Evening star., 1937-05-05


Her speeches or lectures or explana-
tions of governmental labor policy are
mainly to the effect that the Wagner
act ought to have chance to operate
for a year or so before amendments
are considered.
1t SO happens, of course, that the
Wagner labor act has been in effect
since July, 1885, and the theory Of
collective bargaining has not been
questioned in the courts, but only the
manner of its application. There is
plenty Of experience available already
as to the one-sided nature of the
Wagner act. 1t happened to catch
the eye incidentally of the Supreme
Court, which, in its majority opinion.
took cognizance of the unfairness of
the law, though declaring, of course,
that this was not in itself reason
for rejecting the act in the particular
lawsuit before the court at the time.
Prefers U. S. Out Of Disputes.
Miss Perkins tells the employers
that really she would prefer to have
the Government keep out of labor
disputes altogether, leaving the infer
ence that all the squabbles and con-
f1icts are matters to be worked out by
the unions themselves This has been
her attitude throughout the sit-down
strike situation, namely, that she
didn't know whether they were legal
or not and that anyway labor was
not to be publicly condemned for
using such weapon.
From nobody in the Roosevelt ad-
ministration who has anything to do
with the handling of labor matters
has come single word of condemna-
ton of ruthless tactics by union or
ganizers. A Senate committee has
been busy for weeks showing how thugs
and spies are hired by employers-and
it Is shameful practice of various
employers which ought to be con-
demned-but not one bit of testimony
has been introduced to show who
started the sit-doWn strike in Michi-
gan, what strong-arm men were i'm
ported from other States to lead the
'sit-doWn" strikes and what was the
nature of the flying squadron" of
physically powerful agents of the
textile unions, employed during the
big textile strike of a couple of years
ago.
Miss Perkins may have a dozen
conferences and the Roosevelt admin
1stration may talk about the impor-
tance of developing an attitude of
love and neighborliness between CAPT.
tai and labor, but the reason why the
conferences here are not getting any,
where-they are attended as matter
of perfunctory politeness-is that the
Roosevelt administration does not be-
lieve fundamentally in being fair or
impartial in the use Of its govern
mental powers.
See Job as Labor Partisans.
Take the attitude of various per-
sons connected with the National La
Dor Relations Board. They frankly
say they were charged by Congress
with the duty of being partisans of
labor and that their primary job Is
to see to it that labor is organized
INTO unions.
The administration theory about
the Wagner act is that it should be
operated year or so before discuss
ing amendments, because by that
time enough will have been learned
about it to determine how it should
be amended Most business men would
like to see the act amended before
1t subjects the economic system to
more strikes and damage. One en-
ployer said that it reminded him of
the way the surgeons used to bleed
patients century or so ago.
The tragedy of the situation here
Is that President Roosevelt does not
know that his Secretary of Labor has
completely lost the confidence Of most