Evening star., 1941-11-23
.Anti-Strike Law
To Be Pushed
In Congress
Action Will Be Sped
Despite Coal Accord,
Mrs. Norton Says
Bv GOULD LINCOLN.

work in national defense plants VIII
90 forward in Congress, notwlth-
standing yesterdays agreement to
settle the captive coal mine strike
by arbitration.
Chairman Norton OF the House
Labor Committee announced this
when she left the White House yes
terday afternoon after an hours
conference with President Roosevelt.
Mrs. Norton said that "the Presi-
dent thinks it is quite important
we should decide on some bill Her
committee will resume considera-
ton of such legislation tomorrow
morning
We want to prepare a bill which
will preserve labor's gains and not
harm existing labor laws, but at the
same time will compel an under
Standing that We are in period OF
emergency and that labor must
conform" Mrs Norton said.
Blames Labor Itself.
Mrs. Norton asserted that labor
itself. by its action. had forced on
Congress the necessity of passing
legislation because. after all, the
country takes precedence over labor,
or any one else
With this green light from the
White House, it is expected that
a bill will be ready for presentation
to the House next week, possibly
on Monday. That was the pro-
gram before the agreement was
reached to arbitrate the captive
coal mine strike. House Democratic
leaders had entered into a gentle
mems agreement to bring labor
LEGISLATION to the floor Immediately
after the House disposed of the
price control bill The price con-
troll measure is to be taken up to-
morrow, and a final vote is expected
by Friday or Saturday at the lat
est
Mrs. Norton herself has a bill
which would give legal status to
the National Defense Mediation
Board, a creation of the President:
provide for a ''cooling-off" period
before strikes become effective in
defense plants, and continue in ef-
feet for two years, or for the period
of the present emergency. 1t is like
ly. however. that strong efforts will
be made to put more teeth in the
measure before it is reported to the
House, or during its consideration
by the House.
Smith to Appear.
Representative Smith. Democrat.
of Virginia, who has much more
drastic bill, is to appear before the
labor committee tomorrow. and
Chairman VinSon of the Naval Al
fairs Committee, who has had a
bill on the House calendar for sew
eral months. also has been invited
to appear. Philip Murray, head of
the C. I. O.. has asked permission
to appear and submit his organiza-
tions views on possible labor leg
islation. The c. I. o. has been op-
posed TO any legislation seeking to
curb strikes
Other members Of the House and
Senate were even more emphatic
than Mrs. Norton that legislation
to discourage strikes in national
defense plants be enacted without
further delay.
Something must be done to
prevent a repetition Of the situation
which has threatened the national
program during the last week, y
Chairman Van Nuys Of the Senate
Judiciary Committee said. In my
opinion, the decision to leave the
controversy over the union shop in
the captive coal mines will not de-
feat legislation. Because Of that
agreement it is possible that Con-
gress will not have to work as
speedily as it might otherwise have
done. We will have more. time to
give to hearings and to look into
the various legislative proposals. But
I believe that Congress will deal
with this matter now"
Hearings to Resume.
The Connally bill authorizing the
President to seize plants in which
national defense orders are placed
in the event of stoppage of work and
to freeze" working conditions, in
cluding the union or open shop,
during the emergency, is before the
Senate Judiciary Committee. Hear
ings by a subcommittee on the
measure are to be resumed
tomorrow. with Undersecretary of
the Navy Forrestal as the first
witness.
There is strong sentiment in
favor of amending the Connally
bill to make it stronger. This is
what Senator Van Nuys has in
mind
Representative Smith said, after
he had been informed of the settle
ment of the captive coal mine
strike, My bill was not intended to
settle that strike, and the agreement
therefore has nothing to do with it.
1t is essential that strikes in de-
fense industries be brought to an
end"
Notwithstanding the fact that q
bill dealing with strikes and elec-
tions by labor organizations. intro
duced by Senator Bridges, Republi-
can. of New Hampshire, has been
referred to the Senate Labor Com
mittee. there is desire to place in
the Connally bill some of the pro-
visions Of the Bridges bill.
One Of these provisions calls for
secret ballot. conducted under
(See LEGISLATION, Page A-40