The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-01-25

Washington, Jan. 25.-One OF
the big jobs which Congress is
about to tackle, and which may
be finished at this session, is that
Of revising the Wagner Labor
Relations Act.
The law is under fire from
several angles. Employers don't
like it because they contend that
it gives them no chance to partl-
cipate in negotiations with en-
ployees on the question of union
ization and the particular form
of organization to be adopted.
Many persons in and out OF
Congress feel that the law as 1t
stands puts too much arbitrary
power in the hands Of the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board, and
the American Federation Of La
Dor doesn't like it because, 1t
claims, the Board is influenced
by John LeWis's Congress of In
dustrial Organizations.
Much of the testimony gwen
before the Congress Committee
which is investigating the sub
ject preparatory to making rec
concentrations for amendments
to the law, bears out most OF
those allegations. If it were not
for the split of organized Labor
into two opposing camps, there
might not be much chance iof
amending the Labor Relations
Act. ..-.r.
, A solid pressure block of all
Labor organizations could pre-
vent any changes being made IN
a law which gives labor advan-
tages which it never before pos
sessed. But the powerful Labor
lobby, which was the strongest
outside influence on Congress,
especially in election years, no
longer is the mighty force which
it was when there was but one
Labor group to speak for all.
Labor Ranks Divided
Many veteran Senators and
Representative are more pleased
than otherwise over this state OF
things. No longer can the threat
of an adverse Labor vote at next
Falls election might be swung
as a club to influence their
votes in Congress.
With Labor divided among its
own ranks on questions of poll
cy, timid souls on Capitol Hill, OF
whom there are plenty, feel
freer to tackle matters of Labor
legislation impartially and from
the viewpoint of the general well
fare.
One important wing Of organ
lied Labor, the Federation, finds
itself in agreement with an i'm
portant and powerful group Of
industries, the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers, in OPP
position to the continuance of the
reciprocal trade agreements ne
gotiated by Secretary Of State
Hull. So do so many of the Re-
publican members of both Houses
of Congress that many observers
think the question of renewing
the law under which these trade
pacts have been consummated
will be fought out on strict par
ty lines. That will depend upon
the line of political strategy that
the Republicans decide to follow
in the coming Presidential cam
paign.
The movement among party
members for a return to the ira
ditional high-tariff policy of the
party seems to be gaining
strength, in spite Of the declara-
ton by Secretary Hull before the
Ways and Means Committee that
the last Republican tariff law
had been a major cause of the de-
cline in farm income, and Sec
rotary Wallace's contention that
the Smoot-HaWley tariff was the
chief cause of the economic crash
in Europe which brought on the
present war.
The Anti-Lynching Bill
The first measure Of controver-
sial quality, the Anti-Lynching
bill, to be passed by either House
this session, is slated for defeat
in the Senate, if it ever comes to
a vote there. Three times the
lower House has given a MAORI
ty vote for this measure and three
times the Senate has beaten it.
In political theory, it is sup
posed to be something with
which to catch the Negro vote,
since members of that race are
more often the victims of Lynch
law" or mob murder than are
whites. It's title is misleading,
since it does not give the Federal
government any power to inter-
fere with the internal affairs of
any state, even to punish per-
eo,oe +okino mart in ILLEGAL evec11-