Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1937-04-08

President Roosevelt came back
from his Warm Springs vacation to
linda confused and difficult matter
OF public policy demanding immedi-
ate attention. This is the labor
situation. which presents so many
angles that ii has called for many
White House conferences and may
result in a public conference being
called by the President. to which
industrial and labor leaders will be
summoned. No one a do more
than speculate on the outcome. but
it begins TO look as if a real national
labor policy were in the making.
What that policy will be depends
upon many things. First. the ques-
ton whether the Federal govern
ment has power to regulate labor
relations at all except where Gov
eminent work is concerned. awaits
the decision of the Supreme Court
in the cases pending before it in
which the constitutionality of the
Warner Labor Relations Act has
been challenged. Until that decision
is handed down. neither Congress
nor the President knows how far or
in what direction il will be possible
TO 80 In legislation on Labor. At
any rate. the Courts decision will
clear the air TO some extent.
Legal questions, however, are less
important in shaping a Government
Labor program than are political
considerations. There is no general
agreement with Madam Perkins, the
secretary of Labor, who has said
that Shutdown strikes may be le-
gal. They are violations of state
laws, but the failure of state author
tiles to enforce the laws raises the
question whether. in such cases. it is
the duty of the Federal government
to intervene. If a states effort to en-
force the law against sit-down strik-
ers should result in rioting and
~bloodshed and a situation were ere.
ated beyond the power of state auth
critics to control, then there is nc
question. legal authorities say, thai
the Federal government would be
obliged to respond to a call for helI
by the Governor. But that would
give the Labor situation the aspect
of a civil war. or at least of ar
armed rebellion, and that is a con.
dition all concerned ardently desire
to avert at any cost.
That the President could, if ht
would, in a few words, cut The
ground out from under the feet o
the c. l. 0. and its program of sit
down strikes, is regarded as quite
certain. But if he did that, he would
incur the active enmity of Johr
Lewis, the G.. l. o. leader, who col
lected from his United Mine Work
ers and other unions $480,000 TO
Mr.. Roosevelt's Presidential cam
paign last year, the largest cam
paign fund contribution from an,
source. On the other hand, the Pres
ident cannot exhibit too much sym
pathy with Mr.. Lewis and his pro
gram, without mourning the hostil
ity of the American Federation o
Labor, whose president, William
Green, has spoken for his three mil
lion or so organized craft unionist
in d~enOuncing the sit-down strik
tactics of the rival Lewis organiza
ton.
The Federation's chief enjoys
personal prestige and respect whic'
Mr.. Lewis envies. He would like t
be asked to the White House often
er than he is. 1t is said by newspape
men who keep tab On Presidential
callers that John Lewis has seen tn
President only twice since election
and then for very brief visits, Will
Mr.. Green has been welcomed a do7
en- times or more. and never has t
wait long for an appointment whe
he expresses a desire to see MI
Roosevelt.
The feeling is gaining ground raj
idly that the sit-down strikes an