The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-09-02
ACHIEVEMENTS
, IN CONGRESS
SCANNED
A. F. of L. Sees 7 roubIe
Arising From New
Legislation
international News Service

International News Service
Flushed by sweeping victories
IN the session Of Congress just
ended-but with an eye to dan
gers ahead-organized labor cele-
brated labor's annual holiday to-
day.
The day marked a turning
point. The legislative campaign
of labor closed temporarily and
an intensive organization drive
throughout the nation was be-
gun.
Victories Acclaimed.
The victories acclaimed by Ia
Dor included:
1-Wagner-Connery labor dis
putes bill.
RAILROAD pension act.
3-Guffey bituninous coal
control bill.
+Forty-hour week for postal
workers.
These purely labor bills we're in
cluded in the program adopted by
Congress in a session during
which no labor bill was actually
defeated on the floor. Other
measures, not strictly labor bills,
were praised by some labor
leaders.
With the Wagner bill putting
the sanction of the Government
behind unionization and the Cuff
fey coal control bill believed to
mean continued unionization Of
the 100000 bituminous coal
miners, labor planned to extend
its control in industry in the
next year.
Obstacles to Surmount
The dangers and obstacles in
cluded:
/. Opinion by lawyers that
the Wagner and Guffey acts
are unconstitutional.
2. Possibility of Wagner act
being used by Communists and
Anti-American Federation Of
Labor unions.
8. Steady boring" into labor
organizations by Communists.
4. Possibility, as seen by some
labor leaders, that Government
control may eventually sup"
press unions, as IN Germany
and Italy.
The fight of Communists to
capture labor in many industries
already has aroused the execu-
tive committee of the A. F. of l..
President William Green and
other leaders have demanded that
labor's ranks be purged of Com
muniStS.
Majority Rule Peril
The danger in the Wagner act
rests in the majority rule" prin-
ciple sanctioned by Congress.
Fifty-one per cent of the workers
can enforce representation on
others and obtain Government
sanction.
Should the Communists rise
temporarily to a bare majority
in many unions, they may Dust
the A. F.. of L. chieftains, bar
gain collectively and demand
that the strong arm of the Fed
eral Government be used to
make their union supreme.
If the Wagner act is held
constitutional, some labor leaders
fear, it may lead to a compulsory
arbitration law and other mea-
sures through which the Govern
ment would supplant the A. F. of
L. as the boss" of labor organi-
cations. :
While organized labor leaders
have advised individual unions to
move moderately under the Wag-
ner act, and thus avoid harsh
public opinion, plans already are
under way to extend the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor organi-
cation into every industry.
Vertical Unions Problem
A real struggle by the A. F.
Of L. to capture control Of labor
in the steel and automobile in
dustrieS Is certain.
Among other problems facing
the A. F. Of L. is that of "verti-
cal unions" Under this principle
a union would represent an en-
tire industry. Under the present
craft plan, there may be a dozen
unions in a single manufacturing
blishment.
The A. F. of L. has recognized
the growth of vertical unions"
but is resisting a complete reor-
ganization of its organization
system.
Labor Meetings Discuss
Matthew VOLTS Warning