Evening star., 1940-02-20
Closed Shop Ban
In Newsrooms Urged
Before House Group
Newspopermon Holds
It Is Infringement
On Freedom Of Opinion
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
+ Oliver Holden. executive director
Of the American Press Society, an
organization of newspapermen, told
the House Labor Committee today
"the closed shop in newsrooms is
an infringement upon the freedom
of opinion and afiiliation Of news
workers" :.
Mr.. Holden said the society ndvo-
Gated an amendment to the Ma
tional Relations Act to prevent pub
fishers from making contracts pro-
viding the CLOSED shop" for their
editorial employees. This, he de-
clared. would prevent coercion in
the newsrooms."
The witness, an editorial en-
ploye of the New York Times, read
a statement asserting that the
necessity" for the amendment "is
precisely the same as the necessity
for Incorporating the Bill of Rights
into the Constitution of the United
States"
This was done before the Con-
stitution had been adopted" he
said, before there was any possible
chance for any one to cite instances
of abuse by officials of the powers
granted to them by the people
through the Constitution.
I'm effect the first article of the
Bill of Rights creates an unofhcial
department of governments de-
partment charged with the duty
OF criticizing official acts and of
keeping the people fully informed
as to official acts and policies. OBJ
viously, this function cannot be
performed vigorously if under con-
troll of the officials the journalists
must be free to report upon. There
fore, we do not have a Government
owned or controlled press in this
country, and such a thing is re-
garded as unthinkable except in the
relationships.
1T is equally true that any CEN
tralization of economic power by
non official persons over those who
gather. write, edit and interpret the
news would be dangerous to the free
dom of free people. AS long as
the present system prevails, with
thousands of daily and weekly news
papers, owned by thousands of pub
fishers holding different opinions, a
guarantee is provided against any
centralized economic control over the
news channels through the jobs of
those who do the news gathering"
Likened to Bar Association.
Mr.. Holden told the committee
he expected the society eventually
would take the same place in the,
newspaper profession that the
American Bar Association and
American Medical Association take
in their respective professions.
He described the society as not
anti-union. not seeking. collective
bargaining agreements, yet "a
friendly neighbor to the trade
unions"
Asked by Representative Rams
peck, Democrat, of Georgia whether
he thought labor organizations in
the newsrooms had "colored the
news" Mr.. Holden said he had no
evidence that was true. He de-
scribed as nonsense" any sugges-
ton that economic interests con-
troll the newspapers"
mo newspaper which permitted
such control could survive" he said
In reply to question by Mr.. Rams
peck.
If the newspaper readers believe
the news and editorial columns are
for SALE" he added, "the publishing
power Of that newspaper is lost"
He said that in the news depart
ments there are very few publish
ers who have the temerity to tamper
with facts"
Idea is One of Prevention.
The idea of the proposed amend
ment, he said, was one Of "preven-
ton because we can see which way
the wind is blowing"
OF Kenneth Crawford, president
of the American Newspaper Guild,
Mr.. Holden said he had the greatest
confidence in Mr. Crawford's lead
ership. He added that Mr.. Crawford
would not necessarily be in control
of all local unions of the guild and
1--WE can't be sure the leadership will
remain the same next year."
Asked by Representative Keller,
Democrat, of Illinois whether there
had been "any injury because of
union activity in newsrooms," Mr..
Holden replied that the society want
ed to keep freedom of opinion in
the newsrooms."
n--l Es>L ~