Montana labor news., 1939-04-27
On The Capitals cuff
BY ION

has the capital e a job of testify
ing before a congressional commit
tee so neatly and precisely done as
the performance of J. Warren Mad
den, chairman of the National Labor
Relations Board, before the Senate
education and labor committee here
recently.
Madden took the witness stand
after Sen. Wagner Cd, N. ",
author of the law, stoutly defended
it, after Sen. Rufus C. Holman (R.,
Ore.), a director of the Associated
Industries Of Oregon, viciously at
tackled it, after Sen. Burke Cd,
Neb.), sponsor of the manufacturers
amendments, made various allega-
tions about it, and after Rep. Glare
Hoffman r., Mich.) went through
his act.
Madden sat in a red leather chair
in one of the smaller hearing rooms
in the Senate office building. In
front of him and on both sides were
raised walnut desks at which mem
bers of the committee and reporters
sat. Behind was a long table and
then rows of chairs for spectators.
Back in one corner, listening
attentively, were representatives of
Republic Steel, one of the nations
giant corporations most anxious to
change the labor law, including T. F.
Patton, general counsel for the
corporation, Joseph A. Voss, director
of industrial relations, and John w.
Hill, head of the corporations pub
licity firm of Hill & Knowlton.
In another section of the room
were Edwin S. Smith and Donald w.
Smith, members Of the labor board,
who sat listening with all four ears.
Around them were lesser officials
of the labor board.
Across the room sat observers
from the American Federation of
Labor while not far from them CLIO
representatives followed testimony
closely. The rest of the small room
was crowded with interested spec
tators.
Madden appeared with a 119 page
statement which analysed, phrase by
phrase, all the pending amendments.
Each change, no matter how minute,
was taken up and examined in the
light of court decisions, decisions by
the board, and Industrial practices
and scrutinized in connection with
other proposed changes.
At his side was a set of volumes
containing all the decisions of the
board to which frequent reference
was made. Piled on the other side
were documents of a varied nature
containing statistics on the boards
work broken down from every angle.
With this equipment Madden set
to work. In his soft, hesitant voice
he proceeded to read from his manu-
script, polishing off one section then
submitting to questioning by mem
berS of the committee. Sometimes
the question period was much longer
than the time used by Madden to
read his statement.
At first some of the committee
members were taken in by Madden's
shy manner and his soft, cautious
manner of speaking. They thought,
apparently, that he would be phased
by an intricate question or a loud
voice.
That impression soon vanished I'M
der the incisive answers of the labor
board chairman. Behind the spec
tacles of this former dean of law in
Pittsburgh University, sparkled a
keen mind that quickly weighed the
question and its import and made
the proper answer.
One of the committees members,
Sen. Rush Holt d., West Va.), ap-
parently was one up on his col
leagues for he had gone to school
under Madden in West Virginia. His
questions, addressed to "Dean," were
somewhat more careful than the hit
and run statement he usually makes.
Sen. Ellender ID, Lao, sponsor of
amendments allegedly designed to
protect unaffiliated unions from the
AFL and CLIO, also made a grab for
Madden but quickly retreated before
a precise and detailed explanation of
the cases Ellender cited to support
his case.
The statement and question period
went on for two days, first one sena-
tor and then another taking pot shots
at Madden. Not n scored and
some of them had boned up for DAYS