The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-03-29
By RODNEY BUTCHER Democrat Washington
 Correspondent


 Correspondent Washlngton-Recen surface de- velopments involving the Wbite House and labor and. NRA don't make sense to lot of people even here in Washington. They're easier to understand If | you look behind the scenes 10 sec | what the chief actors were doing and realize the seriousness of the previously existing mess. White House gestures to labor were im- perative.
 It looked as if Congress were preparing to cut the Blue Eagles throat. Both industry and labor largely desire NRA continuance, but the critics were bowling loud est,
 q Senate finance committee almost utterly ignorant of its operation. The impression was widespread that Roosevelt really wanted to give NRA decent burial. Reports came In of manufacturers curtail- ing production so they might make higher profits through lower costs after expiration of MIRA June 16.
 Hc ANiAA W"o psSN's demoralized and It's administrative board, the National Industrial Re- covery Board, was threatening to disintegrate through resignation of four of it's five members.
 Roosevelt needed articuIate, solid support for NRA-from labor as well as industry. Experience had taught that 1t wasn't wise to have an industrialist at the organiza- tion's head, such as retiring Chair man Clya Williams of NIRB. Big Man Needed
 The job required big figure, ac- ceptable to both industry and la bor, whose appointment would be evidence to Congress and the coun- try of Roosevelt's determination to continue NRA,. who could reinject life into MIRA while strengthening the administrators legislative po- sition.
 With this in mind, Roosevelt de. clded on Donald Richberg, his Assistant president"
 But Riclbcrg had become an- athena to organized labor. John
 l.. Lewis, powerful leader of the
 miners, was attacking Richbcrg
 publicly and viOlcntly-with tac-
 1t support from other leaders.
 Richberg's attitude on collective bargaining had iDfuriated labor and 1t had been Richberg who sev- eral months before had blocked efforts by Secretary Perkins to give labor equal representation with industry on NlRB.
 Labor opposition was seriously impairlng Richberg's effectiveness as r. D.'s right-hand man and seemd sure to be a factor in his resignation sooner or later. Don Takes It on Chin
 It was also becoming a serious political liability to the administra- ton and adding to Roosevelts third party worries. And 1t was q distinct handicap in the face of strike threats of various import ance in coal, textile, steel,s tire, and automobile industries.
 So Richberg, who has limit less capacity for taking 1t on the chin while standing as buffer f0r the president, went out and took It on the chin.
 As Daniel entering the den, he invited himself to n meeting of the NIsA Labor Advisory Board to plead for labor support for NRA. | The laborites mauled him for four | hours.
 To all of which Richberg replied meekly wieh soft answers.
 
 Saves Day
 Thereafter, Sidney Hillman of NIRB and the Amalgamated Cloth Ing Workers entered the picture as n conci1iator and chief fixer. He | hadn't attended the LAB meeting. Being an intelligent labor leader, he is respected at the White House as well as by Lewis and President Bill Green oG the A. r. of l..
 He had conferences with Rich- berg and Roosevelt and with Lewis and Green until everyone understood what each side want cd and what each would ac- ccpi.
 The labor leaders promised to stop batting Richberg on the head, to cooperate with him as MIRA | chief, and to come out strong for support of NRA.
 Labor Gets Concessions