Evening star., 1937-04-04

Continued From First Page)
has been growing against the seizure
of property by strikers. And the be-
lief was expressed that the ventila-
ton of the opposition to this form
OF strike in Congress is having its
effect on those who have been To-
menting these strikes.
Efforts of administration leaders
In the Senate to head off the Byrnes
amendment to the Guffey coal bill
condemning sit down strikes has
taken the form of attempting to seq
regate the question of sit down
strikes from this legislation. If they
are finally successful, they will still
be faced with determined group
of Senators to force declaration by
the Seante that the sit-doWn strike
Is Illegal and should not be con-
doned.
Byrd Scores Sit-Down.
Senator Byrd of Virginia issued a
statement last night denouncing the
sit-down strike and calling for quick
action by Congress. He said:
Congress should without delay or
eouivocation declare by resolution
that sit-down strikes and lawless-
ness in organized or mass form should
not be tolerated.
Civilized government depends upon
obedience to constituted authority.
with lawlessness rampant through
out the land, the influence OF OH
cials who have taken an oath to sup
port and defend the Constitution
and uphold the law should be used
in condemnation OF such admitted
lawlessness
Law and order will be restored
only by firm and courageous enforce
ment Of the law"
The Virginia Senator's statement
was interpreted as meaning that not
only Congress should use its influence
against the sit-doWn strikes but that
the influence of the President and
other officials of the Government
should be brought into play.
When the Senate meets tomorrow,
1t will have before it again Byrnes'
amendment to the Guffey coal bill. He
insisted yesterday that he would con-
tinue to resist all efforts to sidetrack
his amendment and send it to COM
nittee, as proposed by Senator Robin
son Of Arkansas, the Democratic
leader. Senator Bailey Of North Caro-
lima was equally emphatic m making
clear he would insist on vote in the
Senate on the sit-down strike without
~ rIo jc l.
ton in the slightest, he said.
Fears Hesitation.
The position of Senator Byrnes was
that any delay in acting now would be
interpreted as hesitation on the part
of the Senate to denounce 1awlessness.
That, he said, would have regrettable
effect on public opinion.
Senator Schwellenbach Of Washing
ton has pending an amendment to the
Byrnes amendment, which would deny
the right of an employer to order en-
ployes out of plants unless the en-
ployers had submitted the controversy
between themselves and their employees
to the jurisdiction of the National
Labor Relations Board. The effect OF
the SchWellenbach amendment, if
adopted, would be TO declare the sit
down strike legal in plants whose own
ers had not complied with the Wagner
labor relations act.
Approval by the Senate OF this
amendment therefore, would, instead
of condemning the sit-doWn strike as
illegal, give a loophole for holding this
form strike legal.
The SchWellenbach amendment, on
that account, will be vigorously resist
ed, although the Senate has, Of course,
gone on record in favor of the Wagner
labor relations act, and has indicated
its belief that the act should be obeyed
by all employers.
Should the Supreme Court, when
It meets tomorrow to hand down opir-
ions, declare the Wagner act uncon-
stitutional, it would have the effect of
voiding also the Schwellenbach
amendment to the Byrnes amend
ment.
Pittman Offers Substitute.
Senator Pittman of Nevada has Of
fered substitute for the Byrnes
"lllSli ASSAoACo. AA1o
1t = the sense of the Senate that the
SOD alled sit-down strike is illegal and
o&rary to sound public policy. The
SeH Hate only assumes to speak as to
str( ses in industries within the juris-
did bon of the Federal Government. ?"
he Byrnes amendment, which
threw the administration leaders into
q frenzy of excitement when it was
offered Thursday, declared:
1T is further declared to be the
pu6 6lic policy of the United States that
nosemploye of any producer Of coal
whose employment has been ter
minated, or who for any reason has
ceased to work for such producer, shall
remain upon the property upon which
he was employed after he has received
written notice from such producer to
leave such property, provided that
this paragraph shall not apply to
property occupied as dwelling"
The proviso was added so as not to
compel the workers to leave the COM