Evening star., 1940-02-22

opCCtUL l1OUSC COWLULtCCcC ILCUu.
ed by Representative HotDard W.
Smith OF Virginia has been in
uestigating National Labor Re-
ldttons Board since early tall.
Public hearings haze been in
progress since December. Com
ntttee is charged ,Dith recon-
11ending any amendments In
; Wagner Act ,Dhich it may con-
! slider necessary.
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
: Belief that the House committee
investigating the National Labor
Relations Board will file a pre-
Iminary report by March l rec
ommending changes in the Wagner
Act grew today as the group took
q holiday recess.
The committee held an executive
session yesterday afternoon, follow
ing a public hearing in the morn
ing, and there was no indication
that any agreement had been reach
ed. Yet observers looked for a ma
jority of the committee to take
some action within the next 10 days,
perhaps sooner.
Meanwhile the committees de-
termination to press the inquiry until
the Nation wide operations of the
N. L. R. B. are disclosed fully was
seen as action was awaited on
resolution asking the House to
authorize a second $4,000 to con-
tinue the investigation and the
hearings. The present fund is al
most exhausted.
Approval Forecast.
The committee decided last week
to ask for more money, but formal
introduction of the resolution was
delayed until yesterday, when Chair
man Smith presented it in the
House It was referred to the Com
mittee on Accounts, which is ex-
pected to report it shortly. Opinion
generally is that the House will
sanction the additional expense in
q few days.
The hearings will be resumed at
10 am. tomorrow The request for
more funds is taken to mean that
the committee has no intention of
closing the inquiry at this point, but
whether or not preliminary recon-
mendations are filed, will continue
from time to time to bring out at
hearings portions of the voluminous
evidence which the committees
legal staff and investigators have
uncovered.
We've just scratched the sur
face" said member of the COM
mittee's staff.
Since the committee represents
various shades of opinions con-
corning the significance OF the rec
ord compiled to date-with con-
f1icting views on how efficiently and
1mpartially the Labor Board has
functioned - there is always the
possibility that no agreement can
be reached at this stage.
Smith Hopes for Action.
Chairman Smith has said in.
statements to newspapermen, he
thought amendments to the Wag-
ner Act should be suggested to Con-
gress by March /, so that there
would be time to act on them at
this session. But he has refrained
from saying what amendments he
believed necessary, under the evi-
dence disclosed He merely has
expressed hope that the committee
could agree on at least prelimi-
nary program.
The committee is known to have
been going over the evidence at a
number of executive sessions dur
Ing the last week and discussing
possible amendments. No announce
ments have been forthcoming.
The flve-man committee consists,
as is customary, of three members
OF the majority party and two Of
the minority. In addition to the
chairman, the Democrats are Rep
resentatives Healey of Massachu-
sets and Murdock of Utah, re-
garded as sympathetic to the New
Deal and more or less friendly to
the Labor Board. The Republicans
are Representatives Halleck of In
diana and Routzohn of Ohio, who
have been severe in their cross
examination of some board men,
bers and employees. Chairman Smith
who sponsored the investigating
resolution, has been an outspoken
critic of the boards methods. All
the members, however, have shown
q disposition to inquire carefully
into the matter
The committees general counsel
Edmund M. Toland. plans to call
several out-of-town witnesses to-
morrow. Their names have not been
announced.
Lobby Evidence Expanded.
Mr.. Toland continued yesterday
to pile up evidence that fhe boards
field officers helped to organize 6
Nationwide lobby against Wagner
Act amendments, with the taci,
consent, if not the open approval
of the board.
AhC NttO11ACy dllu Ills SCdu o.
assistants still are studying sub.
poenaed records of various depart
ments to determine whether ther,
has been an extensive blacklist
Of firms charged with unfair labol
practices, which had the effect O
denying them Government contract
and other benefits. Previous evi
dence had indicated the board re-
Quested such cooperation from
other branches of the Government
In another development yesterday
the Labor Board moved to tighter
administrative functions in tn,
Office of Secretary Nathan Witt b,
creating the Office of chief admins
trative examiner and appointing t,
1t Alexander B. HaweS, at presen
assistant general counsel.
To Supervise Case Development.
Mr.. Hawes will act as deputy t,