Evening star., 1941-12-07

tives of Congress because they are
the ones who have the responsibility
Of considering the law on such mat
ters. The conference which was
held before the last war resulted ir
both directive and suggestive action
The Committee on Education anc
Labor has recently reported the
Ball bill. In my opinion, the Bal
bill strengthens mediation, concilia-
ton. and sets up commission Il
have charge of arbitration. which /,
all constructive. The punitive part
was left out. The committee also
decided it was not well to mix cor
rective union legislation with tech
nlque of dispute settlement.
No Hearings on Smith Bill.
The Bridges bill was not actec
upon because it dealt with union
correction and not disputes. The
Herring bill likewise. was not acted
upon. With the coming of the Smith
! bill before the committee. We have
both corrective matters and disputes
! put in our laps. The House did not
! hold public hearings on the Smith
bill; we should.
What the Committee on Educa-
ton and Labor will decide on Mon
| day is still unknown. 1t is the
purpose Of the meeting to decide the
method of approach in the present
situation. Since we have held
/ hearings on the Herring bill and
on the Ball bill-hoWever. not on
| the Bridges bill-it is indefinite what
/ the committee will decide in regard
to hearings on the Smith bill.
In many provisions. the Bridges
bill is included in the Smith bill
In the event hearings are held, they
Will undoubtedly be limited, in order
to work with dispatch, to repre-
sentativeS of the National Defense
Mediation Board, the National La
Dor Relations Board, Army and
Navy. American Federation of La
Dor, Congress of Industrial Organ
lzatlons, the railroad brotherhoods.
representatives of the independent
unions, Representative Smith. the
sponsor of the bill. if he cares to
attend, representative of the
National Association of Manufac-
turers, and a representative of the
United States Chamber of Com
merce. This would be a cross sec
ton. and we would have everybody
included in the hearing. This hear
ing can have terminal facilities. It
would last probably three or four
days, hearing approximately five
representatives a day"
Labor Girds for Fight.
Organized labor, opposed to any
legislation whatever, is girding for
a last ditch fight. hoping that the
Senate will kill the bill This seems
to be forlorn hope. The most that
can be expected is that the Senate
will modify the drastic legislation
passed by the House. and send the
bill to conference, where it will be
written in final form for presenta-
ton to both houses. The labor lobby
Is In Washington in force, and has
been at work already on members
of the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Connally bill, pro-
viding for the seizure BY the Gov
ernment of struck national defense
plants and for freezing" the shop
conditions. open or closed, during
the emergency, is on the Senate
calendar. 1t is the hope of Senator
Thomas that Senator Connally will
q n LOT hi =,
until after the Senate shall have an
opportunity to consider the Labor
Committees proposed substitute for
the Smith bill.
The House, during consideration
OF the Smith bill, voted strongly
against including in the measure a
plant-seizure provision. Since the
House has already declared its op-
position to such legislation, it might
be futile for the Senate to pass the
Connally bill.
Senator Connally said last night
that he was anxious to get action
on his bill. He said, however, he
would confer with Senate leaders
before determining what course he
would pursue He pointed out he
could offer his bill as a substitute
for the House bill
Then" he said" it will be pos
slble to work out a measure with
the best features of both bills"
Probable Procedure.
Should the Connally bill be called
up in the Senate, it is expected
move would be made to amend it
by substituting either the Ball or
the Smith bill. or perhaps both
motions would be made.
Senator Taft. Republican. of Ohio
and Senator Ball both members of
the Labor Committee. are in accord
with the procedure proposed by Sen
ator Thomas. Senator McNary, the
minority leader, also has given
approval.
Senator Pepper, Democrat, of
Florida issued a statement yester-
day demanding that the Labor Com
mlttee and the Senate bring out
legislation which will have the effect
OF putting an end to strikes in ma
tlonal defense plants.
Il want to see the Labor Commit
tee OF the Senate take this Smith
bill and go to work on it and fear
lesSly lay down a code of conduct
that will drive oppressive labor
practices, whether from labor or
management, out of the life of this
country" Senator Pepper said.
L say this as a champion of
labor itself, for labor needs to be
defended against some of its own
embittered and avaricious leaders by
its real friends. These men have
prejudiced the public against labor
by their efforts to use the noble
cause of labor for personal aggran-
dizement.
The sooner real democracy pre-
walls in labor organizations, the
sooner the corrupt among the labor
leaders tand there are only a rela~
lively small number as compared
to the whole are thrown out. the
sooner all labor shows itself willing
to put the national defense above
everything else, the sooner will la
Dor regain the confidence and the
solid support of the country and the