Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-11
Modified
Strike Bill
Is Needed
House Version Called
Hastily Drawn

treme regret any legislation
which forces it to give up any
of those rights which it has
gained over a long period OF
years of sacrifice and strife.
Any one who has the inter-
ests of national defense truly at
heart must view with eXteme
alarm the repeated stoppages
of production of munitions at
this time when munitions are
probably the most vital element
in the defense OF our national
existence.
The rights of labor are vital
part of that national existence
which we seek 10 defend by the
production of munitions. 1t is
this thought, l believe, which
prompts those who sincerely
have the interests OF both labor
and national defense at heart 10
accept for the emergency some
sort of legislation to prevent
StoppageS of defense production
due 10 labor disputes.
The indignation. of these two
vital interests in the defense
picture presents a very difficult
legislative problem and one that
should be approached in a calm
and judicial manner, with a full
appreciation of the interests oil
the nation as a whole.
THE Smith bill seems 10 have
l. been passed by the House
in squirt of spleen rather than
in a spirit of reason. The high
tempers engendered by the re-
cent captive mine dispute and
state bordering on fear governed
the House AS well as majority
of the people last week. / believe
this TO be primarily responsible
for a hastily conceived, poorly
drafted and poorly integrated
omnibus bill.
Those provisions OF the Dill
which are we'll designed 10 pre-
vent unnecessary stoppageS OF
defense production | believe are
highly desirable and will be APP
proved by the Senate and the
President. Those prov Isl onS
which are ill-considered and I'M
enforceable will, l am confident
be struck from the bill by the
Senate or another bill Will be
reported out.
In any event. I am sure that
some temperate but effective
form of legislation. taking into
full consideration both the
hard-earned rights of labor and
the necessity of protecting de-
Tense production. will be adopted.
II is unfortunate that the bill
is backed by those considered
10 have anti-labor leanings. II
would have been far better had
such legislation been advanced
by known friends of labor.
Certainly there are many repre-
Sentatives, among labor's friends,
who might have proposed legis-
lation TO prevent unnecessary
Stoppages of defense production
despite the onuS which might he
placed upon them by short =
sighted labor leaders. n
TIiE bill itself is too inVoltN
Il and cumbersome for detailed
discussion in a piece Of this
length. However. there are some
things | would like TO point out.
That provision which creates
mediation and arbitration ma
chinery and that which provides
for a 30-day cooling-off period
are well thought out and highly
desirable.
Those portions which deal
with sanctions and enforcement
arc ill-conceived and probably
unenforceable. Certain provi-
sions. such as those requiring the
registration of unions and re-
porting Of financial status. and
those dealing with the secret
ballot As requisite TO a strike
call, are well-intentioned and de-
sirable but in their present form
are unacceptable.
That provision designed TO
freeze the open or closed shop is
very ill-considered. II is prob
ably based upon the Baker-Gom-
pers agreement of 1917 which
was workable because in that
situation there was only one
union group in the field. That
condition does not exist today.
This bill is not an agreement
between the heads of the great
unions and the President or the
secretary of war. but a fiat
which would prevent an en-
ployer from agreeing with his
employees to closed shop. In
addition il would probably in
terfere with the highly desirable
regional sterilization agreement
which has done so much 10 pre-
vent the very thing the bill seeks
TO eliminate.
On THE whole, l feel less dis
" couraged than many people
by the action Congress has
taken in this matter. ! am glad
that the House has taken some
positive action. The Senate will
undoubtedly correct their errors
of haste and passion.