Evening star., 1937-04-13
State Labor Relations La,vs
Seen Following Wagner Ruling
Industry, Union and Government
Spokesmen Optimistic, but Effect on
Court Reorganization Is Disputed.

Impetus to enactment of State labor
relations laws was foreseen today as a
corollary to yesterdays decisions Of the
Supreme Court upholding validity of
the national labor relations act. With
the Federal Governments authority
to protect workers in interstate COM
merce assured by the courts findings,
passage OF State laws for similar
localized set-ups would extend this
public protection down to virtually
every form of industrial activity.
Two States, Utah and Wisconsin
already have such laws, while third
is under consideration in Pennsylvania
Meanwhile, spokesmen of labor, in
dustry and government were virtually
unanimous in the hope that the cause
Of industrial peace was frightened by
the findings Of the court yesterday
Linked with such comment also were
the views Of several leaders that the
decisions would, and would not, have
an important effect on President
Roosevelt's plan to revise the Federal
judiciary.
President Delays Comment.
The President, delaying extended
comment until his regular press con-
ference today, did make the obeerva-
ton to Speaker Bankhead that TITS
pretty good day for all of u.s.
Complimenting the court for put
ting aside the narrow notion Of the
horse and buggy days." Senator Wag-
ner, Democrat, of New York, sponsor
Of the law in the Senate, declared in
radio talk that:
In holding that what happens in
our great manufacturing industries
is OF national import, the court has
performed an act of industrial states
manship ranking alongside the work
done in the days Of John Marshall.
The principles of the labor law
were founded upon the accepted facts
that We must have democracy in in
dustry as well as in government, that
democracy in industry means fair
participation by those who work in
the decisions vitality affecting their
lives and livelihoods, and that the
workers in our great mass production
industries can enjoy this participation
only II allowed to organize and bar
gain collectively through representa-
tives of their own choosing"
Sees Strikes Prevented.
If the authority of the act had beer
recognized long ago, the New Yorker
continued, there would have been ne
wave Of sit-down strikes.
Denial of basic industrial right.
produced industrial strife" he con.
tinued, "but when peace terms in thu
great motor industries were drawn W
they embodied the very principles O
just dealing and fairness which wer,
written into the labor act ans
unanimously approved today by th,
court.
Let no one any longer take tn,
law into his own hands, through self
appointed interpreters of what tn,
Constitution means. through hiret
police or spies, or through an,
precipitate and unreasonable resort t.
force Of any kind"
J. Warren Madden, chairman of tn
board which administers the labor re
lations act, said the decisions laid tn
foundation for peace in industry.
If employers will comply in tn
spirit of the decisions" he said, 'i
will not be necessary to have any NOR
strikes to establish recognition of tn,
right of collective bargaining"
Madden said he believed the ruling
made certain the power of the Labol
Relations Board, on which he sits with
Donald Wakefield Smith, a lawyer
and Edwin S. Smith, an economist.
Asked about the effect of the deci
sions on Henry Ford, who said recently
he intended to bargain with his work.
ers individually and not through un.
| ions, Madden said:
1T leaves Henry Ford subject to the
law"
Manufactures View.
From the National Association Of
Manufacturers came the statement
that it has always stood for the en-.
forcement Of and obedience to the law,
Of the land.
THE national labor relations act a!
interpreted by the Supreme Court i.
no exception" the statement added
1--WE trust that similar respect for thi.
law and other laws will be recognized
as well by leaders Of organized labor
Now that doubt as to its consti.
tutionality has been removed, 1t is tc
be hoped that harmonious working
arrangements as affected by the law
can be speedily worked out between
employers and employees.
while labor under this law is moi
compelled to assume any responsible.
ity, satisfactory working arrangement
must be based upon the assumption
of genuine responsibility for its &C.
ttons. Where there are rights there
must be corresponding duties"
Secretary of Labor Perkins immedl.
ately took steps to translate the de.
cisions into action by announcing shs
would invite representatives OF labo'
and management to meet here Apri
20 to discuss how they can cooperate
In peaceful conciliation under tht
validated act.
The Supreme Court has done away
with the principal cause Of industria
unrest" the Secretary said.