Evening star., 1941-03-16
Murray 10 Discuss
Mediation Board
With Roosevelt
c. |. o. Chief Says Role
Of labor Spokesman
Would Be Advisory
BY JAMES FREE.

/
industries, it became known last
night that Philip Murray, president
of the c. I. o., would see President
Roosevelt today to discuss the
unions opposition to the projected
setup.
Mr.. Murray contends that the
public representatives on the board
would have virtually all the au-
thority, with labor spokesmen re-
duced to the status of mere ad-
visors. He is advocating an arrange
ment under which councils would be
established in each industry, with
labor having an equal voice with
management and public.
The proposed board has the ap-
proval of the American Federation
of Labor, and according to informed
quarters yesterday, will be put in
operation by an executive order
in a few days.
The plan was one of several sub
mitted to President Roosevelt last
week by William S. Knudsen and
Sidney Hillman, co-directors of the
Office of Production Management,
and Secretary of Labor Perkins.
The A. F.. of L. and c. I. o. are
expected to have two men each on
the board. and among those mem
toned prominently for the chair
manship are Lloyd K. Garrison, dean
OF the law school at the University
OF Wisconsin; James M. Lands.
former Securities and Exchange
commission chairman and now dean
of the Harvard University Law
School, and William H. Davis, chair
man of the New York State Medi-
alton Board.
No Talks With Management.
Spokesmen for industry and busi-
ness declared here yesterday that,
while President Roosevelt has con-
ferred at length with labor leaders
on the proposed board, he has not,
so far as they know, consulted with
official representatives of manage
.ment bodies, which would be rep
resented on the board. Officers of
both the National Association of
Manufacturers and the United
States Chamber of Commerce said
that, to their knowledge, leaders of
their organizations have not been
approached either with regard to
policies or personnel.
Meanwhile. several persons IA
mlliar with the National War Labor
Board of World War days-on which
the new board is supposedly
modelled-pointed out that the new
plan appears to be considerably diff
ferent from the 1918 organization.
For one thing, they believe it Is
evident that the President does not
plan to require that decisions of
the board be unanimous, as was the
case in all matters handled directly
by the board in 1918.
The World War setup provided.
in the event the board could not
reach a unanimous decision, that
case should be submitted to i'm
partial referees drawn from a list
OF names suggested by the Pres
ident. This referees action was
final and had behind it the Govern
ment's emergency powers of taking
over the plant or drafting the
workers.
Powers Used Three Times.
These powers were resorted to only
three times during the World War.
When the Western Union and the
Smith and Wesson Companies re-
fused to follow findings of the board
regarding persons the companies
had discharged for union activities,
the Government took over their IA
cilities. And when workers in small
arms industries around Bridgeport,
Conn.,, refused to accept a board
finding in controversy over wages,
the Government ordered the men
to return to work or lose their ex-
emption status from military service
by virtue of their occupation in
war production.
Indications are that the President
does not plan to include any "prin-
ciples of general labor policy" in his
executive order, according to labor
officials.
William Jett Lauck, Washington
economists who was secretary of the
National War Labor Board, recently
urged that the President establish
similar body and at the same time
outline a number of "basic princi-
pies" These, he said, should in
o1,,Jo y,ro,;c;opc +Lo+ tboro eLo,,Il
be no strikes or lockouts during the
emergency period, a six-hour work.
day and a 30-hour week, and equal
pay for women when they are put
on work ordinarily done by men.
Retroactive Action Urged.
Claude Watts, who served as chief
investigator for the National War
Labor Board, said yesterday he be-
ieves any such set of principles
should include a section calling for
retroactive application of wage and
hour schedules - to encourage
workers to go back to their jobs
pending settlement of disputes. He
also recommends that it be speci-
fled that there should be no inter-
ference with defense production be-
cause of jurisdictional disputes
between unions or crafts, and that
workers be assured an adequate
living wage based on requirements
of their families throughout the
year.
In addition to President Roosevelt,
who served as a Navy Department
representative on the War Labor
Policies Board in the World War,
another member of that same body
has played an important back
ground part in planning for the
projected new board. He is As
sociate Justice Felix Frankfurter.
The day before the Knudsen-H Hill
man-Perkins board recommended
tions were submitted to the Presi-
dent, Mr.. Knudsen and Mr.. Hillman
had a long conference with Mr..
Frankfurter.