The Washington times., 1935-02-06
NTEl| RIOTNG FRENCH STUDENTS DEMAND A KING
AUTO DISPUTE
BLAMED ON
OFFICIAL
Resignation Rumor Pushed;
Presidents Move Falls
To Appease Industry
BY EARL GOODWIN

Despite the Presidents aSsump-
ton Of responsibility for the
Governments stand against the
30.hour week in the auto indus.
try, the American Federation Of
Labor continues to sharpen its
knife for the scalp Of Donald
Richberg, executive director Of
the National Emergency Council.
In this capacity Mr.. Richberg
is the spokesman for NRA labor
policies. Because Mr.. Richberg
was once an attorney for various
cases in which the four railroad
brotherhoods we're involved, and
because he now takes a position
in opposition to the A. F. Of L.,
labor leaders are calling him q
"traitor to organized labor: and
are pushing along the rumor that
he will resign.
It is q fact that MS. RichberS
has contemplated resigning; he
wants to go back to law practice.
Boosted for Court
White House officials term the
resignation rumor the usual
bunk; but long before this row
with labor developed Mr.. Rich
berg was working out a plan to
get back into the practice Of law
and his friends were boosting
him for the next appointee to the
Supreme Court.
The immediate development IN
the row is the publication at the
White House Of letters betwesn
President Roosevelt and Charlton
Osburn, counsel Of the A. F. Of
L., in which the President takes
full responsibility for the Govern
ment'S defiance Of this labor or
ganiZation. President William
Green had been charging that
President Roosevelt was being
''used" and "miSled" by Richberg.
President Roosevelt told Mr..
Ogburn, in effect, that the Auto
mobile Labor Board has not
ceased to function simply because
the automobile labor union repre-
sentatives had withdrawn, but the
board is a function Of government
and not merely an arbitration or
ganization for the settlement Of .
dispute between an employer and
some particular labor group.
Slap at Position
The A. F. Of L. takes this state
nent of the President as a direct
slap at its position on organized
labor, and blames Mr.. Richberg
for the Presidents views. Presi-
dent Green, of the A. r. Of L., said
last night he did not care whether
'sMr. Richberg resigns under fire
or in the fire."
It is held unlikely that Mr..
Richberg would now resign under
fire; and those close to him un'
derstand that he wants to remain
in official harness long enough
to help put over the pending new
legislation for the extension Of
the NRA which otherwise would
expire June Is, 1885.
Administration leaders are in
clined to scott at the labor lead
erS' charge that Mr.. Richberg has
switched from the liberal pro-
labor stand for which he was so
bitterly assailed by Chicago
bankers and power people when
he first came to washington.
Briefly, the Richberg position
seems to be that labor has not
produced proof that the reduction
of hours in industry has spread
or increased consumption enough
to warrant further reduction Of
hours.
Question of Figures
That is the crux Of the fight
In the NRA now. particularly in
respect to the labor demand for
a 30-hour week in the Automo-
bile industry.
Further explaining Donald
Richberg'S position in standing
where labor calls him a TRAITOR"
his associates claim that if labor
could produce figures which
would convince him that the 80.
hour week is economically justi.
fled he would accept it.
Labor, Of course. maintains
that it has produced facts which
justify the 30.hour week; and
this will be completely exploited
on the floors Of Congress when
the proposed NRA extension is
thrown into the Capitol'S bull
ring.