Evening star., 1940-12-08

if the strike leadership had been in "re-
sponsible" hands For there was nothing
that contravened C. I. o. policy in the
proposed no-strike-during- life of con-
tract clause: indeed, the clause is GUS
tomary in all the larger contracts of the
C. I. o. 1t has been employed by the
automobile workers in contracts with
General Motors, and 1t figures in agree
ments with the steel, rubber and coal
mining industries.
1t was the part played by the strike
leadership under Wyndham Mortimer,
left-wing official of the United Auto
mobile Workers, which led Attorney Cen
eral jackson, while the negotiation was
deadlocked over the week end TO issue
his statement of November % quoting
the F. B. 1. as to the Communist influ-
ence" in the strike. The purpose of this
statement was clearly to warn the Vultee
strikers, and labor leaders in general,
that the Government, though friendly TO
organized labor, was on guard against
the disruption of the defense program by
subversive elements.
Three courses are open to Congress on
the strike question. 1t can adopt drastic
measures to restrict or abolish the right
Of labor to strike in an emergency; it can
let the whole problem be handled ad-
ministratively, as at present: or it can
modify the present flexible plan without
introducing compulsion by applying
throughout industry the cooling of
system that now obtains in the relations
OF the railroads with their employees.
Public Opinion Will Decide.
What will be done, if anything, de-
pends on public opinion, and this opinion
will be shaped by the success of failure
of the cooperative policy now being fol-
lowed 1t is possible always that sub
versive elements will throw a monkey
wrench into machinery which now is
running, under Hillmans guidance, with
large measure of success.
Opponents of anti-strike legislation
point to the fact that the United States
went through the whole of the World
War period without legislative curtail-
ment of the rights of labor. This, despite
the fact that the year 1917 in which the
United States entered the war, produced
the largest number of strikes in the his
tory of the country up to that time.
Public opinion and the wartime powers
of the President proved sufficient to
handle the problem
Various adjustment commissions func-
toned in the early part of our partici-
patton in the war, to pe followed in April
1918, by the establishment of the National
War Labor Board by presidential order.
This board had IL members-William
Howard Taft and Frank P. Walsh, who
acted as co-chairmen and representatives
of the public; five members chosen to
represent employers. and five to repre-
sent employees upon nomination by the
American Federation of Labor.
The stated object of the board was to
prevent breaks in industrial production
by providing means for the adjust
ment of controversies "on the basis of
principles formulated by both sides and
guaranteeing fundamental justice on
both sides
President Used Powers.
Since it was not created by congress
sional enactment, the board had no legal
authority to enforce its decisions; but it
had behind it the strong weight of public
opinion and of the Presidents influence
and wartime powers. These powers the
President used on three notable occa-
sions. He took over the Smith & Wesson
Arms Co. for Government operation when
the officials of the company refused to
accept decisions of the National War
Labor Board and persisted in discharging
workers for union activity, and for SINH
lar reasons brought both the telegraph
companies under Government control.
The Postal Telegraph Co. had ex-
pressed willingness to accept the boards
decision, but when the Western Union
remained recalcitrant, the President Or
dered both the companies placed under
the control of the Post Office Depart
ment.
Again, there was the case of the
Bridgeport Comm machinists who went
on strike against an award after they
had joined with their employers in re-
questing the boards Intervention. The
President wrote to them that ito strike
against the award is disloyalty and dis
honor" and warned that if they refused
to 60 back to work, they would be black
listed for employment in all war indus
tries and would forfeit all claim to ex-
emption from the draft on the ground Of
usefulness in war production. The strik-
erS returned to work.
According to report prepared by the
Bureau Of Labor Statistics. the objective
of the board was realized ito a great
extent" The board was In active opera
tion for only about year, but in that
short time 1t made awards and findings
(oee STRIKES, Page CD