Evening star., 1940-02-07
Smith Seeks $4,000
More 10 Continue
lt.
n. |. R. B. Inquiry
Decision for Request
To House Follows
Executive Session
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
National Labor Relations Board
has been under scrutiny OF spe-
cidl House committee headed by
Representative Smith, Democrat,
OF Virginia since December. Epi-
dence has been brought out al
leging discrimination OF board in
favor OF C. I. o. and dissension
on board regarding its policy to-
,0ard labor disputes.
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Chairman Smith of the special
House committee investigating the
National Labor Relations Board
planned to present in Congress to-
day a resolution asking 50,000 more
to continue the hearings which
have been in prograss for more
than month.
Representative Smith revealed
this late yesterday at the close OF
an executive session of the commit
tee which followed adjournment OF
the hearings early in the after
noon until tomorrow
Mr.. Smith said the committee
was unanimous in deciding the
hearings should 60 ahead and
pointed out that its original fund,
$4,000, was almost exhausted.
There remained but $4,000 on
February /, he explained.
Halts Quitting Rumors.
The Virginia Representatives an
nouncement quelled some rumors
that the hearings might be closed
suddenly because the committee
felt it had heard enough evidence
and was ready to draft amend
ments to the Wagner Act.
Mr.. Smith said that, speaking
for himself and not for the rest
of the committee, he felt it could
submit needed amendments in am
pie time for consideration at the
present session of Congress.
Whether the hearings continue,
he said, depends, of course, on
whether the House agrees to ap-
propriate the additional sum. The
resolution he was to offer today is
entitled, under House rules, to i'm
mediate consideration.
Policy Undetermined.
The committee chairman would
not say what amendments, if any, a
majority of the group favored or
whether an intermediate report
would be drafted. One member of
the five-man group, Representative
Murdock, Democrat, of Utah, has
been absent for 10 days, and it was
indicated that his arrival was
awaited before the committee would
adopt a policy concerning the ma
ture of the additional evidence it
will hear.
1t was revealed, however, that
the committees counsel, Edmund M.
Toland, will be allowed to cross
examine the board members and
other witnesses presented by the
boards counsel, Charles Fahy.
These witnesses are to be recalled.
They gave only direct testimony
during the five days the board pre-
sented its defense.
Another matter which had not
been settled by the committee, or
which it was not ready to announce,
was whether the board would be
given additional time to present evil
dence. Mr.. Fahy asked the COM
mittee for more time, contending
that five days-which the commit
tee construed as a week-waS not
sufficient to rebut the testimony
attacking the board. 1t was be-
lieved this point would wait the
return of Mr.. Murdock, who was
expected back in the Capital within
q day or two.
Four at Executive Session.
The other four members of the
committee attended the executive
session yesterday afternoon. In ad-
dition to the chairman, they are
Representatives Healey, Democrat,
of Massachusetts,; Routzohn. Re-
publican, of Ohio, and Halleck, Re-
publican, of Indiana.
The committee planned to hold
another executive session today to
60 over evidence thus far brought
out and to plan future procedure.
The recess until tomorrow was
taken after two members of the
board-Chairman j. Warren Mad
den and Edwin S. Smith-and sew
eral regional directors of the board
had testified. They all denied bias
in favor of the Congress of Indus
trial Organizations and against the
American Federation of Labor in
union disputes.