Evening star., 1941-05-10
Heavy Mediation Load
Prompts Calls for
Change in System
Additional Members
Seen as Only Partial
Solution to Problem
By JAMES FREE,


Key men of the National Defense
Mediation Board, worked to the
poin5 of exhaustion by a crowded
docket are considering recommen-
dations for drastic changes in the
boards operations, it was learned
today
The number of pending cases
mounts daily, despite frequent
settlements by board panels of
strike; and threatened strikes So
busy have the board leaders been
in conducting and arranging hear
ings that they nave had little time
to consider what might be done to
relieve their increasing burden.
Up to this morning, for example,
the board had been unable to set
time for hearing one case certi-
fed to it full week ago, and only
yesterday their docket was increased
by thee additional certifications.
Chairman C. A. Dykstra has been
i'll recently, primarily due to over
work, it was said, and Vice Chair
man William H. Davis was COM
PEELED to postpone hearing of
case Yesterday because of sheer
fatigue
Heavier Load Ahead.
And the way things are going
our load is going to get heavier
right along board official re-
marked
The possibility that at least two
more members would be named to
the board, as announced at the
White House by Secretary Stephen
T. Early. was viewed as only a
partial solution to the problem.
The board already has an au-
thorized membership of % members,
including alternates, and some
thing more than mere addition of
personnel is desirable, a number of
the board members are known to be-
lieve.
Some have proposed that service on
the board should be made a full
time duty rather than part-time, as
at present. Critics of this plan
claim this would work hardship on
all members of the board, since
they have other jobs that require
attention. Also full-time service,
on permanent basis, would be i'm
possible for many of the members.
1t has been pointed out that a COM
promise arrangement might be
evolved under which part of the
board would serve full time. even
if only for two or three month
periods, and others would participate
on part-time alternate system.
Others assert that size of the
board has only slight bearing on its
present difficulties, that the policy
whereby the board handles defense
industry labor cases certified bv a
separate agency-the Labor Depart
ment Cancellation Service-is at
fault. If the system is not changed.
they contend, at least it should be
amended to assure that fewer labor
controversies will be certified to the
mediation board.
In spite of generally cooperative
efforts of the Labor Department
and the board, it is admitted by all
concerned that some disputes are
certified too late while others have
been certified before they were
ripe This bad timing, attributable
in some cases to extreme pressure
from political. management or labor
sources, has not been noted often,
however
Continuous Process Urged.
Still another body of opinion ad-
vocates drastic reorganization of
governmental agencies concerned
with defense industry controversies
the Cancellation Service, the
Mediation Board and the labor
division of the Office of Production
Management. Suggestions regard
ing this reorganization vary.
William NJ. Leiserson, member of
the National Labor Relations Board,
told House subcommittee recently
that he believed the functions of all
three bodies should be consolidated
under a single mediation agency.
He particularly objected to the
setup by which the board receives
cases only after the Cancellation
Service has certified them as un-
adjustable through normal concili-
alton means. That means that one
agency has got to publicly confess
failure" )" Mr.. Leiserson said, then
separate agency takes up the
case from there. Handling of each
case ought to be one continuous
process"
The White House. the board. the
Labor Department and the o. P. M.
have the problem under considera-
ton, and an indication as to what
Will be worked out should be dis
cernible in a few days.