The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-31

EdSOn new government organization must perform-having It's picture taken, being shot for the news reels ard being told by a caterer in the O. P. M. building when 1t was time for lunch - the board could accomplish little more than read over the order which cree ated 1t, and hear from the Depart ment of Labor and It's conciliation service as to what existing mach inery there was in operation to meet the problem.
 No one questions the ability of the N. D. M. B.-a new set of in- itials for you to remember. Its per- sonnel is of the highest caliber, with labor, industry and the public repre- sentatives all giving the deep bow of respect to each other in beauti- full gestures of mutual esteem and admiration that augur well for har- monious functioning. While Chair man Dykstra announced the board was open for business, the fact re- mains that the board can do lloth- ing about any labor case until that case is officially certified" to 1t.
 All this means is that the board doesn't know, officially, that there is labor trouble at @ plant until Secretary of Labor Frances Per- kins passes on the word. There are no side or back doors by which la bor or capital or the public can appeal directly to the board and demand that any fuss be settled.
 WORK WITH
 KNUDSEN OFFICE
 What the board amounts to, therefore, is another top Holding company" if you choose to call 1t that, erected over the existing Na- tional Labor Relations Board and the very effective but small De- partment of Labor conciliation ser- vice now headed by John R. Steel- man. When these two have ex- hAusted all their efforts at settling dispute, they can admit defea and turn the case over to the new Na- tional Defense Mediation Board, to see what 1t can make out of the mess.
 N. D. M. B. is to operate within the Knudsen- -Hillmatl office of Production Management. The board gets It's money from o. P. M. and 1t can call on the o. P. M. and Department of Labor facilities whenever needed Its permanent staff of investigators, masters or deputies to hold hearings will come from o. P. M.
 once case is certified to the N. D. M. B., It's function Is simply to get the facts. It can review testimony taken by N. L. R. B. or the Cancellation service. It can hold hearings of It's own, and if 1t fulc- tions like the old War Labor Board, 1t can split up into two or three. man groups, each group. working on 0 different case.
 The board can appoint its own field force and send It's investiga- tors out, to get It's own facts, but the board has no power of subpoena and cannot compel any boss or any labor union leader to appear and give testimony. All the order creat- ing the board says IS that 1t Is the duty of both parties" ard they should" cooperate in the boards office. -. TIN STAR COP MORE POWERFUL
 Once the board has made It's own investigation, all 1t can do is report on the facts and make them public with its recommendations as to what the terms Of settlement should be. There Is no compulsion about these recommendations, and any tin star township cop in the land has more real authority to stop a labor ruckus than has this board. The standing of the board will carry some weight, and that great in- tangible of public opinion may carry enough more authority to make recommendation the equiva- lent of orders, but If either manage ment or labor wants to get stub- born, there is nothing the board can do to make either or both con- form.
 All this dickering will take time, and in that there is an equivalent to a cooling of period 60 much in demand. Even with this, there is plenty of congressional feeling that the board has no authority, and if its first recommendations are not complied with, you may see pro. posals for new legislation to give the board authority with real-not false--teeth.
 As 1t stands, there is only one possible last chance to make board recommendation stick. That is the authority granted to the President in the selective service act and the old national defense acts, to seize industries for government opera ton and to draft defense industry labor by taking away it's deferred classification. Any union or employer that isn't inclined to comply with a board recommendation might find itself slapped into government ser- vice. Once again, the real power has been retained in the White