, 1935-05-03
orld
At a Glance
By LESLIE EICHEL
Central Press staff WRITER

NEW YORK, MAY 3-The Amer
lean Federation OF Labor Is begin
ming 70 view itself Is being IN a.
fight for existence.
On the one hand. the old-line
leaders see themselves being closed
in on by q maSsed array Of en-
ployers. CThe employers have been
winning the MIRA battles.) On the
other hand, the old-line leaders see
the rank and file rising. asking:
what kind OF leadership have
WEI"
Tn the major industries OF steel
autos and rubber. II Is believed
that, N ever a comprehensive or
ganization of workers In achieved,
Il will be an independent orgsnzia-
ton.
The A. r. Of L. showed its weak
ness In the rubber truce. signed in
Washington. The employees gained
nothing.
The strike or auto workers in q
General Motors plant in Toledo n
more significant. The United Auto
Workers Federal Union Ia more IN
the position Of q tail vagging the
dog.
Call 70 Battle
| IN the meantime, the American
Federation OF Labor called a con-
ference for April 20 in Washing
ton Of all labor unions. 20 consider
legislative strategy i'm behalf of the
Wagner-C onnery labor disputes bill
and the Conhery 30-hour bill.
Large business interests are mar
Shalling every available force
against these bills.
The Wagner bill is similar TO the
measure offered by Senator Robert
A. Wagner Of New York last year.
but which the administration itself
killed.
Wagner Explains Bill
For the information Of both
workers and business, Senator
Wagner explains his bill.
He saws the right OF workers to
organize apparently was guaran-
teed by the Norris-La Gcardia act
outlawing yellow dog" contracts.
He charges. however, that de
vious devices" were used to over
come this law and that, in turn,
Section IA Of the National Recov-
| ery Act. intended 20 provide for
free organization OF workers, had
failed.
Senator Wagner states further;
The virtual collapse OF Sec
ton IA is a matter Of common
knowledge.
The immediate result OF shut
ting out employees from full parti-
cipation in the recovery program
has been 10 deny their full share
Of the fruits Of recovery. While
profits have risen to gratifying
regularity. unemployment has
slowed down TO q snail'S pace and
We are still confronted by the hor-
rible spectacle Of eight 10 ten mil
hon people who search earnestly
and hopelessly for some form Of
work. While minimum wage rates
have been raised under the codes,
q substantial part OF this gain has
been charged to wage earners in
the upper brackets and 10 the
vast consuming public in the form
OF I~nordinately high prices.
If these conditions persist, II Ia
only a question Of time until the
burden will be borne by business
itself. The upswing Of business
cannot be maintained indefinitely
unless there Ia q tremendous reduc-
ton In unemployment, a sustained
rise in purchasing power. and a re-
moval Of the present industrial
discomfort based so largely upon a
denial Of legal IS we'll as ethical
rights.
1T Is to these ends that my Ma
tiJlal Labor Relations bill Is d.
rected. From the date of It's intro
duction this bill has been miscons-
trued and misrepresented by the
opponents. both secret and avowed,
Of the principle Of freedom for
the man who works. The malicious
falsehood has been widely cirru-
lated that the measure was design.
ed to force men into unions, al
though the text provides IN simple
English prose that workers shall
be absolutely free to belong or 20
refrain from belonging to any
organization.
Practically every one has heard
the charge that the bin imposes .