Evening star., 1943-01-17
Secretary Perkins
Asks Concentration
OF Labor Controls
Urges Shift of Powers
To Department After
War Is Over

Transfer to the Labor Department
after the war "of various minis
terial functions having to do with
labor matters" which are now scat
tered through various Government
agencies, was recommended last
night by Secretary of Labor Per-
kins. These functions are now per-
formed by the War Labor Board,
the National Labor Relations Board.
the Labor Division of the War Pro-
duction Board and the War Man
power Commission employment
service and apprentice and occu-
pational training.
In her annual report to Congress.
Secretary Perkins declared that the
WLB apparently has developed a
method, based on the trial and error
technique, OF settling industrial dis
putes. She expressed the view that
some part of the functions of the
board should be retained after the
war.
Let us not scrap the War Labor
Board process when peace comes, -
she said. Let us change its name
and retain the experience and habit
which has served a useful purpose. "
Raises Questions on WLB.
rs this machinery of negotiation,
mediation, and settlement by the
War Labor Board the substitute for
strikes and lockouts?" she asked.
Can mediation procedure and in
formal litigation be made the moral
equivalent for the old-style battle
between labor and employers? We
are trying now-testing-w whether
this method is the answer, and we
shall know more clearly with each
month of practice, self-discipline
and cooperation.
Il do not suggest that the use of
this method be made compulsory,
but rather predict that if we retain
and develop this machinery con-
scientiously, We shall build up gradu-
ally an all but universal reliance on
the process of adjustment rather
than on the strike or lockout as a
method of settlement of differences
about wages, hours and working con-
ditions, about unions rights and OBJ
legations, individual rights and OBJ
legations and employers rights and
Obligation
Notes Public Interest.
Her report noted "a growing
sense Of public responsibility for
the conduct of industry and the
conduct of unions and of public re-
sponsibility in the resolution of the
dispute over the division of the
profits and benefits of industry"
Miss Perkins said it was crafty
ing to know that the time lost
through industrial disputes as COM
pared with the time worked in in
dustry has decreased steadily
throughout" the period covered by
her report, the fiscal year ending
July /. 1912.
The large numbers of new per-
sons entering industry and much
greater exposure to the grievances
which arise In the employer-employe
relationship led some to fear that
there would be an increase of in
ldustrial disputes and stoppages. of
work just as there has been an in
crease In industrial accidents and
for much the same reason How
ever, the contrary has been true and
at no time in this period has the
working time lost been more than
l LILO per cent of the time worked. u
Urges Greater Coverage.
The Secretary included among her
recommendation for the future "a
considerable extension and develop
ment Of our social security pro-
gram" She said it could be made
to cover all workers and developed
to include many self-employed and
professional people not otherwise
able to provide for the disasters OF
their lives"
The fixing of wages and prices
she said, should be abandoned as
soon as possible" after the war.
Other recommendations were
transfer to the Labor Department
Of adult education activities affect
ing workers and the people of in
dustrial communities, maintenance
Of strong civil service in the de-
partment and establishment in the
department on permanent basis
of "a strong working conditions
service" charged with the duty of
assuring proper physical and social
conditions for employment and
work.
Secretary Perkins praised the
trade-union movement for Coop
Grating with the Government and
employers in INCREASING war pro-
duction, in promoting the volun-
teering of skilled workmen for haz-