Evening star., 1942-03-21
Unions Ruininq
j. ). Business,
Arnold Asserts
Declares No Other
Group Can Injure
Public So Much
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
Assistant Attorney General
Thurman Arnold accused organ
lied labor today of "injuring
and destroying" independent
business. and said that farmers.
consumers and businessmen
were "at its mercy"
He fatty told the House judiciary
Committee that a measure to re-
quire Government registration OF
unions and trade associations
doesn't go far enough" in protect
ing the public from practices Of or
ganized labor
When you look at the entire pic
ture," Mr.. Arnold asserted, the
situation is putting a very substan-
tial handicap on the distribution OF
all civilian necessities.
1T is impeding the distribution OF
housing and food and is injuring or
destroying the independent busi.
nessman at a time when We are try
ing to save the consumer and inde-
pendent businessman"
No Other Group It's Equal.
Mr.. Arnold told the committee
that mo other group in our society"
could do anything like the things
he said have been done by labor
unions.
Unions alone. he said, have been
able to do these things without be-
ing subject to prosecution.
Mr.. Arnold charged the unions
with:
l. Exploitation of farmers.
2. Undemocratic procedure. 'in-
Guiding packing its membership to
insure elections"
3. Impeding transportation.
4. Making it impossible to get
cheap. mass production Of housing"
5. Forcing businessmen to employ
useless" labor.
g. Restricting efficient use Of
men and machines"
Independent businessmen all
over the country are completely at
the mercy of any organized labor
group" he declared
Law Held Unjustified.
The subject of labor legislation
was debated, meanwhile. on sew
eral fronts at the Capitol. Senator
Thomas. Democrat of Oklahoma,
chairman of special Senate Appro-
priations subcommittee. said that a
week of testimony by Government
production officials and organized
labor leaders had convinced him
that Congress would not be justi-
fed in passing wartime labor leg
islation now"
At the same time, Senator Thomas
said he would request another Sen
ate group. the Truman Committee
investigating national defense, to
look into complaints by Presidents
William Green of the A. F. L. and
Philip Murray of the C. I. o. that
pressure on Congress for legislation
resulted from organized interests
that should be investigated.
Il will make a formal complaint
for an investigation by the Truman
Committee, Senator Thomas said
after listening to protests by the
labor leaders.
Mr.. Murray told reporters that
Thomas j. Wallner, president of the
Southern States Industrial Council,
Nashville. Tenn, had circulated q
form letter among southern manu-
facturers. employers and newspapers
urging protest meetings and mass
kilograms to Congress in favor, Mr..
Murray said, of Legislation designed
to destroy labor unions"
"Blitzkrieg of Conspiracy"
Mr. Murray said the result was a
"blitzkrieg of conspiracy on the part
of labor baiters and enemies of our
government" which tended to de-
stroy real national unity"
Mr.. Green asked for investigation
of flood of kilograms from Okla
homa calling for repeal of the 40
hour-week law and outlawing OF
strikes. He testified there had been
well organized and we'll financed
campaign within that state under
leadership of the Oklahoma Pub
fishing Co. which publishes the
Daily Oklahoman and Oklahoma
City Times.
At Oklahoma City E. K. Gaylord.
president of the publishing firm, de-
clared that I'VE know of no funds
which were raised anywhere In the
(See LABOR, Page A-3D