Evening star., 1942-08-03

sion of the board III -
which granted a David Lawrence.
maintenance of membership or
union security clause In two cases
involving CIO unions, but Messrs.
Lapham and Black urged that here
after the board should take an in
terest In whether a union was or
was not responsible by requiring
certain financial statements, from
time to time, and other data.
1t was urged, for instance, that
the unions should be required not
only to reveal their finances, but to
file notice OF changes in dues and
assessments and should insert pro-
visions safeguarding the right of
union members to withdraw from a
union. To all this, Mr.. Davis
replied:
quite apart from any opinion as
to desirability, from the standpoint
Of the country as a whole, OF reg
ulations Of the type suggested by
the employer members, 1t seems
quite clear that any such attempt
on the part Of the War Labor Board
to extend continuing control by
the board over a labor union would
be to indulge IN the worst vice of
administrative tribunals an at
tempt to extend jurisdiction beyond
the frame Of reference under which
the tribunal acts. The decisions of
the board made under It's executive
order to finally determine labor dis
putes should certainly be confined
to provisions which establish con-
tractual obligations between the
parties to the dispute"
Fear of Unions Charged.
II the language hadn't appeared
in a formal opinion, one would
imagine that Chairman Davis was
almost being frivolous. For the
truth is there is nothing in the
frame Of reference under which
the tribunal acts" which gives the
board any control over employers
either and yet the board undertakes
to say what, kind of employer one
party to a labor dispute happens to
be and even what kind Of a union
the other party happens to be.
Thus Chairman Davis in the very
same case wrote.
The board in granting the MAIN
tenance of membership clause in
this particular case satisfied itself
that the union was responsible and
was operated under constitution and
bylaws which protected for the
membership their normal demo-
cratic rights. AS a matter Of prac-
tice the board requires a submis-
sion of the constitution and by
laws of the union when dispute Is
certified to the board"
If this is within the frame Of
reference under which the tribunal
acts" then what Messrs. Lapham
and Black have asked for Is also
within the same board scope Of in
quiry and action. but Mr.. Davis and
the other so-called public" men,
bers are really partisans Of COM
pulsory unionization and some day
they will earn the respect Of the
Nation when they throw off all pre-
tense and admit that they are de-
Gliding cases that way because they
are afraid the labor unions, with
their political influence at the
White House, will ignore the board
and cause its abolition just as they
did with the previous National De-
fense Mediation Board when the
decisions were not to their liking.
Impartiality Derided.
Few informed observers in Wash
ington regard the War Labor Board
as an impartial tribunal. and II
anything was needed to prove 1t
Chairman Davis comment on the
suggestion OF the employer men,
bers as to a procedure for estab-
fishing union responsibility has fur
nished corroboratory evidence. But
maybe Mr.. Davis wasn't being Sc
rious at all and was only spoofing
the employer members who had told
him that once member of union
always a member of union.
Under present circumstances it is
farce for the board to say that
workers can have a 15-day period
within which to withdraw when the
truth Is they would be blacklisted
in any future jobs If they dared
try It.
Though the board has repeatedly
had its attention drawn to the scam
dalous practices of labor unions in
denying members the right to with
draw and remain free from per-
suasion nothing has been done
about it and nothing will be as long
as the chairman of the War Labor
Board continues to write humorous
decisions that belittle the intelli-
gence of the employer members and
all disinterested citizens who know
the difference between political
hypocrisy and even-handed Justice.
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