Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-01-31
Labor. Board
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Continued From First Page.)
National Association of Manufac-
turers handed down this opinion:
1.-The relations between a manu-
facturer and his employees engaged
in manufacturing are not subject to
Federal control and are not within
the jurisdiction of the National
Labor Relations Board.
Sherman Act Cited.
After reviewing cases under the
antitrust laws, in each of those
cases the conduct that produced
the restraint on interstate COM
merce was the conduct of organized
labor. 1t is the opinion of your
counsel that, if similar activities
should be carried on by employees
in connection with future labor dis
putes in manufacturing, such activ-
tiles would bring the employees
within the prohibitions of the Sher-
man Act, but could not subject the
employer to the provisions of the
National Labor Relations Act or to
the jurisdiction of the board"
Mr.. Madden cited to the commit
tee that there have been 1881 cases
in which complaints of unfair labor
practices have been filed involving
3,087,965 employees.
Sixteen cases involved in labor
disputes were carried to the Su-
preme Court. Mr.. Madden said.
He also cited these figures as indi-
eating the heavy work of the board,
which has been charged with mex
cusable delays:
In the year 1888 the number of
pages of testimony taken before the
board-913 ,845-exceeded the num-
Der taken before the Interstate
Commerce Commission, Securities
and Exchange Commission. Depart
ment of Agriculture, Board of Tax
Appeals, Federal Trade Commission
and Federal Communications Com
mission combined, 572,839. In the
year 1889 the number taken before
the board (624,35D approximately
equaled the number taken by the
Interstate Commerce Commission
and the Securities and Exchange
Commission combined (624.96D and
exceeded the number taken by the
Securities and Exchange Commits
sion, Department of Agriculture,
Board of Tax Appeals, Federal Trade
Commission and Federal Commune
cations Commission, combined $685.
49l.)'
Sees Less Working Time Lost.
The chairman of the N. L. R. B.
also cited these figures as indicating
the effectiveness of the Wagner
Act:
I'm 1898, first full year of the acts
operation, there was decrease from
1887 of AZ per cent in the number OF
strikes, So per cent in the number
of workers involved and 60 per cent
in the total man days of idleness
due to strikes. The number of men
on strike was the lowest in any year
since 1882. 1t was far below the
average for the years 1916 to 1888,
which was over one million Less
working time was lost in 1888 than
in any year since 1881"
Mr.. Madden said:
I'm administering the act the
board has had notable success in
disposing of cases through amicable
arrangements between the parties.
"Of all charges filed which had
been disposed of up to June 80, 1889,
just under so per cent were settled
without even the issuance of COM
plant. Almost the same proportion
of questions concerning representa-
ton were settled in the informal
stage. A few more cases of both
kinds were settled between COM
mencement of formal action and
decision by the board.
Fewer Strikes Noted.
eff we compare the figures on
strikes for the first 10 months of
each year. then we note that the
number of strikes in that period in
1888 declined to only SIS per cent of
the number in the same period IN
1857. 1t declined still further in
1889, when the number was only 46
per cent of the total for the CORE
spending period in 1887 Though
there were GA strikes in March,
1887, there have not been over 800
in any one month since September,
1887. In the first 10 months of 1889
there were not over $40 in any one
MONTH
Mr.. Madden was questioned closely
by Chairman Smith whether indus
trial doubles actually had de-
creased since the creation of the
Labor Board.
"The least I can say" said the
board chairman, "is that the act and
the board haven't caused strikes"
The witness was Intercepted by
Charles Fahy, general counsel of
the board, who introduced number
of exhibits to show the burden of
the agencys work and the compro-
misses which were effected in con-
siderable proportion of cases.
THE civil war of labor has added
to our difficulties" Mr. Madden said.
Mr. Madden cited this reference