Evening star., 1939-12-23
Amendments
ToWagner Act
Being Drafted
Labor Boord Counsel
Denies Green Charges
orc. !. O. PurtiuIity
BY the Associated Press.

by tIlc ASSOCldLeu 1IebS.
The House legislative drafting
service has been asked by a number
of House members to draw up
amendments to the Wagner Act
and some preliminary drafts of
changes already have been made for
the labor law, 1t became known to-
day.
A majority of the House committee
now investigating the National
Labor Relations Board favors major
changes in the law, but no members
will discuss what they have in mind.
Chairman Smith, Democrat, of
Virginia, of the special committee,
said he would be ready with series
of amendments as soon as the
House Labor Committee concludes
its hearings, which began last May.
He believes the act should be along
the lines of the Railway Labor Act.
Charles Fahy, general counsel of
the Labor Board, said yesterday he
did not believe Congress could write
many workable amendments, and
referred specifically to demands
from some sources that the law
contain definite standards for the
selection of collective bargaining
units.
Green's Charges Denied.
Il don't think that Congress will
find it feasible to make a definite
category that will be applicable in
all the multitude of cases that will
arise under the act" he said.
Mr.. Fahy's discussion was in con-
nection with statement fatty de-
nying charges of the American
Federation of Labor that the board
had been partial to the c. I. o. Re-
plying to William Green, A. F. of
L. president, who said that evidence
presented to the special House COM
mittee tends to support" A. F. of
L. charges of partiality. Mr.. Fahy
offered statistics to show that the
rival labor groups had Jared
equally we'll before the board.
Mr.. Fahy said that of the 1l2 rep
resentation cases last year in which
both the A. F. of L. and C. I. o. had
participated, the A. F.. of L. had
won 81 the C. /. o. A and both
mad won partial victories in 13. In
cases involving a direct conflict. Mr.
Fahy said the board had sustained
the A. F.. of L. and the C. I. o. in 10.
Other Statistics Cited.
He cited these other statistics for
the same period:
Unions recognized by employers:
A. F. of L.. 434. involving $4,000
workers; c. I. O., 436, involving S.
900 workers.
Collective bargaining contracts
made: A. F. of L., 374; c. I. O., BAT.
Union members reinstated: A. F.
of L.. 1906. with $685. 900 in back
pay awarded to 1870 members; C.
l. O., 4,019, with 1855 900 in back
paw awarded to 1872 members.
Replying directly to Mr.. Green's
comments on the investigation OF
the board by the five-man House
committee, Mr.. Fahy said:
It don't see on the basis of the
few cases thus far discussed befo, e
the committee that there could be
any claim of bias against the
A. F. L. The board cannot refuse
to make its services equally avail
able to all unions and employers
If it did, it would be subject to
criticism"
Silent on Testimony.
Mr.. Fahy would not discuss di.
rectly the testimony brought out by
the House committees hearings. but
other board quarters summed ur
the initial hearings in this manner
The committee thus far has gotter
only an infinitestimal segment OF
what the board has done.
Testimony up to now has beer
largely "one-sided' and will appear
in a different light after further
witnesses are heard.
Two significant things have beer
brought out: DR.. William Leiserson
newest member of the board, who
has been critical of some of it.
policies. testified that he did no.
think the act should be AMENDED
in any vital respect. Chairman
Smith of the House committee sale
that although he had not voted fo!
the Wagner Act he believed tha
the basic principles should be pre-.
served.