Evening star., 1940-02-21
Labor Board Drive
Against Changes in
Act Described
Former Secretary
Tells Of Organizing
Reqionul Directors

Tells OF OrgunIzin9
Regional Directors
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
How a former secretary Of the
National Labor Relations Board,
now a labor relations counsel, "or-
ganized" the boards regional di-
rectors In q campaign against
amendments to the Wagner Act
after talking over the situation with
two board members, was described
today to the House committee in
vestigating the board.
The witness, Benedict Wolf, who
left the board in 1887, identified
correspondence presented by Ed
mund M. Toland, committee coun-
sci.
In these letters, which Mr.. Wolf
said lie had turned over voluntarily,
he asked the regional directors for
"a little help" In "a project being
started by group Of people in New
York in opposition to the drive to
amend the National Labor Rela-
tions Act" These field officers were
asked to get in touch with labor
men and other liberal leaders" who
would help In the campaign. Re-
plies pledged their cooperation
and, in many instances, suggested
prominent citizens who would help.
Mr.. Wolf told the committee he
talked over the proposed amend
ments to the Wagner Act with Board
Chairman j. Warren Madden and
Member Edwin S. Smith several
months before the Senate Labor and
Education Committee took up the
legislation.
Board Would Not Interfere.
The former secretary did not re-
call whether he mentioned his plan
to organize the campaign through
the regional directors, but he did
discuss the necessity for immediate
action. The two board members, he
said, did not seem to think the Wag-
ner Act was threatened seriously
and their attitude was that, while
they would not interfere with any
plans he might have, they would
take no active part in such a drive.
Chairman Smith. after a confer
ence with the committee, held that
names suggested campaigners or
prospective Senate committee wit
nesses be withheld from the record,
since the committee was inyestigat-
ing only the board and these individ-
uals had right to advocate or op-
pose Labor Act amendments.
The only purpose of these letters" 4"
said Mr.. Toland. lis to show that
these regional directors wrote con-
corning the campaign on board sta
tionery and, In some instances, used
the investigating machinery Of the
board to comply with Mr.. VOLTS
request"
Mr.. Madden, when he testified
earlier in the hearings. admitted he
had knowledge" of the activities of
the regional directors in behalf of
keeping the Wagner Act intact.
The committee recessed the hear
ings early this afternoon until 10
am. Friday. An executive session
was planned for later today.
Donat ations to C. 1. O. Cited.
Earlier, the committee received
evidence that an independent union
Of Labor Board employees had made
small contributions to G. /. O.. or
ganizations, but none to A. r. of
L. af1iliates.
Stella Levy. diminutive clerk
stenographer. who formerly was sec
retary Of the union, identified the
letters showing contributions Of IS
each to the Laundry Workers Or
ganizing Committee and the South
ern Tenant Farmers Union at
Memphis, Tenn.
Robert Condor, former president
OF the union. who appeared with
Miss Levy. said In response to ques-
tions that he could recall no con-
tributions to A. r. L. unions.
The N. L. r B union formerly
was affiliated with the A. F.. of L.,
Mr.. Condor said. It now is inde-
pendent.
1t affiliated with the Women's
Trade Union League of Washington
and gave it donation of SIS, Mr.,
Toland brought out.
Representative Routzohn, Repub-
lican. Of Ohio, eliciting from Mr..
Condor that the board gave the
union certain privileges, such as q
meeting place and Use of a bulletin
board, asked If the N. L. R. B. did
not charge that unions favored
similarly by private corporations
were alleged to be dominated by the
employers-in other words COM
pany unions" Mr.. Condor replied
that such complaints were made
only when a company in granting
privileges to one union did not
allow other organizations of en-
ployes similar privileges.
In reply to one of Mr.. VOLTS let
ters, 1t was brought out, A. Howard
Myers, regional director, at Boston,
wrote:
II have, of course. been participate
ing in a number of such discussions
around here. On Wednesday I dis
cussed the issue, on the New Eng
land Town Hall Of the Air, with
the regional director of the C. I. O..
and a representative of the Associat-
ed Industries of Massachusetts,. The
A. r. of L. were invited, but refused
to participate.
II do not believe that the local
A. F. of L., around Massachusetts,,
will participate because they do not
want to cross the executive council" !"
Directors Pledged Support.
The regional director appended
the names of persons he believed
would help organize a campaign In
support of the Wagner Act in New
England.
Sympathetic replies and pledges
of support were received from other
regional directors, Mr.. Toland
brought out in introducing a mass
of correspondence from board files.