Evening star., 1939-12-11
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Inc House Committee investipat-
ing the National Labor Relations
Board opened its hearing today with
a disclosure that William L. Leiser-
son, junior member of the board,
had sought the removal of the
board secretary, Nathan Witt.
Into the record of the hearings
shortly after Mr.. Leiserson. the first
witness. had taken the stand. Ed.
mund M. Toland. committee coun.
sci, placed photostatic copy OF min.
utes of meeting of the board last
July % at which Mr.. Leiserson had
moved the ousting of Mr.. Witt on
the ground that he was not quali-
fled for the position, either by train
ing or experience. Mr.. Witt was
listener at the hearing.
The memorandum revealed that
Mr.. Witt was present at the board
meeting, as we'll as the two board
members. j. Warren Madden. chair
man, and Edwin S. Smith.
No Disclosure of Action.
The memorandum follows:
Motion by Mr.. Leiserson that
Nathan Witt be relieved of his
duties as secretary of the board.
Mr.. Leiserson stated that he felt
that Mr.. Witt was not qualified for
the position either by training or
experience. From observation Of
Mr.. Wits work, Mr.. Leiserson said,
he had concluded that Mr.. Witt
lacked understanding of the prob
lens of administration that are re-
qulred in managing large organ
lzatlon such as the board has. Mr..
Leiserson also stated that Mr.. Wits
manner of handling certain cases
made it impossible for him to have
confidence in Mt. Wits ability to
perform his duties inpartially as
between various parties who appear
in cases before the board.
THE foregoing motion was hand
ed by Mr.. Leiserson to his colleagues,
in writing, just before he left the
meeting to catch train"
The memorandum failed to dis
close what action was taken on the
motion. However. Mr.. Witt is still
secretary of the board.
Cases Described as Messy"
Another photostatic copy Of
memorandum Mr.. Leiserson sent to
Chairman Madden under date Of
August IS last, declared that two
cases before the board ALREADY are
In mess because you persist in
acting on the advice of the secre-
tary and his amateur detectives"
In the August Is memorandum
Mr.. Leiserson added:
Il have explained repeatedly that
it is necessary to remove the secre-
tary and his assistant amateurs
from the top management of the
boards work. and to replace them
with people who are competent to
analyze our cases and to pass judg-
ment on the recommendations Of
experienced regional directors. That
is the most important suggestion I
have for making the work 60 for
ward instead of getting into tangled
messes"
Under questioning. Mr.. Leiserson
said when he became board men,
ber last June he went through its
files and found many cases he de-
scribed as messy" At that time,
he pointed, out. he wrote a memo-
randum to Chairman Madden COM
planning about inefficient handling.
In some cases. the witness de-
clared, Mr.. Madden and Mr.. Smith
disagreed with him as to what con-
stitutes efficiency.
| Copies of other intra -office
memoranda placed into the record
by committee counsel Toland show
ed that Mr.. Leiserson first COM
planned about conditions in the
secretary's Office four days prior to
the board meeting at which he
urged Mr.. Wits removal.
Irregular Procedure Mentioned.
Under date of July "a last Mr..
Leiserson sent memorandum to
his colleagues regarding the Todd
johnson Dry Docks case, in which
he said:
Il do not recall agreeing to any
such decision as this. If I author
lied the preparation of this ma
jority opinion, then the facts re-
ported orally were different from
the facts here recorded.
Il do. not want to participate in
this case at all. 1t is too old, and
there are the usual irregularities
(Condnued on Page Ala. Col. ~