The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-02
Thirty-Hour Week to Be Burning Issue, With
 Defeat Forecast

other right for labor. Congress may even pass more drastic laWs than Roosevelt wants.
 REVOLT OVER "A
 The present situation with re. spect to collective bargaining and Section "A of NIRANis badly muddled, with industry in oper revolt against decisions of tht National Labor Relations Board which in turn is sometimes IT conflict even with MIRA.
 Roosevelt, however, isn't dis posed to make much change 1T the present labor relations set-up He doesn't want either capital ol labor to be given "too much ad- vantage"
 But Senator Wagner of New York, a strong administration man, Is again introducing his anti company union bill, which would re-enforce and continue the NLRE as a supreme court for labor and enable 1t to initiate negotiations tc end disputes, subpoena witnesses and compel submission of records
 Wagner may even ask to nave the majority rule principle set uE DY IdWs OPPOSED BY INDUSTRY
 Of course, the bulk of industry will bitterly fight the Wagner bill Officially, 1t favors policy of col lective bargaining only when agreeable to both sides, which means when labor, without the assistance of government, is able to wrest that right.
 Leaning toward the industrial snde in this conflict with be "As- sistant President" Don Richberg who admittedly favors the Section "A which he once wrote flor MIRA and which was kicked out the window by Congress.
 The Richberg wording, it's en- emies charge, would have legaliZed company unions and failed to pro- hibit employers from coercing and intimidating workers. It said that "existing satisfactory labor relationships shall not be dis turbed."
 The pressure of winter strike threats may figure in ultimate de- cisions. .,
 Labor also has its ideas as to revision of MIRA. It would give MIRA power to impose labor codes on industries which don't present acceptable codes, establish sepa- rate minimum wage scales for and skilled workers, labor representation on code authorities, provide for in- spection of employing establish ments instead of the system of simply Investigating complaints, reopen codes on petition of the la bor advisory board and make where justified, and give a government agency power to collect detailed data on costs and profits from each industry to aid in long range planning. Hour BATTLE LOOMS
 The 30-hour week bill probably will be defeated by administration opposition. But 1t will be one of the real fighting issues in this Congress and vigorous support by the A. F. of l.. may result in com promise legislation as to working hours.
 Senator Black is reintroducing his 30-hour measure which passed the Senate by two to one vote in the last Congress and was pushed out of the picture only by development of the MIRA, which was supposed to achieve 8 similar result in spreading employment.
 The new bill will be more fcx- ible, providing for a federal board to pass on individual exemptions from the 30-hour limit.
 Black is supported by Chairman Connery of the House labor com mittee, who insists the measure would re-employ 100000 persons. for industry, however, insist the average working week. because of curtailed production is now but 33.3 hours and that 0 30-hour law wouldn't give new jobs to more than 100000.
 General Johnson has said that such Q law would bring "a depres- sion that'll turn your hair gray" AGENCIES TO BE RENEWED
 Roosevelt is said to have been