The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-06-16
PRAISE OF LABOR
LAWS OF BRITAIN
inks PRESIDENT
Seeks Report to Show
They Are 0ne-Sided
BY EARL GOODWIN

STeSluSnC HOOSeVelC Is S6nQlng
a commission to England to find
out about the British Trades
Union Act-just as if he did not
know all about it already.
The truth of the business is he
wants a commission that will bring
back to these shores a report that
will portray the famed British
Trades Union Act as just about !
the meanest and most unsatisfac-
tory labor law existing today on
the face of the earth.
A BIT PEEVISH'
The reason is the President is
growing a bit peeviSh over the
continued references in Republi.
can and conservative newspapers
about the excellence and equity
of the British labor laws. To the
President these British laws are
one-sided, it is reliably reported.
Certainly they are one sided,
sharp and unS a tiSfactory to
American labor leaders who are
now almost completely in accord
with the President in exposing to
American view the presumed I'M
fairness of these acts.
White House officials, though,
are still smiling over the way John
Lewis, CLIO chief, acted at the first
news of the Presidents commits
sion. That news, which the Presi-
dent described by saying he was
very sorry the story had broken
that way, seemed to indicate the
President was going to study the
British labor situation with a view
to showing this country how toI
manage labor.
HIS MISTAKE
John Lewis, fully aware of the
British trades act, Immediately
turned his back on the whole pro-
poSal; whereas, if he had waited
for the correct news on the sub
ject, he would have seen that the
President was playing right down
John Lewis street. The President
is sending a commission abroad
and making use of individuals al
ready abroad to acquaint the
whole United States with facts al.
ready known to labor experts.
Great Britain enacted law like
our Wagner onnally act back in
1906. 1t was a liberal act. 80 years
ahead of our Federal labor laws;
and the British conservatives did
not like it any more than the
American conservatives like the
Wagner labor relations law and
the National Labor Relations
Board.
The British conservatives got
their chance while the public was
inflamed against labor in the gen.
eral strike of 1927. Parliament was
dominated by Tories and, taking
advantage of the public mind at
the moment, Parliament amended
the previous act by limiting the
right to strike and picket and in
many other ways interfering with
union activities which are con-
sidered normal in this country.
GIFTS HALTED
One think Parliament effected
which labor reSentS is the shutting
off of union contributions to the
British Labor party except under
difficult circumstances. Unions
have to have the written consent
of their members.
American conservatives declare
the British act is fairer to en-
ployerS than is the Wagner Labor
Relations Act and there has been
considerable of a campaign to dis.
credit the Wagner act and the
labor relations activities there
under. From time to time the
President has defended the act
and the board.
In answer to a recent question
as to whether he was satisfied with
the Wagner labor law, he replied
that such laws were part of an evo-
lutionary process and that he ex-
pected gradually all such relations
to be much better as people
learned more about the subject.