. Green "a r Of
Id would put many people to yorx9n
Connery of Massachusetts, deferential-
" asked Swope.
The thing to do is to work under
The N.R.A." Swope answered desnite
Inc Lact that Connery's 'thirty-four
hour" bill would be admittedly null
llrleo by the granting Of exemptions
III each industry and by the fact that
it would quickly be used as another
spread-the-work (spread-the-miserv)
plan.
The demagogic politicians on the
Committee know this and are using
IL in an attempt to ward off discus
sion by the workers, while Swope does
not want to lose any time In the
process Of formally cementing the N.
R. A. into employer organizations.
The Connery bill he considered too
rigid.
Lshor'S Rights"
With q straight face, Swope pointed
70 Section Ia as granting labor's
right TO organize"
DO you believe, Mr.. swope," asked
Representative Matthew A. Dunn,
Democrat OF Pennsylvania, that the
laboring men has as much right 10
organize as the capitalists, who are
combined in one gigantic organiza-
ion. / don't want to be severe in
my question, but I Just want to get
an answer TO my question"
.Unqualifiedly so, that right ia
gwen under Section Ia" replied
Sgope, the head Of one Of the worst
company shops in the country.
Dunn then pleaded with the big
boss to get together" and be a nice
boy. Il have found that when labor
tries to organize, the capitalists gets
workers to go among them as spies;
I know. can't you men Of industry
get together and do something for
men who get hurt in industry? Do
ing that you stand a better chance of
getting into heaven than you do
now. -"
Ernest Lundeen, the Minnesota
Farmer-Laborite who has introduced
the workers unemployment bill in
the house, informed Swope that it
would be "a crime not to enact this
fr,any,a,-yyN hill -