Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-06-03

this year h a
given indications David Lawrence.
that he desires to give the business
point of view due recognition in the
councils of Government.
Two main subjects occupied the
businessmen-fscal affairs and la
perhaps change in policy has been
described only in general terms at a
press conference between Mr.. Hop
kins and the newspapermen. Moth
ing has been issued by or on behalf
of the businessmen. This is in line
with previous custom and leaves the
Nation in the dark as to what was
said and what was decided.
But the original purpose of the
Business and Advisory Council was
to make recommendations without
publicity leaving it to the admins
tration to take or leave the advice
Thus far it mostly has been left in
the pigeonholes of the Government
departments without substantial &C
ton
There is some reason to hope that
perhaps change in polio yhas been
considered whereby the adminiStra-
ton will attempt to give some rec
ignition to the businessmen's rec
concentrations. The visitors brought
to the White House by Secretary
Hopkins are friendly to the admin
iStration and prediSpoSed to work
in harmony with the Government
in every possible way.
c. I. o. Displeasure Is Shadow.
The problem of how to meet the
objections being raised by business
men to the Wagner Labor Act is
not easy to solve For the admins
tration has committed itself so far
on the side of the c. I. O., which OPP
poses any or all amendments to the
Wagner Act, that it is difficult to
see how the matter can be handled
without displeasing the c. I. O., and
this is much more important to the
administration than the support of
the businessmen. What the A. F.
of l.. wants in the way of amend
ments apparently does not register
very favorably with the admins
tration, because the A. F. of L. pro-
posals have been severely criticised
by the National Labor Relations
Board, which has taken the same
attitude toward amendments that
the C. I. o. has adopted. Just why
the political support of the A. F.
of L. seems to have been ignored
is also one of the puzzles of present.
day politics.
So, if the administration really
means to make any changes at all
in the Wagner Act, it must send
word to the leaders on Capitol Hill
that certain amendments are de-
sired. The likelihood is that no
such message will be sent and that
attempts will be made to placate
business criticism by means of
changes in the labor board rules and
regulations
Certainty to Be Avoided.
Changes in the rules offer no sta
bility, especially since the board
members have indicated that what
ever rules they intend to change
will have to be safeguarded SO as to
conform to previous objectives, and
this means hedging about of the
rulings so that certainty will by no
means be substituted for uncertainty.
The businessmen of the country
have come to accept the principle
of collective bargaining and that is
what Secretary Hopkins undoubt-
eddy meant when he said business
men did not differ with the labor
policy of the administration. 1t is
in the administration" of the Wag-
ner law that he thinks most of the
difficulties arise. This is true, but
the Interpretation of the law has
been consistent with the objectives
of the law and only if Congress
decides to curtail the wide discre-
tionary powers vested in the board
can any substantial changes in the
rules bring peace in the labor world.
The Wagner Act is about to be
supplemented with further legisla-
ton designed to cut out industrial
espionage and certain forms of
strikebreaking This is to be the
first adventure of the Federal Gov
eminent into the field of police
power.
Stock Answer Withheld.
No objection is being raised by
labor leaders or by the administra-
ton that this is function of the
State governments and city police,
which is the usual answer given
when an cutlery is made that the
Wagner Act does not protect indi-
vidual workers from harassing tao
tics and intimidation by professional
union organizers or fellow-workers.
Apparently the Federal police
power cannot be invoked for such
purposes, but it is about to be in
voked where employers are con-
cerned. This is but one example of
the extremes to which jealous labor
defenders have gone, when the true
road to labor peace lies in removing
the obstacles to better understand
ing and the abuses which provoke
espionage. ny. Hopkins, as Secre-
tary OF Commerce, is supposed to
champion the cause of legitimate
business and industry and is expect
ed to remove the barriers to produc-
ton. Inequitable labor laws and
the introduction of more laws to
keep alive the friction between en-
ployers and employees constitute the
gravest kind of a problem for the
Secretary of Commerce to handle,
and his ability to persuade the
President to make an adjustment on
labor legislation has been conspicu-
ously challenged by the Business and
Advisory Councils recommends tons.