Evening star., 1937-06-07

ing the wage phase OF the bill, what is
apparently htended-s to set up two
standards or minimum Of compenSa-
ton to low-paid workers, the first as
q general right, and the second on
an equivalent monetary payment for
services rendered, to be determined
by the board through investigation,
after it has previously investigated
the status OF collective bargaining in
any occupation and declared 1t to be
inadequate or Ineffective.
1T may be that the intent is the
laudable one, based on British and
Canadian experience, to require all
workers in an occupation or industry
to conform to the wage standards
established by substantial majority
Of workers in an industry.
BE this as it may, such a proce-
dure, to say the least, is very con-
fusing, and extremely difncult of ap-
plication. Moreover. what is Of fun
damental Importance Is that it is not
in accord with American precedent
or practice for, repeat, it amounts
to a wage-nxing by a governmental
agency made in consideration OF all
the equities involved
1T is unnecessary for me to add
further that it Is my conviction also
that any sanction for action by the
Labor Standards Board such rs the
inadequacies or the ineffectiveness Of
the facilities for collective bargaining,
as set forth in section 5, as a basis for
establishing q minimum fair wage
would be futile. Moreover, in my
judgment, it would inevitably bring
the administration of the bill into an
unfortunate conflict with the Wagner
Labor Relations Act, and, in this con-
nection, suggest that there should
be an express provision in the bill
that nothing therein contained shall
be held to repeal, amend or modify
the N. L. r. act or any Of its pro-
visions.
Il have emphasized this matter Of
q living wage and the elimination
OF section and related sections be-
cause think it Is essential that the
bill now being considered be looked
at, not as an isolated piece Of legis-
lation. but as one item in . much
larger program which is being de-
veloped in this country, partly through
legislation, partly through a develop
ing social consciousness, and partly
through the activities Of organized
labor itself This bill, with its par
ticular proposals, will be successful
only in the degree In which it fts
into the larger program, and this pro-
gram, In turn, will be successful only
in the degree in which it meets the
legitimate aspirations of labor"
Labor Asks Greater Power.
Charging that American leader
ship has not grown in knowledge and
wisdom and has nothing more to
oner than a repetition OF our deplor-
able experience Of the late 2Os," Lewis
informed the committee and q crowded
hearing room, American working
men are convinced that they must
have both political and economic
ganization and power They believe
their economic strength must be equal
IN bargaining power with the indus
trialist so that through constructive
collective bargaining and cooperation
with enlightened capital, . stable and
permanent prosperity for all groups
in America may be secured.
THE workers are also convinced
that political strength is necessary so
that industrial planning under Fed
eral auspices may be made possible"
Lewis declared himself emphat-
ically opposed to geographic wage
diferentials as mo more than q plea
for the continuance Of low living
standards in the Southern States"