Imperial Valley press., 1936-12-14
News Behind the News
Something Behind These Charges
COrporations Don't Want InUestigd-
ton Lobbyists Make Long List

WASHINGTON N.-Charges at the American
Federation convention that Super-loooy was
being created to end the LaFollette labor spy
civil liberties investigation-which preceded the
federation's formal call for 100000 more Tor the
inquiry-were no pipe dream
The Senate committees investigators are re-
ported to have come upon certain telegrams
which indicate that some OF the biggest corpora
tions in certain mass production industries are
out to stop the investigation at all costs
LOBBYISTS lined up for this job include two
or three ex-senators whose names are likely 10 De
revealed when LaFollette calls for further
appropriation.
some sensational evidence, has been moving
along for months on Shoestrlng approprla-
ton of $4,000 This fact apparently has en-
couraged some employers and various detective
agencies to believe they wear the committee
down and exhaust its resources, killing 1t OIL
entirely if they can block further appropriation
Such tactics resulted in program OF con-
slant stalling by those whom the committee has
sought to investigate. Detective agencies nave
said that lives of their operatives as well as OF
their businesses depended on names OF the
agents being kept secret; for the most part tney
have refused to produce any papers tending to
identify operatives.
The committee has run up against common
policy of concealment. Its members believe that
a big appropriation for continuance Oh the IN,
vestigation early in the next Congress would
end the campaign of obstruction. =
Since both the A. F. of l. and the committee
for Industrial Organization will be lobbying Tor
such appropriation it is probable that LaFollette
will be given a large COB of money.
%
The so-called model plan of employe repre-
sentation in American industry, meaning compa-
nv union will be on trial as result OF COM
plant by the Steel Workers. Organizing COM
mittee against the United aales and Carnegie
Illinois Steel corporations.
IT has been assumed that the National Labor
Relations Board would itself issue a complaint,
which would mean open hearings and full pub
licty as to relations of these companies with
employees
The plan is that of Col Arthur Young, vice
president of u. s. Steel. Labor union men have
. charged that under the plans provisions the
employer pays the administrative costs OF the
company union and costs of elections, that the
company interferes with and dominates the
union and that the plan acts to restrict en-
ployes in their freedom of expression, assem-
blage and choice of representatives for collec-
tive bargaining.
Members of the NLRB are confident that
their scheduled hearings can't be legally blocked.
Eighty-two injunction suits to prevent hear
ings have been brought against the board, whose
lawyers have fought every one oil them ana
won more than half.
The boards victory in five circuit court decl-
sions has discouraged district courts TO heed
pleas of employers that puplc hearings "ouio
damage their business.
The recent U. S. Supreme Court refusal TO
hear the appeal of the Bradley Lumber Compa-
nv from an adverse decision on an injunction
plea greatly strengthened the boards hand
No the Reading, Pa "liedown" strikers were
MT night Watchmen.