Evening star., 1941-03-21

The State of California stood
helpless because it failed to supply
protection to the manager of the
plant who wishes to get in and out
of his own office.
This is the story which the last
"a hours told of the events sur
rounding the Harvill Aircraft Die
Casting Corp.xin Los Angeles. Here
is the amazing tale as related over
the telephone to officials of the
Office of Production Management.
l. The president of the company,
II. L. Harvill, seeks entry into his
own plant with 25 clerks and as
sistants, so that he may obtain data
with which to continue negotiations
with the strikers.
2. A line of 70 pickets, only few
of whom were employees of the COM
pany, bar the way and refuse ad-
mission.
8. Mr.. Harvill calls on the Los
Angeles police for protection. Ed
ward P. CheyfitZ, executive secre-
tary of the National Union of Die
Casters, goes with the officers to
talk to the pickets who refuse ad-
mission for any except five persons.
The pickets also say that if COM
pany officials enter the building, they
cannot be given assurance that they
will be able to get out of the plant
each day, but may be confined sew
eral days.
Appealed to Police.
4. Mr.. Harvill appeals to the police,
who tell him they are advised that
If any attempt is made to protect
Mr.. Harvill, there will be 10000
workers called to picket the place
and prevent anybody from going in
or out.
S. Mr.. Harvill, on whom the entire
aviation industry on the West Coast
is dependent for essential parts,
telephones Washington in despera-
ton. He had sent a telegram
Wednesday to President Roosevelt
appealing for aid. This message was
referred presumably to Sidney Hill
mans Office. The result was the
sending of another labor specialist
by Mr.. Hillman last night to try to
settle the dispute.
Now 1t happens that the Harvill
company asked the courts of Los
Angeles County to issue an injunc-
ton against the strikers so that Mr..
Harvill could get In and out of his
own plant. An Injunction is worth
less unless the police are willing to
carry It out. No injunction should
ever be needed in order to get in
and out Of ones own building. Here
tofore in America this has been
handled as an ordinary matter of
law and order.
But 1t is related here that the
Mayor of Los Angeles, the States
attorney and the Governor of Cali
fornia were supported heavily in the
last election by the radical elements
and presumably politics interferes
with law enforcement. No other
explanation has been advanced for |
the lapse because it is not considered
possible that the local authorities in
California would have any other
reason for allowing an important |
defense project to be held up.
Says Pickets Seize Plant.
There was talk a few months ago
OF passing legislation which would
prohibit individuals from interfering
with the entrance or egress of per-
Picketing laws never have been sup
posed to condone violence. But in
the Harvill case, the pickets have
virtually seized the plant, erecting
tents and putting distractions in
front of the entrances so that trucks
cannot move in or out. Here is a
plain interference with interstate
commerce, but the Supreme Court |
of the United States does not recog-
nize that the Sherman law prohibit
ing restraints on interstate COM
merce may be applied to labor
unions Congress could overnight
pass law forbidding interferences
with shipments to and from defense
plants. This would make a Federal
matter of a situation where appar-
emily both the State and city au-
thorities are negligent of their duty. |
The union on strike is a c. I. 0. |
local but it evidently need not rec
ognize the wishes of the c. I. o.
here. Strikes remain
q local privilege to be exercised at
will irrespective of whether the top
executives of the A. F. of L. or
C. I. o. disapprove and irrespective
of what the officials of the Govern
ment here may say. The right to
strike has had to be restricted in
Britain in order to assure unin-
terrupted production. The Presi-
dents mediation plan just an
has no teeth in it where
the local situations like the Harvill
plant get beyond the authority of
the national labor organizations.
Here is plant which makes 10000
parts a way for Douglas Aircraft,
North American Aviation, Vultee,
Consolidated, Lockheed and Boeing.