Evening star., 1940-05-02
Bridges Discussed
N.l.R.B. Aides With
Smith, Probers Hear
Letter Is Identified
By Bourd Member
At House Inquiry
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Harry Bridges, West Coast c. I. o.
leader, discussed National Labor Re
1ations Board personnel in San
Francisco and Hawaii in cor
respondence with Board Member
Edwin S. Smith, the House investi-
eating committee learned today.
Mr.. Smith, recalled to the stand
by Committee Counsel Edmund M.
Toland, identified letter from Mr..
Bridges, dated January 8, 1888, stat
ing that Hawaii was in need of a
good man" who would be able to
resist the employer arguments"
better than the boards representa-
tive who was there then.
Il agree with you as to the i'm
portance OF having the right sort
OF man in Hawaii" Mr.. Smith wrote
to reply, "and the board has this
very much in mind"
Edises Mentioned for Job.
Mr.. Bridges letter said he under
stood that Bertram Edises, then
acting regional director at San
Francisco, was to be sent to Hawaii.
While he regarded Mr.. Edises as
Ideal for that post, Mr.. Bridges
wrote, he urged that Mr.. Edises be
retained in San Francisco, where the
G. I. o. unions had been dissatisfied
with the boards regional Office.
He suggested, however, that some
one OF the type of Mr.. Edises or
Elwin j. Eagen, regional director at
Seattle, "be Immediately selected
for Hawaii"
About year previous to this cor
respondence, the board files showed,
Mr.. Smith telegraphed Mr.. Edises:
please have Harry Bridges tele-
phone me from your office or some
where else, our expense, tomorrow,
Tuesday, between 2:30 and $50,
Eastern time"
WAS it your custom to have in
terested parties in board cases tele-
phone you at Government expense?"
Mr.. Toland asked.
1T was not our CUSTOM" said the
board member, but in this instance
I did not know where to reach Mr.
Bridges"
The telephone conversation, Mr.
Smith explained, was not in regard
to assignment of a staff man to
Hawaii, but to the maritime troubles
on the East Coast, where the So
called Rank and File Union was on
strike.
Family Row" Aired.
Another family row. within the
scattered staff of the Labor Board
was aired earlier before the investi-
eating committee.
Harold A. Craneheld, a regional
attorney for the board, wrote Sec
retary Nathan Witt at great length
in violent objection to the boards
decision to reopen the case of the
American Newspaper Guild against
the Times Publishing Co. of De-
troit.
In the letter, introduced in evi-
dence by Committee Counsel Toland
and read to the House group, Mr..
Cranefeld observed:
Maybe I have been all wet all
these years on trial practice, but I
suspect that you have some infants
in the review section without any
trial experience whatever who have
no business trying to retry a case
by remote control =.
Sees Administration "Simplified."
If we are to try cases on the
theory that the respondent (the
employer and his agents are going
to be gentlemen and Boy Scouts and
answer our questions truthfully,
wish to be definitely instructed to
that effect. Thereafter we will save
the board a very great deal of
money. We will simply call in en-
ployers who are complained of, ad-
minister an oath and interrogate
them as to the charges. If they
deny them we will dismiss the case
and beat hell out of the union men
for lying to us. Administration will
be greatly simplided."
The field attorney objected par
ticularly to the fact that the board
had ordered the hearing reopened
without notice to the regional Office.
was on the stand at the time the
letter was read, and he testified that
he had advised the board not to re-
open the case.
There was considerable doubt in
his mind after studying the record
of the hearing, said Mr.. Newman,
whether the board would be justified
In finding the Detroit Times guilty
Of any unfair labor practice.
Board Dismisses Complaint.
The board decided the evidence
was inconclusive in certain particu-
lars and further testimony should be
taken.
The guild had accused the COM
pany of interfering with organi-
zation of a union and with discrim-
inatory discharge of employees.
The trial examiner found the pub
Usher had violated the Wagner Act.
The board, however, after reopen
ing the case and receiving addi-
tional evidence, dismissed the COM
plant.
The Detroit paper is Hearst pub
ASdoAoAA, oAAo Nl. AoAniAO tlAcI1 WCllI
into case brought by the Guild
against another Hearst paper, the
Baltimore NeWs-Post.
Meanwhile, the records of the
Smith committee were swollen with
q fresh sheaf of documents relat-
ing to the activities of Heber Blank
enhorn, special investigator for the
Labor Board, whom Mr.. Toland
charges with helping John L. Lewis,
c. I. O. chieftain, organize the
steel workers.
Denies Aiding Organizing.
Mr.. Blankenhorn did not deny
the authenticity of various letters
and memoranda bearing on the
point which the attorney had OBJ