The Washington times., 1937-11-16
End Labor Feud,
Revise Wagner Act,
Mayors Demand
Unions Blamed For
Most of Present
Difficulties
By FREDERICK N. POLANGTN

Wagner Act needed amending and
that organized labor must make
peace precipitated lively debate
on practicalities today in the
national conference Of mayors.
Joseph K. Carson, jr., mayor OF
Portland, Ore, declared juriSdic
tional disputes were bringing in
dustry to a standstill in many
sections of the country and that
either the Wagner Act must be
amended to take care of this Situa-
ton or, more important, the
AFLCIO feud must end.
QUESTIONED BY LAGUARDIA
Mayor LaGuardia, of New York,
echoed Carson's sentiments and
turned to Charles Fahy, general
counsel of the National Labor Re-
lations Board, and asked these
questions:
l. Is picketing legal after the
National Labor Relations Board
settles dispute?
2. What protection has COM
munity against such jurisdic-
tional disputes after the Ma
tionaI Labor Relations Board
has made a finding?
PUT UP TO LABOR
Fahy said jurisdictional disputes
must be settled by labor itself,
that it was belond the province
of the NLRB and the Wagner act
to cope with this situation. He
pointed out that, therefore, organ
lied labor settled such questions
because it had the machinery to
do so, but that now it is divided.
LaGuardia's terse retort was:
THAT answer is fine for the
classroom but it's tough for
mayor"
The debate disclosed that most
mayors from $50 major cities in
the nation attending the confer
ence were of the opinion that
organized labor itself was to blame
for most of the present conditions,
and it was strongly indicated a
resolution calling upon the Lewis
Green camps to consolidate their
forces once again will reach the
floor.
MADDEN HURLS CHARGE
The discussion broke out into
the open following an address by
J. Warren Madden, chairman of
the NLRB, who aSsailed some"
mayors for being in league with
industrial heads.
Madden charged that the Wag-
ner act was being frustrated
with the connivance of the mayor
and other officials who are sworn
to uphold the law"
Madden made no mention of the
AFLC1O feud, confining himself
to the operation of the Wagner
act and his BOARD.
CHARGES CONNIVANCE
Madden declared:
Mayhem, murderouS assault,
and kidnapping have been COM
mitted with impunity in some
cities against American citizens
whose only offenSe has been that
they were union organizers.
Some of these crimes have been
committed under circumstances
in which the criminals could not
possibly have escaped detection
unless the police had been under
instructions that crimes against
these people were to be unpun-
ished.
Some communities have sold
their souls to the proprietors of
runaway shops, and their lead
ing citizens, mayors, and police
regard it as a part of the bar
gain that they must violate their
own criminal laws and prevent
their workmen from enjoying
their rights under the national
labor relations act, lest the run.
away shall again run away. I
do not think any community
really profits from the presence
of an industry which constantly
threatens that it will not stay
unless the citizens and public
authorities participate in or con-
niVe at violence and crime"
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