Evening star., 1939-02-19
Hopkins Faces
Bitter Criticism
Of Wagner Act

AttlruQe on noTmOny
Obstacle May Appear
In Talk Friday
BY the Associated Press.
The bitter controversy over the
Wagner Act and the Labor Relations
Board is proving a major obstacle
to the administrations efforts to
promote peace among Government,
industry and labor.
There can be little doubt that
Harry L. Hopkins, cast in the role
of chief peacemaker as a result of
his appointment to be Secretary of
Commerce, has heard many COM
plants from business men in his
recent conferences that the law in
its present form is one sided in favor
of labor and stumbling block to
attainment of President Roosevelts
announced goal of a national income
of $50, 100000 year.
Whether Secretary Hopkins has
been induced to look for amend
ments which would encourage busi-
ness, and yet not ALLEVIATE irretriev-
ably the anti-amendment C. I. O.,
may be disclosed when the former
w. P. A. administrator outlines his
program for Government-busin
in radio speech from
Des Moines, Iowa, Friday.
Roosevelt Move Cited.
Belief that Mr.. Hopkins is giving
study to the problem has been
strengthened by the Presidents
statement in his annual message to
Congress that ways must be found to
utilize capital and labor fully, and
that labor difficulties represented
the weakest spot in the Nations
system of industrial supply.
Further evidence of the admins
tration's desire to cultivate better
relations with industry came from
Mr.. Roosevelt's S press conference Fri
day at Key West, Fla. The Chief
said no new or heavier
taxes were planned and asserted
the Federal Government had no
further programs for power de-
velopment.
In its Washington Review. the
United States Chamber of Com
merce said yesterday there were in
creasing signs that realization that
a business revival and. the revival of
business are rather closely associated
is permeating not only congressional,
but the public mind as we'll"
An increasing number of busi.
ness men, mostly proprietors of mod
erate-sized establishments, are max
ing trips to Washington to consult
personally with their Congressman
regarding prospective legislation af-
fecting business" the review re-
ported.
Other Studies Made.
Any examination by Hopkins of
the subject Of Wagner Act changes
would supplement studies being
made by the Labor Relations Board
and the Labor Department, of pro-
posed Wagner Act amendments in
troduced by Senator Burke, Demo-
crat, of Nebraska and Senator Walsh,
Democrat, of Massachusetts.
Senator Burke, a frequent critic of
the Labor Board, proposed a new
board on which employees, employers
and the public each would have one
representative. He advocated as well
that the boards power be restricted
and provision made for Labor Board
cases to be removed to Federal Dis
trlct Court on demand of any party.
The amendments introduced by
Senator Walsh for William Green,
president of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, would, among other
things, permit employers as we'll as
to petition for employe
representation elections, curb the
boards power to invalidate union
contracts, and seek to provide more
specific protection for craft unions in
the establishment of collective bar
gaining units.
Pressman Attacks Plans.
The c. I. o. contends that anti
union industrialists and some A. F.,
of L. leaders would be the only in
terests benedting from the latter
Lee Pressman. general counsel of
the G. I. O., said in radio speech
last night that the minority" which
wants to change the act is COM
posed of the most reactionary and
the most misguided elements in the
Nation"
They are anti-union employers,
who prefer strife to collective bar
gaining, die-hard politicians who
have made a profession out of Oh.
posing everything progressive and
certain high officials in a section of
the labor movement. Between them
they are out to destroy the Wagner
Act and everything it stands for"
Although Secretary of Labor Per-
kins commented last December 2
that ION the basis of my present
knowledge I do not favor amend
ments to the Wagner Act" and the
Labor Board informed the President
last November that it did not think
the act needed amendment, both
are making detailed analyses of the
pending amendments at the request
of the Senate Labor Committee.
Reports to the committee are ex-
pected within few weeks, after
which public hearings have been
promised.