The Washington times., 1937-03-25
STRIKE REMEDY
PUZZLE FOR
CONGRESS
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES
International News Service

Congress has been lashed into
a ferment over the epidemic OF
sit-down strikes that now menace
the whole industrial and business
structure of the country, but a
canvas today of those who are in
Sistent that something be done
revealed little unity of thought
concerning a remedy.
Most Senators and Congressman
agree with Senator Joe T. Robin
son, the Democratic leader, that
"a crisis is at hand" Most Of
them agree, too, that the sit-down
strike is illegal, and that the Fed
eral Government should do
something" but what that some
thing is to be, or can be, is mat"
ter that apparently has Congress
in a rare state of confusion.
President Roosevelt will confer
with congressional leaders soon
after his return to the Capital on
Saturday. It is doubted, however,
if any definite program for deal
ing with the sit-down strikes IS
evolved from these conferences.
Mr.. Roosevelt will be urged, at
least, to condemn the sit-down
strike in a public fashion.
Senator Hiram johnson (R) Of
California, said:
"The President could end this
situation right now with five
words: 4 won't tolerate sit-dOwn
strikes"
There is considerable doubt,
however, that the President will
make such a declaration. HIS
friends and supporters consider
such q declaration to be an
empty gesture unless the Execu-
tive is equipped with power to back
it up, and such power is now
non-eXistent.
Mr.. RooSevelt's position, as COM
municated to Administration lead
erS in Congress, is that until the
Supreme Court speaks on the Ma
tional Labor Relations Act the Fed
eral Government is well-nigh help
less to make any positive move
in the field of labor relations.
The Supreme Court has now
had the Wagner Act under con-
sideration for nearly two months.
Its constitutionality has been chal-
lenged in a series Of cases, all Of
which have been argued, and
nearly every lawyer in Congress
is betting that when the decision
comes down it will be held un-
constitutional.
It is possible that the decision
of the Wagner Act may be handed
down on Monday when the court
reconvenes then after a two weeks
recess.
Should the decision be that the
act is constitutional, thus sur.
prising the lawyers, the Federal
Government would have its hands
enormously strengthened in deal
ing with the sit-down strike. 1t
could then move into an industry,
compel a secret vote Of the work
ers on collective bargaining, and
force union recognition by en-
ployerS if the majority of the work
erS vote that they want 1t.
AS matters now stand. the
Wagner Act has been impotent in
the grave disturbances in the au-
tomotive industry. In the recent
General Motors strike, the United
Automobile Workers refrained
from appealing for such a vote
because they doubted they had
a majority. The General Motors
Corporation likewise refrained
from appeal to the Wagner Act,
because it did not wish to con-
cede its constitutionality. In the
current Chrysler dispute, the
union believes it has a majority
of the Chrysler workers and
wants a vote. but the corpora
ton, like G. M. c., prefers to
ignore the act until the Supreme
Court has passed upon it.
Thus, the National Labor Re
lations Act is the forgotten law"
in situation that universally is
considered full of danger.
Meanwhile, conditions throw
the spotlight on the Supreme
Court-and, incidentally, on the
fight now being waged over
President Roosevelt's proposal to
reorganize it.