Evening star., 1939-11-27

worker.
Various labor politicians have sue
ceeded thus far in giving the i'm
preston that collective bargaining
wcs needed just to prevent eXploita-
ton of labor, but now, with the
employer rendered helpless even to
communicate directly with his own
employees, the independence of the
workers has been sacrificed and
union after union is governed by a
few men who handle all the finances,
make all the strike decisions, and
dictate to the workers what they
shall and shall not do.
AS this trend toward abuse of
power has grown, unemployment
and Interruptions in production
have multiplied. Congress has been
rather passive as the disputes have
increased. But this acquiescence
can no longer be depended upon by
the labor manipulators. Just as
prohibition lost support after start
ing out as noble experiment and
having the support of an over
Whelming number of members of
Congress. so the Wagner Act is daily
losing friends because radical labor
leaders absolutely refuse to bulge
an inch in order to make the law
workable. The story of their pene-
. tration of governmental tribunals
and their successful efforts to block
any changes in the Wagner law
which would make it workable for
employer and employe will be un-
folded soon when the first real in
vestigation of the law and its opera
tions will be begun by the special
House committee investigating the
labor board.
Monopoly Power Incredible.
The labor board itself makes no
pretense of applying the law in any
other way except to promote col
lective bargaining" and although
Congress never defined collective
bargaining" to mean denial of civil
rights to the employer, the law per-
mits of such Interpretation and the
board has taken advantage of every
ambiguity to advance the cause of
labor monopolieS as against inde-
pendent union organization.
Today labor union autocracies
control the production processes of
America. The far-reaching power of
these monopolies is incredible.
Never has the truth been unfolded.
If it were the American people
would be shocked to learn that by
law they have permitted the eco
nomic forces of the country to be
monopolized by small group of
men who have the power of life
and death over industry, with en-
ployers forced to spend billions OF
dollars annually for work not
done"
The administration here is con-
scious of the reaction in sentiment
which is beginning to sweep the
country and has started to recognize
that the tide must be met in some
way. The recent announcement by
the Department of Justice of an
intention to prosecute under the
antitrust laws is an effort to do
by publicity what the administra-
ton never will do by prosecutions.
AT the coming session of Congress
the administration will present a
series of amendments to the Wag-
ner Act of moderate character.
These will be pushed to the fore in
desperate attempt to head off q
movement which may grow in in
tensity to the point where the Wag-
ner Act itself may be repealed-a
circumstance not thought possible
few months ago.
c. I. o. Forcing Climax.
The climax is being forced by the
G. I. o. in its efforts to impose a
single industrial union in indus
tries where there are substantial
numbers of skilled craft workers
and by the manner in which the
labor board has allowed itself TO
be used as the tool of professional
union organizers. The threat by or
ganizers to invoke the aid of the
labor board has become a GUS
tomary form of blackmail in indus
try and many an employer, rather
than pay the expense of strikes and
disputes, has succumbed to the
bludgeoning really made possible by
the laxity of Congress in writing
the Wagner Act.
But the undercurrent of resent
ment which these tactics have pro-
duced is now rising to the point
where the House of Representatives
is demanding to know the truth
The A. F. of L., the Oldest in expert
ence and in many respects the more