Evening star., 1940-02-29
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.


Hearings of the House committee
investigating the National Labor
Relations Board stood suspended
indefinitely today. while the COM
mittee's general counsel, Edmund
n. Toland, was headed for a Florida
vacation and Roger Robb, associate
general counsel, announced his
resignation.
Committee Chairman Smith said
at the close of yesterdays public
session that the indefinite recess did
not mean the hearings were closed.
They will be resumed" he said.
I'VE have no intention of ending
them at this time"
It was understood the committee
plans to resume hearings early in
April, but no date has been set.
Robb Cites Law Practice.
Mr.. Robb's Observation-Disclosures
yesterday, but not revealed until to-
day-came as surprise. He said
he wanted to return to his private
law practice. He pointed out that
he had been serving the committee
since September II and hardly had
been able to keep in touch with his
Office Mr.. Robb is a former assist
an: United States attorney.
The committe planned to hold ex-
ecutive sessions from time to time
during the recess of the hearings.
Chairman Smith hoped the men,
bers would agree on a preliminary
report to Congress, to be submitted
as soon as possible.
While no announcement was
made it was learned that the five
members have been going over ten
tative drafts of suggested amend
ments to the National Labor Rela-
tions Act. It was indicated that
no agreement had been reached,
though the closed meetings were
scheduled to continue at frequent
intervals the rest of the week.
Mr.. Smith has pointed out to
newspapermen that he thinks Wag-
ner Act amendments should be in
troduced Immediately if there is to
be any action at the present ses-
sion.
Yesterdays hearing was turned
over to Charles Fahy. general coun-
sci of the Labor Board, for further
defense of evidence which Mr..
Toland has presented against the
board and its employees. =
Lubin Presents Statistics.
During" the afternoon Mr.. Fahy
offered testimony of DR.. tsadore
Lubin, commissioner Of labor statis-
tics for the Labor Department. DR..
Lubin presented charts and figures
on strikes during the last 50 years.
The strike trend definitely HAS
been downward since January, 1887,
the witness said. Asked if he would
attempt to connect strikes, or lack
OF them, with the administration Of
the Wagner Act, he said the prov
ince of his division was to compile
facts and not interpret them, ex-
cept insofar as surrounding statis-
tics could shed light on them.
In 1887, DR.. Lubin cited, there
were approximately 4,707, strikes
that was the peak year since the
beginning of labor statistics-and in
1888 the number had dropped to
2,770, while in 1889 it was $500.
DR.. Lubin pointed out that there
were almost as many strikes in
1917, 4,450, as 20 years later. Even
back in 1908 there were 3,648, he
said.
Decline in Depressions.
The largest number of strikes
have occurred during years marked
by the heaviest industrial activity.
he told the committee. In depres-
sion years, he said, industrial un-
rest has slackened.
The last witness of the day was
Thomas I. Emerson, associate gen.
eral counsel of the board. He went
into board procedures which have
been subject to attack in evidence
placed before the committee. Mr..
Emerson insisted that the board had
followed the rules of evidence as
prescribed in the courts, although
the Wagner Act stated that such
rules shall not be controlling" in
proceedings which it conducts.
A number of other key officials
OF the board testified briefly, tax
ing up specific cases brought out
IN previous testimony and ex-
planning circumstances surrounding
them. All of them denied direct
charges or implications of partial
ity toward the c. I. o. which other
witnesses made.
A.