The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1942-01-22
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TWO recent actions by President
Roosevelt made the best war news the
United States has had since Pearl
Harbor, in the opinion of yours truly.
One was his naming OF a National
War Labor board and clothing that
board with real authority in the
executive order creating it. I only
know one or two of the members named
to the board personally, but all COM
ment I have heard indicates the Pres
ident named an exceptionally strong
board in all three divisions: public,
labor and employer representatives.
The caliber of men appointed indi-
Gates the boards decisions will carry
plenty of weight and that the war
needs and public interest will come
first.
The executive order avoided the mis-
takes of the old National Defense
Mediation board. The new board Is
given power to establish rules and reg
ulations and to intervene in disputes
on its own motion.
In addition, the executive order
goes a long way toward clearing up
the confusion as to procedures In
| handling disputes whcih has been q
handicap so far. The procedures de-
tailed concisely in the order are: first
direct negotiations and all procedures
provided by an existing contract;
second, Cancellation by Department Of
Labor; third, War Labor board takes
Jurisdiction and settles finally the
dispute, by mediation, voluntary arbi'
tration or arbitration under rules
established by the board.
These procedures, in more brief ant
general form of course, are almos
exactly the procedures set up in tn
bill, based on a redraft of bill. Onl,
real difference is that our blu at
tempted to settle the thorny close'
shop issue, which Is left up in tn
air by the executive setup.
However, the personnel and setup Q
the new board go a long way towar
allaying the fears created in Congress
, by the way the recent industry -labc
conference was handled. 1t has ais
effectively sidetracked any immed1
ate legislation by Congress on tn
subject, the feeling being the ne
setup should be given a chance.
J. OF even more far-reaching impo
than the War Labor board, howeve
e was the announcement by the Pres
S dent of a War Production board
d which Don Nelson is to be chairma
s. with authority to make final decision
on all questions of procurement ar
production.
Sitting on the Truman INVESTIGATE
3 committee for months hearing Il
Is story of delays in increasing produ
: ton of raw materials, in spreadil
/ contracts to small business, 1t W
T. driven home strongly to me and 9th
: members that the greatest weakness
d our defense production program W
i the failure to give one agency
II individual here in Washington autl
ority to make decisions and make the
y stick.
There were literally dozens
boards, bureaus and departments CO
cerned with production which we
responsible only to the President, al
when they got into conflict as Fl
quently happened, only the Preside
could settle the row and get thin
moving. The inevitable result was
lay and uncertainty.
If Don Nelson is given full autho
ity, actually he viii exercise pre-.
Dental powers in the production pr
gram Nelson impressed our comm
tee more favorabliy than anyone e.
in the setup and his selection has W
universal approval in Congress. B
more important than the individl
named is the delegation and centra
zation of authority. Then responsib
ity for failure will be clear and unmi
taxable, and If Nelson doesn't deliv
he can be replaced by someone W
can.
BuffaIO's News Stand sells The I
Miner each week.