The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-06-13
GROWTH OF THE LABOR UNIONS

Six year sage there were 4 mil
lion labor union members in the
United States. Today there are mil
lion, and leaders of principal unions
predict that they will eventually
have 20 million members. This re-
markable growth of the unions is
credited to official recognition and
backing of collective bargaining
by the United States government.
The unions frequently ignore the
National Labor Relations Board
and take short cuts in making de-
mands, threatening strikes, and
picketing employer. The Government
has maintained systematic policy
of "hands off" in such cases, begin
ming with the sitdown strikes in the
automobile industry and continuing
up to the present time. During the
past few weeks there have been
many strikes that have closed down
industries engaged in the produc-
ton of materials for national de-
Tense and aid to Britain.
The primary purpose of the Ma
tional Labor Board as stated in the
Act is to prevent unfair labor prac-
tees when they affect commerce"
and the Board has the responsibility
''to prescribe such rules and regula-
lions as may be necessary to carry
out the provisions of the Act". The
general public is entirely familiar
with the disputes in recent months
and has been disturbed over the way
in which the rights of employers
have been trampled under, and the
National Defense program interrupt
ed. In practically every instance no
measures, or laws, were employed
to protect anybody, except the CLIO
and the AT or L. The spirit of the
laws, and the emergency of war
measures and administration have
been entirely ignored. A half dozen
branches of the Federal Government
have been active in proceedings and
prosecutions against large and small
businesses while at the same time
the unions, puffed up by their mush-
room growth, have been unchecked
and been permitted to run wild.
1t is perfectly obvious that Off
cial regulation and control should be
kept on the behavior of all kinds of
organizations, industries, unions,
lodges. While millions of new mem
bers have been added to the unions
some of these groups have unlawful
ly seized private property and defied
the public interests.
The question is: What is going to
be done about it? The official record
up to date is almost Nothing. The
Labor Board hasn't even tried to
protect the employers. The Depart
ment of Labor's record is Zero
Even the War, Navy and National
Defense officials and the Mediation
Board have appealed against strikes,
with very little success.
If we are going to defend this
country why not begin by establish
ing peace in industry at home?
These million sof worker sare good,
loyal Americans, who have gone into
the unions to improve their own well
fare. Evidently, in the events of
whilrwind membership drives large
numbers of union folks have not
been able to protect themselves
against domineering and unscrup-
ulous leaders. In such cases the duty
of the Government is obvious to en-
force justice and re-establish the
spirit of fair play so that these mil
lions of new members of labor
unions and their employers may get
together on friendly terms at all
times. That is what is usually under
stood as the basis of the kind of De-
mocracy that Thomas Jefferson said
should provide equal and exact
justice to all men, of whatever state
or persuasion.