The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1942-09-24
WPB Seeks Greater Unity
With Invitation TO Labor
ALL and Clio Representatives Will Work
With Management Members to Help
Further Production Demands.
BY BAUKHAGE
Ne,ps Analyst and Commentator.
WNU Service, 1343 H Street, NV,
Washington, D. C..


WNU Service, 1343 H Street, NV,
Washington. d. c.
When it was first announced that
Donald Nelson had invited the
American Federation Of Labor and
the Congress of Industrial Organiza-
tons to submit a list Of names from
which he might choose two new vice
chairmen of the War Production
board some eyebrows were lifted in
discreet doubt.
Politics." said the cynical. Mel
son is in a tough fight to keep the
army and the navy from running
away with the WPB. If he makes
a generous gesture toward labor it
will help him with the administra-
ton"
Later on, however, some OF the
labor people. neutral as between
CLIO and ALL began to pass the
word around that Nelson was be-
coming sold on a greater participa-
ton of labor in councils where var
production policies are being settled.
His agreement to have "a frank
talk" they said. was not merely a
matter of clever politics. Mean
while, the military men have by no
means given up their struggle to get
control of war production and, for
that matter, control Of ships and
shipping. the Maritime commits
sion's domain, but that is another
story.
There are many indications that
labor is being brought into the fold.
not merely because the union Of
fcials would naturally join forces
with Nelson in any struggle be-
tween multi and khaki, but because
many people are beginning to feel
that it will be a healthy thing for
the much-assailed c%apitalistic sys-
tenn and the institution vaguely de-
scribed as free enterprise.
In other words. it is better to try
to get cooperation between capital
and labor by forcing each to share
the others troubles around a table
than it is to depend on fighting it
out on the picket line. Especially
when there are a lot of New Deal
planners whose plans usually tend
to give labor the break.
Two things probably have done
more to bring about a growing faith
in the idea of cooperation at the
top instead Of strikes and lockouts
at the bottom than anything else.
One is q phenomenon which
has set some of the old-timers In
the labor department rubbing
their eyes. It is the way repre-
sentatives of industry and labor
on the War Labor board have
palled around. A real, mutual
respect and admiration has de-
veloped among some of the
members Of these two camps
who have been trained to be-
lieve that all on the other side
wore horns. As one veteran
conciliator put 1t to me, I'VE
have witnessed q miracle"
The other thing that has helped
has been the way in some instances
mot all, by any means), that the
acknowledgement committees have
been able to work together. In
many places this attempt to have
the management Of war industries
sit down and talk over the problems
Of how to increase production has
been an utter failure. In many of
these cases I am told personalities
are to blame. The word ~"personali-
ties" covers a multitude Of sins
and sinners.
Seeing Other Feuows View
In this particular case really more
than personal characteristics have
been the snag. 1t is a case of find
ing men on both sides who not only
have the mental and spiritual
breadth to see the other fellows
view. But just plain every day ex-
perience and training have a lot
to do with it, too.
When labor first spoke up and
said: I'VE want to lend a hand"
many people sympathetic with the
labor viewpoint were exceedingly
skeptical. They said: "Who will
do the lending since labor has not
yet developed in its ranks enough
hands, sufficiently trained in the
upper-bracket category Of compli-
Gated administration" That may
be true.
There are outstanding excep-
tions in both the AL and the
CLIO, but these exceptions, these
men who have revealed their
ability to deal with problems
above the routine Of union adj
m~inistration, politics and nego-
-