The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-11
NATIONAL LABOR
BOARD IS PROBED
Houes Committee Starts to
Investigate "Smells
Bad Says Member
BY WILLIAM II. LAWRENCE


Washington, Dec. li-(UP) - The
House committee investigating the
National Labor Relations Board to-
day made public O memorandum
from board member william M. Leis-
erson calling for dismissal Of NLRB
Secretary Nathan witt and accusing
Wits ONCE OF procedural irregulari-
ties which "smelled."
Committee Counsel Edmund M
Toland distributed photostatic copies
Of Leiserson's memorandum while
Leiserson was summarizing Q pre-.
pared statement defending the
NLRB's recrod but admitting some
shortcomings.
The Leiserson memorandum dealt
with board case concerning the
johnson dry docks. sts
II do not recall agreeing to any
such decision as this" Leiserson said
In O memorandum TO Chairman j..
Warren Madden and member Edwin
s. Smith on July "a, 1899. ems"
"lf I authorized the preparation Of
this majority opinion, the facts re.
ported orally were different from the
facts here recorded.
Wants No Part In II
u do not want TO participate In
this case at all. II Is too old, and
there are the actual irregularities In
procedure characteristics OF the Sec
retary's ONCE.
III could trust the findings OF the
fact In the case would agree with
the chairman's position"
5. Whether Congress should clari-
~ the meaning Of interstate COM
merce" or pass additional labor legis-
lation.
Leiserson was appointed to the
board last spring after II had become
apparent that the Senate would not
confirm Mr.. Rooseevlt's reappolnt-
ment Of Donald Wakefield Smith,
who was under fire from the Arneri-
can Federation Of Labor.
Madden asked Leiserson TO ainplify
this charge OF usual irregularities
In the following cases which were
called TO your attention: Chrysler,
Consolidated Aircraft, Universal Pic
lures, Aipena Garment. Chicago
Malleable, and General Electri; (let-
tiers Of protest against procedure by
both pattern markers and iiiachin-
lists organizations.)"
Madden then asked for specific
details about the alleged irregulari.
ties.
Leiserson Replies
To this, Leiserson replied on July
n:
II have nothing TO add TO my
memorandum OF July 20 except TO
say that I agree with your state
ment at the conference Wednesday
afternoon that the Universal Pic
lures case 'gmelled'
II think II Is time we looked
around for O secretary who under
stands the administrative duties Of
the job and sticks to them"
Toland then handed TO reporters
minutes OF the NLRB's July 20, 1889
meeting In which Leiserson made q
formal motion that witt be relieved
Of his duties because the secretary's
manner Of handling certain cases
made II impossible for him to have
confidence In Mr.. Wits ability to
perform his duties impartially aS be-
tween various parts who appear In
cases before the board"
Molten Disappears
The copy Of NLRB minutes did not
disclose the disposition Of Leiserson's
motion. The minutes said that the
notion was handed by Leiserson to
his colleagues, In writing, Just before
he left the meeting TO catch train
Leiserson was summarizing O a.
page statement outlining his views
about the boards work when Toll
and handed out the Leiserson memo
randum,
Leiserson, q few minutes later, In
terrupted his prepared statement to
remark that "these memoranda rep
res ent the method BY which we seek
to improve OUR work"
Approximately $50 spectators In
GLIDING board ofiicials and former
hoard member Donald Wakefield
smith, were present In the House
caucus room rs Chairman Howard
w. smith, D., Va, began the inquiry.
!, reps. Harry N. Routzoin, r., O.,
and Charles Halleck. r.. Ind, were
the other committee members pres
ent. smith said that the other mein-
bers 4lseps. Arthur Haley. Mass, and
Abe Murdoch. Utah--would be pres
ent tomorrow,
1soissrson's prepared statement de-
clared that the board was aware OF
many deficiencies IN operations, OF
troublesome mistakes, doubtful poll