Evening star., 1937-06-08
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN,

The labor situation in this country is
again acute. Instead of striking work.
ers refusing to be elected from the plants
OF their employers, as in the case Of the
sit-down strikes, striking workers and
agltators from other places are seeking
to eject workers from plants who have
declined to quit. The Federal Govern
ment has declined to be drawn into
the situation-as it did in the sit-down
strikes. When attempts were made to
send food supplies by parcel post-the
United States mails-to the workers
beseiged in the Republic Corporations
plants. the Post ONCE Department
ducked. 1t refused to deliver these
packages. The argument advanced by
the department was that 1t did not in
tend to mix in the steel strike and that
1t was not going to subject its employees
and property to danger of being injured
at the hands of the striking pickets. Not
very much like the attitude OF Grover
Cleveland, Democratic President, in
the days OF the big Pullman strike in the
'8Os. The strikers in those days inter-
fered with the moving of the United
States mails. Cleveland sent Federal
troops to see that the mails were kept
moving, which they did.
4 X X
While the struggle in the independent
steel mills goes on, the House and Senate
committees on labor are blowing ahead
with the hearings on the administra-
tion's latest labor bill-the wages and
hours bill. John l.. Lewis, head of the
c. I. O., has given it his blessing, al
though he calls 1t merely step in the
right direction. He did not say clearly
what he has in mind for the full labor
program Of this administration And
yet this wages and hours bill proposes
to place in the hands of a board of
five members, appointed by the Presi-
dent, the power Of life and death over
industries in this country-through the
fixing OF arbitrary standards, both for
working hours and minimum wages. Its
proponents wish to hurry the measure
through. This bill is striking lot OF
snags, however, already, and the chances
are it will be a long time before it
finally becomes law. Not all OF organ
lied labor favors the measure. William
Green, head of the American Fedora
tlon OF Labor has attacked the proposal
to leave to board the power OF fixing
hours and wages. Those are matters
which labor can best handle for itself
through collective bargaining, Green
maintains. What will be the situation
If the Labor Standards Board fixes wages
and hours and the union members re-
fuse to accept them? How far will
labor go in defiance of the Government
or, conversely, how far will the Govern
ment go in defiance of labor? Judging
from recent developments, the Govern
ment will not defy labor very far.
ifaI A,,y1
lea, an affiliate of the C. l. O., accord
ing to press reports. seized" part OF
Lansing, the capital Of Michigan, forced
complete stoppage OF business. closing
stores. holding up traffic in retaliation
for the arrest OF eight pickets. The
pickets were charged with interfering
with workers for Wrecking company.
II the c. l. 0. can seize Lansing, or
large part Of it. the situation presents
certain possibilities. Is the organiza-
ton to be allowed to seize a State, or
the entire country. at the demand Of
labor leader? This is the first time
that labor organization has taken
command Of capital OF a State.
While the strike situation continues
acute, the Federal Government is
keeping its hands of. The National
Labor Relations Board, to which Presi-
dent Roosevelt turned over the appeals
sent him by the G. I. o. steel workers,
has pointed out that mo formal action"
has been instituted before the board in
connection with the strike, and there
fore it will do nothing. 1t looks as
though it were time for somebody to
do something.
Three years hence the national po-
litical conventions will be getting under
way to pick candidates for the presi-
dental ofhce. 1t would be hardy pre-
dieter who would attempt at this stage
to say who will be the nominee of the
Republican party or Of the Democratic
party. President Roosevelt must be a
good deal more specific than he has
been so far to convince lot of people
he will not be candidate for a third
term when the time rolls around He
may yet be a dark horse" in White
House, Just as Calvin Coolidge was in
1928. That there will be insistence from
lot Of his followers that he accept a
nomination for third term seems en-
tirely likely at this day and hour One
thing seems clear If Mr.. Roosevelt
leaves the New Deal Democrats in doubt
and the rest of the Democrats as we'll
up to the time of the conventions, 1t
Is likely to cause much grief to some
OF his would-be successors. They may
feel that, until the President has actually
spoken. they would be guilty of lese
majeste II they entered the race for
delegates to the next Democratic Ma
tional Convention. When 1899 is draw
ing to a close it will be interesting to
watch the maneuvers of Chairman
James A. Farley of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee
In some quarters it is suggested that
Mr.. Farley himself may be an aspirant
to succeed the President. Certainly he
has done enough to make himself known
and to make himself friends from one
end OF the country to the other. He
has the all-time record for travelling
and making speeches. His candidacy
might raise an issue which many Demo-
Gratis would like to avoid-an issue, in
cidentally, which has no place in Amer
lean politics.
Ridicule Is fatal to political aspira-
tions, usually. Two men who have been
considered outstanding candidates for
the Democratic presidential nomination
in the event President Roosevelt does
not want it or have 1t thrust upon
him-are former Gov. Paul v. McNutt Of
Indiana, at present United States COM
missioner in the Philippines, and Gov
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